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Sony aiming for May 31st PSN service restoration [Updated]
Sony's network security woes continued over the weekend, and the light at the end of the tunnel still seems like a distant pin prick for the embattled gaming giant and its displaced customers. Bloomberg reports that Sony spokesman Shigenori Yoshida indicated the company plans to restart Playstation Network services by May 31st, which would bring the total downtime to a whopping 41 days. Nick Caplin, head of communications for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, posted an update to the European PlayStation blog hinting at the reasons for a longer delay. "We expected to have the services online within a week. We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system," he wrote. While the PS3 versions of both Free Realms and DC Universe Online fall under the PSN umbrella, no word has been forthcoming as to a restart date for the rest of SOE's MMO stable, which includes the PC versions of the aforementioned titles as well as EverQuest and EverQuest II. [Update: CNET is reporting that Sony is considering a reward for information leading to the capture of the hackers. Meanwhile, Sony is apparently contesting reports about the May 31st date, suggesting no such hard deadline for PSN resumption exists.]
SOE suspends services after discovering 'an issue'
Uh-oh. While Sony Online Entertainment had assured its customers last week that, "to the best of our knowledge, no customer personal information got out to any unauthorized person or persons" during last month's breach into Sony's systems, the MMO division today suspended its games and services, including its websites and Facebook titles. "We have had to take the SOE service down temporarily," the group said in a brief statement this morning. "In the course of our investigation into the intrusion into our systems we have discovered an issue that warrants enough concern for us to take the service down effective immediately." SOE added that it would provide an update later today. In the meantime, the notification page suggests you download and play some (offline) casual games to distract you from that horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach. Update: SOE has announced that it has lost 12,700 customer credit card numbers as the result of an attack, and roughly 24.6 million accounts may have been breached. Check out our follow-up post for more information.
Two years of Free Realms: A retrospective
"It's your world." Those three words sum up Free Realms, and it's no coincidence that it's the title song for the game. It's hard to believe that the game is only two years old -- much has changed since launch, and in many ways, this young MMO has been a pioneer in the market. To celebrate Free Realms' second birthday, we're going to take a look back at some highlights. From pet training, to Chatdy's name change, to its Guinness World Record, the game has experienced many milestones. Read on for a retrospective as well as a peek at the future.
The Daily Grind: Do you trust MMO companies after the Sony debacle?
It's hard to believe that it's been over a week after a major intrusion into the PlayStation network, and Sony is still trying to put the pieces back together. Many customers were dismayed to hear that their private information was compromised by the attack. Free Realms and DC Universe Online players are among those who have to feel shaken up at the revelation that Sony wasn't the impregnable fortress they perhaps hoped. It's unsettling to realize just how much personal info you hand over to these companies -- your name, address, birthday, credit card information, passwords -- when that info could be grabbed by hackers. In light of the Sony debacle, do you still trust MMO companies with this information, or has it made you think twice about the corporations to which you're handing the keys to your life? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
SOE working on a "make good plan" for its customers
In the wake of the uproar following Sony's announcement regarding customer data theft, the company has continued working to repair the damage and communicate with its customers. The latest information includes an FAQ on the incident as well as another announcement from Linda "Brasse" Carlson: We apologize for any inconvenience players may have experienced as a result of the recent service interruption. As a global leader in online gaming, SOE is committed to delivering stable and entertaining games for players of all ages. To thank players for their patience, we will be hosting special events this weekend across our game portfolio, including a Double Station Cash day on Saturday, April 30th. We are also working on a "make good" plan for players of the PS3 versions of DC Universe Online and Free Realms. Details will be available soon on the individual game websites and forums. In addition to the general FAQ and announcement, senior director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold updated the Playstation blog to clarify the reasons behind the delay in communicating information on this incident to customers. Keep an eye on Massively for more details on the make good plan as they become available.
PlayStation Network data thefts confirmed [Updated]
As we reported over the weekend, Sony has acknowledged an external intrusion into its network, one that caused the company to shut down operations of its website and other online services including the PlayStation Network. The PSN issues affected Sony Online Entertainment MMOs such as Free Realms and DC Universe Online. Although the network shutdown was inconvenient, there appeared to be no actual threat to the players themselves. However, that may have changed. Senior Communications Director Patrick Seybold posted an advisory on the PlayStation blog earlier today. He assures customers that everything should be fully operational again by the end of the week. However, in light of possible leaked personal information, Seybold issued this warning in an email message to registered account holders: For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well. For all the details, we encourage you to check out the full blog post on the PlayStation site, and then keep honed in on Massively as more information comes to light. [Thanks, Lizzy, for the tip.] [Update: SOE has emphasized that the company believes no personal information for players of its non-PSN PC Station MMOs was compromised.]
