UK consumer rights group Which? wants companies like Sony who lose your personal data slapped with harsher fines.

One of those would be offering "victims" of ID theft "a flat rate of compensation".

"Sony's systems have been hacked into on more than one occasion in just a few weeks," Which? technology editor Matt Bath told Eurogamer, "but they're not alone in having lost their customers' personal data.

"Companies which keep people's details on file need to look very closely at the security measures they have in place. As well as preventing accidental loss of personal information, these measures must be robust enough to deal with threats of hacking.

"Which? wants to see companies faced with more serious consequences if they do lose personal data, with any victims offered a flat rate of compensation."

The Information Commissions Office - an independent UK watchdog group concerned about privacy - is currently investigating whether Sony breached the Data Protection Act. Apparently our sensitive data was stored in plain text rather than in secure encrypted files. Sony will be handed a £500,000 fine if found guilty.

But that's a drop in the ocean compared to the £105 million bill Sony expects for total PSN hack-related costs.

"There is undoubtedly a massive trust issue with Sony now."
Paul Gibson, Gamers' Voice
The Information Commissions Office was asked by UK campaign group Gamers' Voice to investigate Sony's part in the Great PSN Identity Theft. A £100 million bill will sting, but GV chairman Paul Gibson believes there's a bigger issue to consider first.

"There is undoubtedly a massive trust issue with Sony now," he told Eurogamer.

"Most people who were affected by the PSN hack will agree that the handling of the event was very poor indeed, with a full week between the actual hack taking place and the confirmation that consumer details had been stolen. Further to this, the lack of informative communication to PSN users meant many were completely in the dark as to what information had been compromised and what precautions to take.

"Many people are saying that they will not be going back to Sony once they system is fully up and running again, instead preferring to pay for a more secure online games provider. Whilst we are sure that Sony's new security system is now as secure as any other, this is as it should have been months ago and the damage is done in the eyes of consumers."

Eurogamer was told by some high street shops that customers had traded in their PS3 consoles as a result of the fiasco.

However, it isn't just customers who Sony will have to spend time, effort and money convincing - PSN game developers will need courting in order not to jump ship and develop for Xbox Live Arcade or PC.

"I don't think PlayStation Network is ruined as such," said Andrew Eades, co-founder of Buzz! and Blue Toad Murder Files developer Relentless Software.

"The people that stole our data committed a crime and I suspect are less of a protest group than the hacker moniker suggests. You could argue that Sony should have defended themselves better and I think they've said as much.

"There is a danger that these hackers have put gamers off PSN. It'll take a lot of effort both from Sony and developers to get people back."

Eades said Relentless had suffered as a direct result of the PlayStation Store being down for 43 days, because gamers couldn't buy Blue Toad Murder Files. But luckily Relentless has more strings to its bow.

"I'm just pleased that Relentless doesn't live or die by PSN alone and that there are meaningful alternatives out there," said Eades.

"I actually think [Sony] will spend more, not less, on PSN content."
Michael Pachter, analyst
By way of apology, Sony has offered PlayStation Network users a Welcome Back pack. This includes two free PS3/PSP games from a choice of five older titles, as well as a month's free subscription to PlayStation Plus. Sony has also made sweeping improvements to the security of PlayStation Network, and granted a year's free ID theft cover to all.

"There will always be naysayers to whatever Sony has offered," acknowledged Gamers' Voice.

"Sony could never hope to please everyone, but a larger selection of games to choose from would have been better. As for the credit protection facilities, well, it's the least that they could offer in the circumstances.

"Let's not forget that Sony themselves are losing out with the store's downtime as well as the damage they are causing to their relationship with PSN developers.

"In the end," Gibson concluded, "these apologies and free games are not as important to PSN users as being guaranteed that their personal details will remain secure and their enjoyment of the PSN network will remain uninterrupted in the future."

Sony, already playing second fiddle to Xbox Live Marketplace, has an uphill battle restoring general faith in PlayStation Network. But Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has faith Kaz Hirai's company can turn it around.

"Yes, the brand is tarnished, and yes, trust will be a continuing issue. Sony must reassure everyone that the restored network is secure, and that they will indemnify against any harm. They need to do a lot to restore confidence," Pachter said, "and I think that they will.

