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Spend $100 on PSN in October, get $15 back
Sony's latest promotion is dishing cash back to those that buy goods on PSN this month. As of October 1, players that spend at least $100 using their Sony Entertainment Network wallets will receive $15 in credit. The credit will be delivered to those taking advantage of the offer "on or before November 7" via email or PS4, PS3 or Vita system notification in redemption code form. The promotion runs through Tuesday, October 28. Players will have until December 5 to redeem their $15 credit codes. Now the question is: What ever shall you spend that $100 on? PS4 players may consider the recently-launched and excellent Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, or may choose to pre-order Alien: Isolation via PSN. Or you could just blow it all on repeated rentals of Hocus Pocus. Your call. [Image: Sony]
Sega's JRPG Resonance of Fate pops up on PSN
The PlayStation 3 version of Sega and developer Tri-Ace's cult hit JRPG Resonance of Fate resurfaces on the PlayStation Network this week as a downloadable title, arriving more than four years after its initial retail release. In Resonance of Fate, players control a Private Military Firm who must trek across a dystopian Earth, fulfilling client requests and outgunning monsters in uniquely cinematic combat sequences. If you haven't yet experienced Resonance of Fate, this oddball scene in particular might win you over. It's...quite a thing. Resonance of Fate is priced at $19.99. An Xbox 360 Games on Demand version is also available. [Image: Sega]
Weekend-long PSN Flash Sale discounts a pack of racers
Even if your weekend pace is relaxed and leisurely, you should still be able to reach the PlayStation Store's Flash Sale before it ends on September 22 at 3pm EST. You can make up for your slow-and-steady demeanor by setting lap records in this Flash Sale's racing-oriented deals, unless you prefer to destroy everything in sight in Burnout Crash. Pack leaders include Need for Speed: Most Wanted for $4.99 on PS3 and Vita, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for $9.99 on PS3 and Vita, Cel Damage HD for $2.49 on PS3, PS4 and Vita, Crazy Taxi for $2.49 on PS3, and GRID Autosport on PS3 for $12.49, among others. You can check the PlayStation Blog's complete breakdown of the sale's standings, or just round the corner as fast as possible and race straight into the deals. [Image: PlayStation]
Report: PSP users in Europe, Asia lose PSN access on September 15
Sony is closing off PlayStation Network access for its PlayStation Portable console in multiple regions starting this week, IGN reports. A Sony representative told IGN that the shutdown affects PSP owners in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and select regions in Africa. North American PSPs will still be able to access the PlayStation Network while Sony "evaluates market trends" to determine if it should expand its service shutdown plans. While affected regions will be unable to directly access the PlayStation Network from PSP hardware starting on September 15, Sony notes that users will still be able to buy PSN marketplace content and redownload previous purchases via the Sony Entertainment Network Online Store. Sony halted PSP production in Japan in June, and discontinued North American hardware shipments in January. [Image: Sony]
PSA: PSN gets knocked down again [Update: Back online]
The PlayStation Network servers are currently out of commission for the second time in as many days. Sony posted a notice to its official Twitter account that its engineers are "aware of connectivity issues" and "are working to resolve" them. PSN suffered an outage for the majority of Sunday thanks to an apparent DDoS attack (distributed denial of service). Sony noted that no personal information was accessed in the attack. b=Both PSN and Sony Entertainment Network were "impacted by an attempt to overwhelm our network with artificially high traffic," though it's unclear if that's also causing today's issues. We'll update this post when PSN is up and running again. Update: Sony said that "network connectivity is being restored," and thanks players for their patience. [Image: Sony]
PSN resumes normal service, maintenance rescheduled
Following yesterday's distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, Sony said this morning both the PlayStation Network and the Sony Entertainment Network are back online. Users can now resume game downloads, play games online, buy stuff off the PlayStation Store, use apps and all the other PSN services as normal. Furthermore, the PSN maintenance that was due to take place today is to be rescheduled. The company will announce the new date and time for the maintenance "shortly."