SOE acknowledges "external intrusion" responsible for website downtime
Sony Online Entertainment has acknowledged an issue that has caused its MMORPGs and game-related websites to be sporadically unavailable since Thursday, April 21st. SOE's Linda "Brasse" Carlson posted on the EverQuest II forums late last night, attributing the trouble to "an external intrusion." Users have experienced connection issues in everything from Vanguard, to EQII, to Free Realms, and EQII's main website remains inaccessible as of press time. Station Cash and account services appear to be working normally. "As a result of an external intrusion on its system, SOE interrupted its services on April 21. Promptly upon learning of the intrusion, SOE initiated an investigation and took corrective steps to bring its games and other services back up," Carlson explained. "We are working hard on bringing all of our player sites back online, but have no ETA at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for bearing with us."
Choose My Adventure: Into the cave I go!
Hello Massively Readers, and thank you MJ for passing the torch! It's been an enjoyable ride following her in her Xyson adventures, and I hope I can do the same for whatever game is chosen. And that brings me to the list -- what would you like to see me play? I made sure to include some of the bridesmaids from previous polls, as well as a few that were mentioned and not listed. So what's it going to be, Massively readers? Will Pirates of the Burning Sea finally get its comeuppance, or will I sport a jet pack and buzz around in Global Agenda? Are you curious about whether MYST Online has the same frustratingly difficult but gorgeous puzzles as the original, or would you prefer that I return to my roots and spend some time on the EverQuest progression server? And, of course, there's my long-lost uncle whom I never got to know -- EverQuest II Extended. Maybe you'd prefer to see an EQII vet head to free-to-play land. Whatever the game, I'm looking forward to your help choosing my path, and if you are also playing, I hope to get to know some of you during my adventures. Make sure to get your votes in by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 17th!
Free Realms buys the farm, offers it to players
Farming is kind of a hot-button issue for a lot of gamers these days, bringing forth mumblings about Facebook and clicking on cows. Fortunately for players who like farming in a colorful environment but don't feel like supporting aggressive non-gameplay, Free Realms has just introduced the option to work on your very own farm, clickable cows not included. All players will receive their own Wilds Farm to start cultivating, decorating, and harvesting as they see fit. As is par for the course for the game, the new farming system introduces a number of minigames for farmers to convert crops into coins. Farming will also provide a surfeit of new items available to expert harvesters. If you're particularly taken by the farming mechanics, you can also purchase additional spots of land and items for planting for Station Cash. Free Realms players on the Mac and PC can begin enjoying the little joys of working on a farm, albeit without the backbreaking labor that accompanies a real farm. %Gallery-12980%
Smedley: Free Realms on track to 100 million players
What's up, World of Warcraft? You think you're so big and bad with your 12-million-strong-and-then-some player base? You won't be quite so intimidating if Sony Online Entertainment head John Smedley's vision for Free Realms comes to fruition. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry, Smedley said, "I think it could take five or six years - that should give you some idea [of the time frame we're looking at]. But I don't see any reason why it can't go to 100 million [players], because there are so many kids out there." The game's current player base stands at 17 million, which should increase naturally with the game's recent launch on PS3. However, though we appreciate Smedley's "children are our future" outlook, we think it's gonna take a little something extra to net the other 83 million he's hoping for. That's right. It needs more unicorns.
John Smedley thinks Free Realms is on track for 100 million players
If you think World of Warcraft's 12 million players is impressive, SOE dares you to think bigger -- a lot bigger. John Smedley told GamesIndustry.biz that he sees Free Realms growing to up to 100 million players over time. Before last week's PlayStation 3 launch, Free Realms boasted 17 million players, a number that is sure to increase now that the game is available on a console as well. But 100 million? Smedley doesn't think that's so far-fetched: "[Seventeen million] is a phenomenal number, and we're very pleased with its success -- and it's really keeping going. I don't see this thing stopping until it hits 100 million. I think it could take five or six years -- that should give you some idea [of the time frame we're looking at]. But I don't see any reason why it can't go to 100 million, because there are so many kids out there." Smedley also hopes that the PS3 won't be the only console to which Free Realms and other SOE titles migrate, citing the recently announced NGP as a potential candidate: "Sony's announced the NGP, and if that isn't a perfect machine for doing MMOs on, then I don't know what is. So it's too soon to tell for sure but I think you're going to start seeing free-to-play gaming on consoles as well."