"I actually think they will spend more, not less, on PSN content. You will ...

Lulz Security claims to have compiled SCE’s Developer Network source code
Lulz Security, the shady hacker network responsible for many recent online attacks against Sony and other games studios, has claimed that it has compiled Sony Computer Entertainment’s Developer Network source code.
The group has made the claim via its Lulzsec Twitter account, following attacks against Sony BMG and Sony Pictures over the past few days.
The group is also behind the recent break in at Nintendo’s US website.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...ev-source-code ...

News via http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

Sony has detailed another EU PlayStation Store update, making it three within five days.

We've stuck the whole list of games, demos and digital accessories for you below. There are also a number of deals on offer that were detailed in the initial Welcome Back update:

Full Games (PS3)

* Split/Second Velocity (£19.99/€24.99) Rating: PEGI 7

Availability: All locales

PSone Classics (PS3 and PSP)

* Ridge Racer Type 4 (£3.99/€4.99) Rating: PEGI 3


Availability: All locales

Add-On Game Content (PS3)

* Dead Space 2 - Outbreak Maps (free) Rating: PEGI 18

Availability: Not available in Germany

* Crysis 2 - Retaliation Pack (£7.99/€9.99) Rating: PEGI 16

Availability: All Locales

* Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters - Classic Costume (free) Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: Only available in Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom

* Dirt 3 - Mcrae Vision Charity Pack (£1.19/€1.49) Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: All Locales

* Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - Shadow Battle 07 (£0.79/€0.99) Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: All Locales

* Red Faction Armageddon: Ruin Pack (£3.19/€3.99) Rating: PEGI 18

Availability: All Locales

* Red Faction Battlegrounds - Origins Pack (£1.99/€2.49) Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: All Locales

Final Fantasy Vi Music Pack (£0.79/€0.99) Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: All Locales

* Dynasty Warriors 7
o Costume Pack 2 (£1.39/€1.75)
o New Weapon Pack 2 (£2.99/€3.59)
o Original Costume Pack 1 (£3.99/€4.99)
o Stage Pack 1 (£3.19/€3.99)

Rating: PEGI 16

Availability: Not available in New Zealand

* Fallout : New Vegas
o Honest Hearts (£7.99/€9.99)

Rating: PEGI 18

Availability: All Locales

* Hyperdimension Neptunia
o Black Heart Booster 3 (£0.79/€0.99)
o Compa Booster 3 (£0.79/€0.99)
o Green Heart Booster 3 (£0.79/€0.99)
o If Booster 3 (£0.79/€0.99)
o Level Cap +200 (£0.79/€0.99)
o Neptune Booster 3 (£0.79/€0.99)
o Quality Certification (free)
o White Heart Booster 3 (£0.79/€0.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

Availability: All locales

* Modnation Racers
o Pirate Theme Pack (£5.49/€6.99)

Rating: PEGI 7

Availability: All Locales

* Rock Band 2
o Action/Adventure - Memphis May Fire (£0.99/€1.49)
o Arm Yourself - BulletProof Messenger (£0.59/€0.79)
o Chasing The Light - Nautiluz (£0.99/€1.49)
o Far Away From Heaven - Free Spirit (£0.59/€0.79)
o Fire Away - Kill the Alarm (£0.59/€0.79)
o Saga - Amberian Dawn (£0.99/€1.49)
o The Lesser Man - SoiL (£0.59/€0.79)
o This Fantasy - BulletProof Messenger (£0.59/€0.79)
o Under Water I Drown - Edge (£0.59/€0.79)
o Watch It All Go Down - Foreword (£0.59/€0.79)

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE

* Rock Band 3
o Ozzy Osbourne - 8 Pack (£6.69/€9.99)

(contains the following songs also available separately)
o Diary Of A Madman (£0.99/€1.49)
o Flying High Again (£0.99/€1.49)
o I Don't Know (£0.99/€1.49)
o Mr Crowley (£0.99/€1.49)
o Over The Mountain (£0.99/€1.49)
o Steal Away (The Night) (£0.99/€1.49)

(the following songs are only available as part of the Ozzy Osbourne - 8 Pack)
o Bark at the Moon
o Mama, I'm Coming Home