Hackers' bomb threat allegedly reroutes SOE's president's plane
Hackers who implicated themselves in this weekend's PlayStation Network outage have apparently stepped up their attacks on Sony with a casual bomb threat made over Twitter that may have diverted a plane carrying SOE president John Smedley. In addition to tweeting several mocking threats about the flight as well as an image purporting to be Smed's e-ticket, the hacker account sent this message to American Airlines: .@AmericanAir We have been receiving reports that @j_smedley's plane #362 from DFW to SAN has explosives on-board, please look into this. Smed tweeted earlier today that his plane had been rerouted to Phoenix over "security reasons." Local news stations report that the FBI is investigating the threats. [Developing]
Head of Sony Online Entertainment's flight rerouted over concerns for explosives [Update]
The commercial flight of John Smedley, head of Sony Online Entertainment, has allegedly been rerouted due to Twitter users warning America Airlines that explosives are on board. These same users are also claiming responsibility for this morning's apparent DDoS attack on the PlayStation Network, explaining that part of the group's messaging is that Sony "should be paying for DDoS protection" with the revenue earned from PlayStation Plus. Smedley tweeted earlier today that he would be flying to San Diego, later adding that his flight had been rerouted to Phoenix, seemingly due to concerns about "security and our cargo." Smedley's tweets match the flight pattern of AA Flight 362, shown in the above image from Flight Aware as well as AA's online records. Update: The FBI has released a statement to Game Informer. It's not much of a statement, but it shows the authorities are at least aware of the situation. "Today AA Flight 362 traveling from Dallas to San Diego was diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The flight landed without incident. Passengers were safely removed from the plane," the Bureau writes. "The investigation is still ongoing." [Image: Flight Aware]
PSA: PSN down, reportedly due to DDoS attack [Update]
At the time of this writing, the PlayStation Network is offline, reportedly due to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, August 24. Shacknews reports that other services and online games, such as Path of Exile, World of Warcraft and League of Legends were also attacked, but those seem to have recovered. It's worth noting that this attack, if true, is not comparable to the 2011 PSN outage. Whereas the incident three years ago was due to compromised systems and an intrusion into Sony servers, a DDoS attack is much simpler, and basically floods the targeted network with data so that it can't make new connections to legitimate users. Should the issue escalate or resolve, we'll keep you posted. Update: Sony is aware of the issue and working to resolve connection problems, according to the official PlayStation Twitter account. Update 2: Sony has posted an update to the PlayStation Blog, clarifying that "no personal information has been accessed." Update 3: Sony announced Monday morning that PSN is back online, and the maintenance that was due to take place today is being rescheduled. [Image: Sony]
Court approves settlement over Sony's 2011 PSN breach
The US District Court for the Southern District of California approved a settlement for the class action lawsuit resulting from Sony's 2011 PSN data breach. The settlement may result in Sony doling out as much as $17.75 million, which includes an offer for one free game (PS3 or PSP only), three PS3 themes or credit for three months of PlayStation Plus membership (valid only for new subscribers). The claimant groups are divided based on whether PSN account holders prior to May 15, 2011 took advantage of the "Welcome Back" program following the intrusion. Those that did not accept the PSN Welcome Back offer can claim two of the benefit options among the games, themes and PS Plus membership credit on a first come, first served basis until a $6 million allocation from Sony is reached. For those that did take advantage of the program, they will receive one of the benefits above until a $4 million allocation is reached.
PSN service 'intermittent' during Destiny beta launch
Sony warns that the PlayStation Network is "intermittently available" as Bungie prepares to launch its Destiny public beta for registered users. "The PlayStation Network is currently experiencing high volume and users may experience issues when connecting to the service," Sony's PlayStation Knowledge Center reports. "We will update you with any changes that may occur in regards to this issue. Thank you for your patience." Destiny beta keys are now being sent out to players who redeemed early access codes. Destiny's beta launches for PlayStation platforms today. Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners will receive beta access on July 23. [Image: Bungie]
PSN 2-for-1 sale pairs up 22 discounted games this week
The PlayStation Network is offering a 2-for-1 sale on 22 featured games this week, collecting varied pairs of PlayStation 3 and PS Vita releases at bargain prices. Featured PS3 pairings include NBA Jam: On Fire Edition and NFL Blitz for $14.99, Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition and Red Dead Redemption for $29.99, and From Dust and I Am Alive for $14.99. Vita owners can pick up Corpse Party and its sequel for $19.99, along with the portable Grand Theft Auto series entries Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories for $19.99. Sale prices remain in effect through July 21. A full list of featured games is available at PlayStation Blog. [Image: Sony]
PS Plus subscribers get free Powers in December
The PlayStation Network will be bitten by a radioactive crime drama series later this year; Powers, a live-action adaptation of the comic of the same name, will be available via the PSN starting in December, with the debut episode available for free. Meanwhile, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to view the entire series at no charge. David Slade (Hannibal, Breaking Bad) will direct the first two episodes of the show, which focuses on detectives who investigate cases involving people with superhuman powers. The original comic, published by Image until 2004 and currently by Marvel, is written by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy) and illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming (Judge Dredd, Catwoman). [Image: Marvel]
PlayStation Store Flash Sale offers up 99-cent deals
Surprise sales are always nice, especially when you've got a weekend to spend with whatever you pick up from them. The PlayStation Blog has detailed the PlayStation Store's latest Flash Sale, which offers a range of PSOne and digital-only titles at an impulse-friendly 99 cent pricepoint. Highlights from recent times include Papo & Yo, Machinarium, Double Dragon Neon and separately-offered PS3 and Vita versions of Thomas Was Alone. There's some love for the original PlayStation's library as well, with Dino Crisis 1 and 2, Legend of Dragoon, Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, Wild Arms 1 and 2 and the Syphon Filter trilogy up for grabs. You could always re-fuel some of your long-standing arcade rivalries with Virtual Fighter 2, too. If you're a shrewd shopper no matter how low a price is, you've got plenty of time to decide – the Flash Sale runs until 3 p.m. EST on July 14. [Image: Sony]
Sony's new PlayStation Network TV show 'Powers' hits in December, free on PS Plus
We'd heard that Sony signed up Brian Michael Bendis' comic series Powers for an original TV show, and tonight it confirmed that at its E3 2014 event. With Bendis on stage, we saw some concept art and found out from Andrew House that the series will arrive in December on the PlayStation Network. If you're not already familiar, it's based on a detective investigating cases that involve individuals with superhuman abilities. Everyone in the US can watch the first ep for free on their PlayStation devices, while PS Plus subscribers can watch the entire series at no extra charge. Check out the unveil and concept art in the video embedded after the break.