PSN Tuesday: Moon Diver, Free Realms
Sony Online Entertainment's Free Realms MMO finally arrives on PS3 today. We really don't have much to say about the free-to-play hit, but it gives us a fantastic excuse to post a picture of purple horse with wings. Another big arrival today is Moon Diver, which at one point was called Necromachina, but before that was known as ... Moon Diver. Anyway, original point: it's like a four-player Strider. Considering it was designed by Kouichi Yotsui, one of the leads on Strider, that makes the lift kosher in our book. There's a lot more to be found in the full update details after the break. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.) %Gallery-118871%
Free Realms makes your world on PS3!
It's your world on PlayStation 3 now! The hottest family game for the PC and Mac is now for your PS3 console, too. Free Realms, which made a name for itself as the first AAA free-to-play title, launched as the fastest growing MMO for Sony Online Entertainment back in April of 2009. The game is hoping to follow in the footsteps of the other SOE title on PS3, DC Universe Online, by making a distinguished mark for MMOs on consoles. In a press release statement, CEO John Smedley said, "Our games extend the current lifecycle of the console with the added value offer of bringing tens of thousands of people together, in a game world, to socialize at community events, compete in combat activities and engage in a diversity of gameplay experiences, for years to come" Perhaps the future of MMOs is not only in crossing genres but also in crossing platforms. So what's next for SOE? Possibly a pure-console MMO? Maybe, but expending the MMO console market can never be a bad thing. Catch the video promo after the cut, then for more information about Free Realms jump on over to the official website.
SOE rewards players for aiding Japan's relief effort
In case you haven't been paying attention to the world, Japan was hit with a devastating tsunami a couple of weeks ago. Since then, multiple MMO companies have donated to the restoration. According to a post on the EverQuest II site, the Sony Corporation has donated 300 million yen (3.6 million U.S. dollars) to the Central Community Chest of Japan and hopes to donate more as needed. Sony Online Entertainment is encouraging its players to donate to the cause as well. The game development team has designed special in-game gifts for those who would like to donate through Station Cash. EverQuest, Free Realms, and Clone Wars Adventures players can purchase a cherry blossom tree (the national tree of Japan) for 500 Station Cash. EQII players can purchase a Memory of Spring statue, also for 500 Station Cash. Lastly, Star Wars Galaxies players can buy a $5 stuffed Tauntaun toy TCG loot card. With each of these purchases, SOE will donate $10 to the American Red Cross relief efforts. Monday will mark the last day you'll be able to make these purchases, so if you play any of these games or would just like to make a donation, the sooner the better!
Free for All: Are MMO transients bad for the industry?
I hate downtown Dallas. When I was a kid, it used to be the place to go. We would drive several hours to see a punk rock show, stare at the cool people we didn't have in Oklahoma, and then drive back. Back then, Dallas was a paradise. Now that I am older and have played in bands for nearly 24 years, I realize Dallas is a pit. I hated playing the clubs there. One of the major issues that the city has run into is what to do about all of the homeless people. I hate to sound like a jerk, but right now you can't go into downtown Dallas without being asked for change a dozen times or asked to "look at this spider bite." (This did happen to me once, and it it was nasty-looking.) Despite my attitude of understanding for people in all sorts of situations, I still wonder what a city is supposed to do with a constant influx of people, people who do not reside permanently in the city yet continue to pass through? You can't tax them. MMO gamers who enjoy multiple games are often talked about as though they are the pitiful homeless. While I can see some parallels, I think that such a judgment is not only insensitive but the opposite of the truth. Let's look at the variables past the cut.
The MMO Report: Guilds, crafting, and craft beer edition
It's St. Patrick's day, and what better time to discuss craft beers on The MMO Report than today? Mind you, for those of you who don't imbibe frosty adult beverages, there's also a huge serving of corned MMO news, and the lilting smell of cabbage you're picking up... is probably coming from the mailbag. Shall we move on to the tasty news of the week? Let's! First up, Casey jumps straight on to the Guild Wars 2 news that many have been buzzing about this week: professions! Next up, it's Star Wars: The Old Republic's trailer made of completely delicious in-game footage, as well as the ongoing rush to get guilds set up before launch. Casey zooms straight into Jagex's partnership with Hasbro to create the upcoming Transformers MMO for the West, and he notes that Free Realms on PS3 will probably be just as popular as it is on PC. Casey also takes a moment to note the Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV server downtime and asks anyone who can to please donate to help those in Japan. Moving on from there, it's a look into the ever-enlightening mailbag, where this week Casey is both praised and derided for his choice in beers and we are treated to another dose of photoshop magic. Finally, it is revealed that G4TV landed an exclusive fly-over of Perfect World International's new area, Dragon Mountain. As always, you can catch this week's episode behind the break, or every Thursday on G4TV.
