psn

Questioning Sony's new class-action waiver

The Sony Network Entertainment has added a controversial change to its Terms of Service and User Agreement (PDF) for users of the PlayStation Network and the Sony Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited). In the revised terms, consumers must waive the right to participate in any class-action lawsuit filed after August 20 against the gaming and content delivery portion of Sony.

If you don't agree, then your PS3 can't get online or purchase media content from Sony. Future disputes between consumers and SNE must occur individually in court or through an arbitration procedure.

Licensing agreements with restrictions like this are actually more common than you might think. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of class-action waivers last April in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion. In that case, the court held that federal law pre-empted state rules against class-action waivers. Sony will have difficulty enforcing this policy outside of the U.S., as some other countries make agreements like this impossible.… Read more

Sony: Sign new PSN terms or you're banned

Use of Sony's online services, including the PlayStation Network (PSN)--which was hacked to pieces a few months ago when digital thieves made off with millions of users' personal information--is now subject to terms and conditions that see you waiving your rights to collectively sue the company for any reason, including future security breaches.

Anyone taking issue with Sony in the future will be unable to take part in a class action lawsuit, and instead will have to work with an arbitrator of Sony's choosing "on an individual basis" to resolve the problem, the BBC reports.

Read more of "Sony: Sign new PSN terms or you're banned" at Crave UK. … Read more

CEO: PlayStation Network growth recovers after hack

BERLIN--The PlayStation Network, Sony's hacker-beleaguered online gameplay system, has recovered from its earlier woes and is growing again, Chief Executive Howard Stringer said today.

"I'm pleased to tell you that the PSN is more secure and better than ever," Stringer said at a news conference at the IFA electronics show here. "We are aggressively expanding its content. We have more than 3 million new customers since the network came back online, and sales are exceeding what we had before the cyberattacks."

Stringer gave the impression he was trying to take the offensive in his … Read more

Sony to launch Sony Entertainment Network? (scoop)

Sony's various content distribution services may soon be operating under a new, unifying name, CNET has learned.

The Japanese electronics giant currently operates several entertainment stores, such as Qriocity, Sony's streaming music and video service; PlayStation Network; and others. Several sources tell CNET that Sony may roll out a new name for those services during IFA 2011 next month in Berlin. That name is currently known within the company as "Sony Entertainment Network," or SEN.

Does this mean people will turn on their PS3s or PSPs one day in the near future and see Sony Entertainment Network instead of PlayStation Network? Not quite. Our sources indicate that Qriocity Music Unlimited and the VOD service would be first to move under the SEN umbrella. Other services would possibly then be moved to SEN later; this may include the PSN and the Reader Store.

A possible reason for the transition, our sources say, is that soon-to-be-chairman Kazuo Hirai desires a unified Sony user experience, as it has been fragmented over the last decade. Hirai oversees all of Sony's consumer electronics, including PlayStation products, so the PSN transitioning to the rubric of SEN seems plausible. It also wouldn't hurt to move away from PSN after the embarrassing hacking scandal that breached millions of accounts and caused service interruption for 23 days. … Read more

Report: New PSN design in the works

Is Sony looking for a fresh start with its PlayStation Network?

The Register is reporting that Sony is testing out a redesigned PSN in some markets.

The report cites sources familiar with the new design who say Sony will "de-clutter" the PSN main screen in favor of "an aesthetic layout with logically marked sections and rolodex lists."

The sources say Sony is also tweaking the search function by adding a live search feature and a deals section to highlight content on sale; bringing in an "IMDB-style" movie database for movie purchases and rentals and a similar style database for games; and possibly ditching the traditional blue background for bolder color. … Read more

PSN, Qriocity back online in Japan Wednesday

This week Sony's home turf becomes the final country to regain access to PlayStation Network and Qriocity after a cyberattack in April forced the company to rebuild its security system.

Sony said Monday that it will fully restore PSN and Qriocity to its customers in Japan tomorrow. This follows Sony doing a "phased" restoration of access to some services in Japan at the end of May.

Sony was forced to shut down the security of PSN and Qriocity after a cyberattack on the network in mid-April compromised the personal data of more than 77 million customers. Sony … Read more

Lawsuit: Sony knew its PSN security was at risk

Three men are suing Sony over April's massive data breach of the company's PlayStation Network and Sony Online systems, saying the company knew its security system was inadequate before the cyberattack.

The suit was filed earlier this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and unearthed by Reuters today.

The suit, which is asking for class-action status, was filed Monday on behalf of Felix Cortorreal, Jacques Daoud Jr., and Jimmy Cortorreal, all of New York. The trio alleges that Sony "knew that its inadequate security systems placed it at an increased … Read more

Sony's hacking woes mount after PSN breach (roundup)

It started as a security breach on the PlayStation network and other Sony services that exposed the personal information of 100 million users. From there, it has mushroomed into broader, ongoing security troubles across the Sony empire that have spilled out into the wider world.

Sony: PSN difficulties a 'bump in the road' Sony Computer Entertainment America senior vice president Phil Rosenberg told IndustryGamers in an interview published yesterday that 90 percent of PlayStation Network users are back. (Posted in The Digital Home by Don Reisinger) June 23, 2011 7:34 AM PDT

Turkey arrests 32 after Anonymous' Web attacks … Read more

Arrests in Spain don't mean Sony's troubles are over

The Spanish police say they've taken down three of the people allegedly behind the massive PlayStation Network security breach in April. But while it's probably comforting for Sony to have someone to blame, this doesn't mean the company has any reason to rest easy when it comes to security threats.

For the record, Sony doesn't have anything to say about the arrests. "We don't comment on pending investigations," said company spokesman Patrick Seybold in a statement. But whether or not Sony was in any way involved with identifying the three detained by Spanish … Read more

At E3, will Sony address the elephant in the room?

The E3 Expo is normally an ideal promotional event for the big three gaming hardware companies. Hordes of fans, the gaming press, and business partners hang on Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo's every word at this show to hear about the new game console or game platform they'll be introducing.

But this year all that attention comes at a not-so-ideal time for Sony.

When Sony takes the stage at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on Monday, it will only have been six weeks since 77 million customers of its PlayStation Network found out their personal information had been compromised … Read more