he man in charge of Sony’s network entertainment division has outlined the lessons learned from PSN’s hack attack.

Speaking at the Gamesbeat 2011 conference in San Francisco, Tim Schaaff told VentureBeat recovering from a major hack is about more than just improving security.

Sony switched off its online gaming PlayStation Network service for almost one month in April following a hack that obtained the personal details of around 77m users.

“It's dramatic but that the lesson we learned from this process is that there are some crazy things going on in the world right now, and in the beginning we were very concerned that we were the focal point for this attack, and it was all about Sony, and what was Sony doing," he said.

“But over time, the company learned that a wide variety of sites had been hit, including government institutions and other companies.

“I think for people running network businesses, it's not just about improving your security, because I've never talked to a security expert who said, 'As long you do the following three things you'll be fine, because hackers won't get you.’ The question is how do you build your life so you're able to cope with those things.”

“It’s been a great experience,” he added.

When asked to elaborate on this, Schaaff replied: “A great experience. I would not like to do it again. One time was enough. Great learning experience.”

PSN went back online in May in the UK, while the PlayStation Store has only just gone live again in Japan. Sony says network performance and sales are better than ever.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sony-...erience/082283 ...

Sony questioning continues says Information Commissioner's Office
The Information Commissioner's Office has confirmed to Develop that it is still pursuing its questioning of Sony over the massive PSN data breach.
ICO original announced its investigation into the matter late in April, and promised to look into the potential theft of millions of PSN users' accounts, but since has remained quiet on the matter.
Contacted by Develop, an ICO spokesperson said the organisation “will pursue” PSN hack investigation. ICO could offer no timeline as to when publication of its findings would occur, but offered assurances it will make public data on the matter.
The organisation declined to comment further.
Back in April ICO told Eurogamer: "Any business or organisation that is processing personal information in the UK must ensure they comply with the law, including the need to keep data secure.
"We have recently been informed of an incident which appears to involve Sony. We are contacting Sony and will be making further enquiries to establish the precise nature of the incident before deciding what action, if any, needs to be taken by this office."
The ICO is not the only Government body to look at Sony in the wake of the hack. In May Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said Sony must make online security a new priority.
“Clearly, as more and more companies move their products online – with more and more customers handing over their details – data protection is going to have to be a number one priority,” Vaizey said.
He also stated the Government would not interfere with the Information Commissioner’s Office on whether to fine Sony.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...ifbh+(Develop) ...

It's been a good week for Western developers on the notoriously parochial Japanese software chart, with LA Noire and inFamous 2 taking the top two spots.

As detailed by Andriasang, the PlayStation 3 version of Rockstar's detective epic was number one, selling 58,436 in its first week, while Sucker Punch's inFamous 2 sold 33,474 in second.

Bug-blasting sequel Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon followed in third and fourth on PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively.

Here's the full top 20:

L.A. Noire (Rockstar Games, PS3): 58,436 NEW!
inFamous 2 (SCEJ, PS3): 33,474 NEW!
Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon (D3 Publisher, PS3): 30,189 NEW!
Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon (D3 Publisher, Xbox 360): 17,817 NEW!
Wiimote Plus Variety Pack (Nintendo, Wii): 17,008 NEW!
Little Battle eXperience (Level 5, PSP): 15,807 (Life to date: 244,790)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo, 3DS): 14,985 (240,738)
Steins; Gate (5pb., PSP): 13,700 (99,088)
007 Goldeneye (Nintendo, Wii): 13,216 (49,390)
Wii Sports Resort (Wii Remote Plus Pack) (Nintendo, Wii): 12,877 (388,074)
L.A. Noire (Rockstar Games, Xbox 360): 12,621 NEW!
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (Capcom, PS3): 10,512 (65,436)
Atelier Meruru: Alchemist of Arland 3 (Gust, PS3): 10,421 (116,762)
Tales of the Abyss (Namco Bandai, 3DS): 10,034 (84,207)
To Heart 2 Dungeon Travelers (AquaPlus, PSP): 9,321 (46,717)
Class of Heroes 3D (Acquire, 3DS): 8,353 NEW!
Pokemon Black & White (Nintendo, DS): 8,271 (5,227,336)
Gundam Memories: Memories of the Battle (Namco Bandai, PSP): 6,559 (72,327)
Yakuza Of The End (Sega, PS3): 6,297 (394,902)
Haruhi Suzumiya's Mahjong (Kadokawa Shoten, PSP): 5,285 NEW!
The PSP returned to the top of the hardware chart after a couple of weeks playing second fiddle to the 3DS.

Sony's handheld sold 26,373, down from 29,871 last week, while the 3DS shifted 22,943, down from 30,233. The PS3 followed in third and the Wii in fourth.

PSP: 26,373 (Last week: 29,871)
3DS: 22,943 (30,233)
PS3: 22,900 (26,441)
Wii: 13,068 (12,423)
DSi LL: 4811 (4963)
DSi: 4725 (4504)
X360: 2016 (2244)
PS2: 1309 (1222)
DS Lite: 56 (138)
PSP go: 34 (7)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...japanese-chart ...