Now you can fill your PS4 wallet with PayPal bucks
PS4 owners can now buy games like Towerfall and Octodad: Dadliest Catch by stuffing their wallets full of moola from their PayPal accounts. Those looking to fund their digital purchases in this manner can do so on their PS4 consoles during the checkout process by selecting "Add Funds," then the PayPal option and picking the amount of dough to add to their wallet. Alternatively, players will be able to access the chunk of change in their PayPal accounts via their Sony Entertainment Network accounts, which are tied to their PSN wallets. Similar to the console method, eager buyers simply need to log in, select the "Account" tab, then the "Wallet" section, click "Add funds to Wallet," then follow the instructions to use PayPal as their funding option. PayPal funding, which was added to PS3 in November, is available to PS4 owners in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. [Image: PayPal]
Joystiq Discussion: Are you playing on PS Vita?
"Honestly, Vita owners are the ****ing best," said Chris McQuinn, designer at Drinkbox Studios, in an April interview with GamesIndustry International. McQuinn's team has put their impressive talents to work multiple times on PS Vita, pumping out inspired games like Mutant Blobs Attack and Guacamelee. Some might say, though, Drinkbox would have been better off bringing its vivid slapstick adventures to Steam or home consoles first rather than a handheld with such sluggish sales. McQuinn disagrees. There may not be many Vita owners out there compared to PC players or iPhone owners, but Vita owners are proven game players. "People rag on the Vita so much, and I think people who rag on the Vita don't understand, at least from a business perspective, the purchasing power of Vita owners. Vita owners are serious purchasers of games. It's an amazing system." He's not wrong. PS Vita's blend of inputs, both traditional button controls and multi-touch surfaces, has proven revelatory in myriad games, from Sony and Media Molecule's Tearaway to scrappier independent productions like Roll7's OlliOlli. Those are just two games in what's become one of modern gaming's most quietly impressive libraries. For the classically minded player, Vita's got HD remasters like Final Fantasy X HD as well as a treasure trove of PS1 and PSP games on tap. For the modernity obsessed, it hosts a who's who of independent gaming, from Hotline Miami to Luftrausers. That's not to mention its handful of big budget originals like the sublime Gravity Rush. For all its merits, though, Vita's rough reputation persists. Why? Why is there a perception that Vita doesn't have any games when it's flush with new games and classics alike? For those that have resisted its wiles, why haven't you picked one up and what would convince you to take the plunge? Take the poll and discuss in the comments. Are you playing on PS Vita? [Images: Drinkbox Studios]
Destiny opens pre-orders and pre-loading
Looking forward to getting into Destiny when it launches on September 9th? Then go ahead and pre-order it on your PlayStation 4, and you'll be able to pre-load the game before launch. No, really; Destiny is the first title on the PS4 to support pre-loading, allowing you to have the game installed and ready to play once the launch happens. It's in the PlayStation Store on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 as of today. Players who pre-order the title will also have access to the game's beta once it starts up in July. Theyll need to also sign up at Bungie.net and link their PSN ID to keep informed about the beta and be eligible for participation. Keep your eyes peeled for more news as we approach the start of beta.
PlayStation Now streaming service enters PS4 beta tomorrow
The closed beta phase of PlayStation Now for PS4 will begin tomorrow, Sony announced. The service's beta program has been available for PS3 after invites went out to players in late January. PlayStation Now was announced in January as a service that allows players to stream PS3 games to their compatible systems like they would a video on platforms like YouTube and Netflix. The service was originally expected to include PS One and PS2 games, though Sony has since been mum on the ability to stream classics. A previous rumor indicated that backwards compatibility for those consoles could be added to the PS4. PlayStation Now will launch this year for PS4, PS3, Vita and "select" 2014 Bravia TVs. Sony is expanding its PS3 beta program to a "broader audience" soon, so those interested in testing the streaming platform can register on Sony's site. [Image: Sony]
Six more import PS1 games slated for PSN release
Publisher GungHo Online America continues its campaign to bring under-the-radar, import-only classics to North America, announcing that six more Japanese-language PSOne games will hit the PlayStation Network soon. The company's upcoming re-releases include the Recettear-like item shop RPG Dungeon Shoutenkai: Densetsu no Ken Hajimemashita, pinball game Dragon Beat Legend of Pinball, terrain-shaping planetary simulation Neo Planet, oddball rock-paper-scissors action-RPG Tokyo 23ku Seifuku-Wars and idol-raising strategy games Heroine Dream and Heroine Dream 2. GungHo hopes to "bring over as many PSOne Classics as possible," and previously spearheaded North American releases for games like Zanac X Zanac and Makeruna Makendo 2. GungHo's PSOne import games are priced at $5.99 apiece. [Image: GungHo]
