It's not as busy as it was before, but I can still find games most of the time. Usually in the evening is the busiest. Then again, mostly everybody on my friends list are in FatP clans, so they play a lot. I play with them most of the time, it's more fun playing with people who know what they're doing.
Sony may significally improve PSN and add cross game chat. http://www.vgsynergy.net/2011/05/07/you-will-be-surprised-and-pleased-with-the-new-psn/
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. Sony obviously figured that since the whole thing was offline they might as well use the time productively to make some enhancements that are only possible while the service is down. On it's own, that's a pretty good call, but how many users know this is the reason? A large chunk of gamers probably don't keep up to date with this stuff and are putting the whole extended outage down to the hacking and little else. Bad light shining on Sony right there. Personally I'm quite glad. If they're making it more secure and adding new features I can wait a while longer, they'd only have to take it offline later to add them anyway. Also, it looks like they've managed to change the root key after all since the press release notes games will require online verification upon first launch. This is a side effect of changing the key but it also patches the hole that gave Geohot and his buddies access to it in the first place. ...oh, and cross-game chat =
I agree with Midian. Although it's nice that they'll be bringing new features to the network, a huge portion of gamers who aren't as connected with the gaming world are just getting more frustrated as this entire outage remains in place. I know friends of mine are getting tired of the ordeal, and are cursing Sony without knowing all the facts.
My main problem with PSN being hacked is that nobody will trust Sony anymore. Just a long-awaited feature and a couple free games won't change that.
I do. They've fixed it now and invested money into better security. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more secure than Live or even Nintendo's... thing, and the console itself is once again the most hack-free offering on the market.
I do trust them as well, but as for everyone else... I imagine it's the most hack-free and secure console out there once again, and Sony should have learned from this and I assume will invest more money in security, even though they said they had firewalls and such up.
I find it very hard to understand how a hacker attack, as bad as it could have possibly been, may provoke for such incredible long time the global shutdown of a major online service such as PSN. I'm a PS3 guy (Level 19, 3022 trophies) and will definitely keep playing it but, differing from others in this thread, there's no way I'll ever trust Sony again and will only buy in the PS Store through gift cards. Credibility is like respect, hard to earn and once you loose it there's a long road getting it back. Yeah, it can happen with any company but it happened with Sony, and unless there are uber improvements in the service after restoration (which I doubt), I think they're handling all this situation with childish incompetence. At least it looks that way. I'm an old-school gamer and spend most of my gaming time playing single player games, but most of my friends are all the time online in multiplayer matches. If even a PS3-mostly-single-player-fanboy like me is pissed by now...
:| They said before online play would be by May 3rd, and then the other features of PSN by around this week >.> Guess it's delayed. Again.
This is what I was talking about a page or so back. The reason it's stayed down is because rather than simply fix it, they've chosen to improve and upgrade not only the security of PSN, but the console security as well, also adding in a bunch of new "fun" features to enhance the service when it returns. Factor in a load of legal proceedings as well and it's not too surprising. They're battling off smaller cases from all over the world now as well as heading their own investigation against the hackers. When Live went down a while back, all they had to do was shove in some new servers, but this is slightly more complicated.
In the US, Gamestop is starting to give out $100 off a PS3 coupons to their "Powerup Rewards Members" (paid or not). If this is due to a drop in sales due to the service outage, then it's a win. Well, I'm not decided on buying one, but it certainly makes it more enticing.
I haven't seen that yet. I might do so and take advantage of that offer simply because I want to get a PS3 Slim.
The coupons are unique and they are giving them out randomly, though perhaps to everyone eventually. I don't know. I got one, in any case.
Ohhhh damn well I hope I can get a hold of one of those too then. If not no big sweat I could just really use a new PS3. Mine is jacked up and I am too lazy to get it repaired LOL