SOE offers bonus Station Cash for using game cards
Paying for subscriptions with a credit card is definitely fast and easy, but if you're a regular Sony Online Entertainment game subscriber, you might want to consider switching to a game time card this month! As a way of rewarding players for picking up and paying with universal game cards, Sony Online Entertainment is giving players $10 worth of Station Cash (1,000 SC) just for redeeming a $15 universal game card. The nice thing about these cards? They can be redeemed for either a month's subscription to an SOE game or 1,500 Station Cash. However, to get the bonus cash, you'll have to redeem your card between 3:10 a.m. EDT (12:10 a.m. PDT) on March 17th and 2:59 a.m. on March 21st (11:59 p.m. PDT on March 20th). Along with getting an extra Station Cash reward for using a universal game card during those days, players will be entered into SOE's Luck of the Irish sweepstakes, the details of which should be out sometime this week. We'd also note that SOE's disclaimer indicates that the promotion is only available to gamers in the United States/District of Columbia and excludes Puerto Rico and other outlying territories. Keep your eye on the forums or the SOE Facebook account for all the sweepstakes information and official rules.
PAX East 2011: Free Realms coming to the PS3 on March 29th
Apparently 17 million registered PC and Mac users are the tip of the iceberg for Sony Online Entertainment. The company's family-friendly Free Realms MMORPG is heading to the Playstation 3 on March 29th in an attempt to bring massively multiplayer enlightenment to the unwashed console masses (and reel in a few million new users in the process). Free Realms originally took a bow in 2009 on Windows PCs and has since seen its pirates, ninjas, pets, and genre-bending gameplay appear on Apple's OS X operating system as well. The title is initially free-to-play, with premium account options available to gamers who want to access an additional 400 quests and level all their jobs up to 20. Free Realms also features a cash shop that will be available via the Playstation Store. "Free Realms continues to break new ground in the gaming industry -– it will be the first free-to-play MMO to hit any console, the first family-friendly MMO to hit any console, and the second MMO, after our recent release of DC Universe Online, to hit the PlayStation3 to date," says SOE president John Smedley. Head past the break for an exclusive interview with Free Realms lead designer Stephen Bokkes and producer Nick Parkinson. %Gallery-118920%
Free Realms coming to the PlayStation 3 on March 29
Sony Online Entertainment has announced a release date for casual free-to-play MMO Free Realms' arrival on the PlayStation 3, and it's just a few weeks from now, on March 29. The game was originally brought out on PC a few years ago, and is breaking new ground: "We'll be the first free-to-play casual MMO ever offered on the PlayStation Network," lead designer Stephen Bokkes told Joystiq. SOE already has a major console MMO on the PS3 in the form of DC Universe Online, but Bokkes says that development of Free Realms ran separately from the superhero game. "I can't say that we took any cues specifically from DCUO" in terms of controls or design, he said. Bokkes' team developed console-style controls for each minigame in the title, from pet-raising to kart racing, and even rebalanced them for console-specific gameplay. A lot of technical work was done as well: "We actually had to port the renderer over," says producer Ryan Wells. The PS3 version won't allow players to team up with their friends on PC, however. "It was certainly considered," says Bokkes, but in the end was too difficult to pull off correctly. "The difficulty comes in with linking the accounts." Another difficulty was setting a schedule for updates -- the team says it would like to do simultaneous updates across platforms, but "it becomes really hard when you're going through multiple approval paths," according to Wells. Free Realms has been relatively popular on the PC, and it'll be interesting to see how a console audience reacts at the end of the month.%Gallery-118871%
GDC 2011: Checking in with UTV True Games
Casual, colorful and comical: That's the effort that UTV True Games is putting into its growing portfolio of MMOs. From Faxion Online to Mytheon, UTV has quite a few things cooking on the stove, and we happily taste-tested new visuals and info from this year's Games Developer Conference. First up was the PvP-centric Faxion, pitting the good-smelling forces of Heaven against the sulfur-sprayed armies of Hell. Faxion is currently prepping for its second closed beta test, and we've been intrigued by what we've seen so far. The devs released 10 new images for the game, which you can see below: %Gallery-113832% For more previews of UTV's Mytheon, Sky Legends and Planet Crashers, hit the jump and pray you have a chute!