Analyst firm EEDAR thinks Sony may have stumbled across "a new profitable sequence for video game" releases, via its PSN Welcome Back offer.

The Welcome Back offer, which granted users free access to games like LittBigPlanet and Infamous for a limited time, is thought to have been behind a significant increase in interest around the titles' sequels.

And according to EEDAR, publishers could drive sales of new games by making previous entries in the franchise available for free.

"The first recommendation is to make free, for a limited time, an older iteration of the product prior to the launch of the title's next iteration," the firm said in a research report. "When broken down mathematically, the results make a sound financial argument.

"If a game that once sold 2 million units in the market is currently available digitally and physically, it is likely producing gross receipts of about $500,000 a month. Assuming that gross receipts reduce to $0 during a 30 day period where a title is free (-$500,000), as long as the free offering boost sales of the next iteration by 8,500 units (at $59 ASP), then it would produce a net/net benefit to the publisher.

"EEDAR believes that the publicity generated from the free offering, in addition to new consumers being introduced to the series, would make the 8,500 unit mark easily achievable."

However, EEDAR says there are two potential downsides to this model. "First, series with strong storylines (e.g. Mass Effect), typically realise much stronger sales on previous iterations the month prior and after a new iteration is released, to the point where the risk of losing all those sales may not be made up through purchases of the new iteration.

"Second, this would be unfavourable to physical retailers due to the loss of potential back catalogue sales of the older iteration immediately prior to the launch of the new title."

The second option would be to release an older iteration for free for a limited time two to four months after the sequel has been released. "The theory being that the free offering would likely boost sales of the new iteration while the new iteration still maintains its premium pricing structure ($59.99/$49.99) and has appropriate shelf space.

"While the net/net benefit may not be as high as the first recommendation, it does limit risk to the publishers, while providing some potential upside to retailers."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...e-games-model/ ...

Sony has announced plans to invest $20 million over the next three years in games developed exclusively for the PlayStation Network.

The investment will include support for Sony's first party studios as well as for the Pub Fund, which grants outside developers who make PSN exclusive titles financial assistance without having to sacrifice their IPs.

PSN director of marketing Brandon Stander said: "Our line of PSN exclusives has had great success with titles such as Joe Danger, Critter Crunch, Flower and the PixelJunk series, and we're excited to add new and different game experiences to this portfolio of games that can't be found on any other game console.

"So what does this mean for you as a gamer?" Stander added. "It means more unique, fun, innovative, edgy and higher quality game experiences on PSN that you won't find anywhere else. Under this investment, we're committed to delivering titles that have innovative gameplay mechanics, vibrant visuals, interesting storylines and an artistic element to interactive entertainment that can only be found on PlayStation Network."

The PS3 online service already has big titles on its radar this year, including Thatgamecompany's gorgeous Journey and E3 surprise hit Payday: The Heist.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...clusive-games/ ...

Sony's moved to clear up confusion surrounding claims that new PS3s will require HDMI cables to output HD images.

The earlier report, which stemmed from a letter to retailers stating that new PS3 models will no longer be able to transmit high definition images via component cables, is incorrect, a Sony spokesperson told Ars Technica.

"The new CECH-3000 series PS3 requires HDMI only for BD movie output in HD, in compliance with AACS standards," the company explained. "PS3 continues to support component output for HD gaming and streaming content."

As Sony points out, the change is in relation to the Advanced Access Content System, a standard for DRM which states that full HD video resolutions must be limited to HDMI and DVI cables, which support HDCP.

Starting in 2014, all new Blu-ray players won't be able to include component ports at all in order to be in compliance with AACS.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...3-feature-cut/ ...

It's a quiet week for the PlayStation Store. Sony's Welcome Back offer has ended and the company has now caught up with the backlog left by the PSN downtime.

There are no new PS3 or PSP games to download, but a few decent dollops of DLC.

A day after its launch on Xbox 360, PS3 owners can now investigate Rockstar's final L.A. Noire episode. The Reefer Madness vice case pits Cole Phelps against a city-wide dope ring and is free for those who own the Rockstar Pass.

Want some freebies for MotorStorm Apocalypse? The Rock Livery Pack provides some new car decals, while the Dynamo: Queen of Hearts Event Pack adds six new challenges.

Elsewhere, gamers can nab a free trial of colourful bullet blaster PixelJunk Shooter 2. Meanwhile, top-down co-operative zombie slayer Dead Nation becomes available as a trial and unlock demo.

There's also a wardrobe of Final Fantasy outfits for LittleBigPlanet 2, if your Sackboy is the cosplaying type. Fan favourites Cloud, Tifa, Sephiroth and Aerith feature.

And that's about it. We can only look in envy at this week's US PlayStation Store update. Over the pond, players get a summer sale with Back to the Future, Pac-Man and Dead Space DLC discounted. US gamers also get a demo of Catherine (on the US Xbox 360 marketplace now too), although the current lack of a European publisher rules out a similar demo here.

Here's the full European list, courtesy of the European PlayStation Blog

PS3 Demos

Dead Nation - Trial & Unlock (£9.99/€12.99)
PixelJunk Shooter 2 (free)
L.A. Noire's Reefer Madness DLC.
PlayStation minis

Arcade Pool & Snooker (£3.49/€3.99)
Awesome Summer Minis Bundle (£4.99/€5.99) This bundle includes the following games: A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks!, Young Thor, Widget Odyssey 1 and 2, Zombie Tycoon
Gamocracy One : Legend Of Robot (£4.15/€5.19)
PS3 Add-ons

DanceDanceRevolution: New Moves - DDR Supernova 2 Greatest Hits (£2.99/€3.59)
DIRT 3 - Mud And Guts Car Pack (£4.39/€5.49) (contains the following content also available separately): Citroen C4 Rallycross (£1.25/€1.59), Ford Mustang Gt (£1.25/€1.59), Lancia Stratos (£1.25/€1.59), Peugeot 205 T16 Evo 2 (£1.25/€1.59), Saturn Sky (£1.25/€1.59)
Hyperdimension Neptunia - Red Events (£3.19/€3.99), 5Pb Events (£3.19/€3.99),
LA Noire - Reefer Madness" Vice Case (£3.19/€3.99, or Free via Rockstar Pass)
LittleBigPlanet 2 - Final Fantasy Costume Pack (£4.79/€5.99) (contains the following content also available separately): Sephiroth Costume (£1.59/€1.99), Cloud Costume (£1.59/€1.99), Tifa Costume (£1.59/€1.99), Aerith Costume (£1.59/€1.99)
Michael Jackson: The Experience - Another Part Of Me (£2.39/€2.99)
ModNation Racers - Gladiator Props Pack (£3.99/€4.99)
MotorStorm Apocalpyse - The Rock Livery Pack (free), Dynamo: Queen of Hearts Event Pack (free)
Rockband & Yoostar:

Rock Band 2 - Andromeda - Bluefusion (£0.59/€0.79), Another Step - Andromeda (£0.99/€1.49), Country Song - Seether (£0.99/€1.49), Queen Bee - Tina Guo (£0.99/€1.49), The Final Episode (Let'S Change The Channel) - Asking Alexandra (£0.99/€1.49)
Rock Band 3 - A Little Respect - Erasure (£0.99/€1.49), Boom - P.O.D. (£0.99/€1.49), Relax (Come Fighting) - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (£0.99/€1.49), Youth Of The Nation - P.O.D. (£0.99/€1.49)
Yoostar 2 - Vegas Happens Fast (free), Reverse Bear Trap (£1.39/€1.75), Three Stooges (£4.39/€5.49), My Response Would Be 'Go To Hell' (£1.39/€1.75), Terminators: Part Man, Part Machine (£1.39/€1.75), Bombs Don't Unscrew (£1.39/€1.75)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...date-13th-july ...

Signs are pointing to a change to future versions of the PS3 console that will mean it is unable to display much of its key content over a component cable.

Until now PS3s have shipped with a component cable instead of the more standard HDMI connection.

However, Kotaku reports that new machines carrying the new ‘K’ type hardware chassis will prevent the output of both HD games and Blu-ray movies on anything other than HDMI.

Presumably, the machines will ship with the required connection.

It is speculated that the change is a result of alterations to the AACS content protection system, which governs many things including copy protection systems on Blu-ray discs.

The latest AACS amendments restrict component signals to a maximum output of 480i/576i. Some content will be blocked altogether on analogue outputs.

Older machines will not be affected by the change.

UPDATE: The cable that comes with a PS3 is in fact a composite, not a component cable.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ps3-d...blu-ray/082254 ...

According to a new report from analytics firm EEDAR, Sony's PlayStation Network Welcome Back program did more than boost user morale: it actually boosted purchases of downloadable titles. Using data gathered from IGN GamerMetrics, ownership of downloadable titles jumped from 13 percent in March, when the PSN first went down, up to 17 percent in June. The jump isn't surprising, given the free titles Sony made available. Even taking those out of the equation, though, downloadable ownership was still up to 15 percent in June.

The firm also noted that interest in sequels to the free games, notably LittleBigPlanet and Dead Nation, rose significantly. Specifically, LittleBigPlanet 2 trailer views were up 69 percent on GameTrailers, while Google Insights data indicated a greatly increased number of searches for the term "Dead Nation 2."

Based on the increased interest in sequels to the free titles in the Welcome Back program, EEDAR suggests a possible new model for sequel releases. Essentially, in order to drum up interest for upcoming sequels, publishers could release their respective prequels for free for a limited time. The report acknowledges that this is a risky maneuver, though it notes that the free titles would only have to boost sales of their sequels by a small margin for the practice to be profitable.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/ee...ownload-sales/ ...