Rating: PEGI 12
Availability: Not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE

* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
o Bethpage State Park (£3.19/€3.99)
o Turnberry Resort (£3.19/€3.99)

Rating: PEGI 3
Availability: All Locales

FirstPlay (PS3)

* FirstPlay Episode 59 (£0.99/€1.20)

Availability: Ireland and UK only

Avatars (PS3)

* MotorStorm: Apocalypse - Lunatics Avatar Bundle (£0.79/€0.99)
o Candi Avatar
o Chipo Avatar
o Vigilante Avatar
o Eight Bit Avatar
o Ratfood Avatar

Premium Themes (PS3)

* L.A. Noire Premium Theme
o Lan Premium Theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Dynamic Themes (PS3)

* Disruptive Themes
o American Pride (£1.99/€2.49)
o Deep Space Surveillance (£1.99/€2.49)
o Destination: Bangkok Rush Hour (£1.99/€2.49)
o Digital Fountain (£1.99/€2.49)
o Divine Light (£1.99/€2.49)

* Lama Themes
o Cloud Of Fire Theme (£2.99/€3.49)
o Cop Girl Theme (£2.99/€3.49)
o Machine Gunner Theme (£2.99/€3.49)
o Victoria Falls Theme (£2.99/€3.49)
o Volcano Theme (£1.59/€1.99)

* L.A. Noire
o La Noire Crime Scene Dynamic Theme (£1.99/€2.49)
o La Noire Neon Sign Dynamic Theme (£1.99/€2.49)
o La Noire Dynamic Theme (£1.99/€2.49)

* Leviathan Themes
o Armoured Titans: Wwii (£1.59/€1.99)

* Tales from Space: About a Blob
o Premium Dynamic Theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Videos (PS3)

* Armageddon Riders - Trailer

* Battlefield 3: My Life

* Hunted: The Demon's Forge - It Was Found
...

Take-Two's detective thriller L.A. Noire has retained the number one spot in the UK software chart in a week which saw the biggest new release, Bethesda's Hunted, only manage fourteenth. It's the game's third week in first place.

Hunted was the only well-publicised boxed release, with PC-only expansion back The Sims 3: Generations beating the RPG by four places with a tenth placed debut.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean has swapped places with Codemasters' DiRT 3 as it climbs back to second, with Zumba Fitness, Brink and Wii Sports Resort maintaining fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Positions in the chart are unlikely to remain as stable next week, when Infamous 2 and Red Faction: Armageddon hit stores, as well as the notorious Duke Nukem Forever.

Last Week This Week Title
a 1 L.A. Noire
3 2 LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean
2 3 DiRT 3
4 4 Zumba Fitness
5 5 Brink
6 6 Wii Sports Resort
8 7 Call of Duty: Black Ops
7 8 FIFA 11
12 9 Portal 2
New Entry 10 The Sims 3: Generations
10 11 Mario Kart Wii
17 12 Art Academy
13 13 LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
14 14 Hunter: The Demon's Forge
11 15 Just Dance II
18 16 Red Dead Redemption
9 17 Crysis 2
16 18 Wii Fit Plus
Re-Entry 19 Wii Party
14 20 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-uk-number-one ...

With all this [Sony] customer data now unfortunately out there for public viewing, I thought it would be interesting to do some analysis on password practices. There are some rather alarming (although not entirely surprising) findings including: 36% of passwords appear in a common password dictionary. 50% of passwords are 7 characters or less. 67% of accounts on both Sony and Gawker use the same password. 82% of passwords are lowercase alphanumeric of 9 characters or less. 99% of passwords don't contain a single non-alphanumeric character."

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/06/0...sword-Analysis ...

Charity thanks the PlayStation community for its "amazing contribution" to earthquake appeal
The British Red Cross has published an open letter to the European PlayStation community to give thanks for the support it offered following March's Japanese earthquake.
In total SCEE member donations totalled a creditable £466,465.50.
The disaster claimed over 13,000 lives and a further 14,000 people remain missing today. The Japanese Red Cross has since sent in 4,000 doctors and medical staff and treated a total of 34,430 patients.
"Thanks to the PlayStation community’s amazing contribution to the appeal, the Japanese Red Cross is able to support victims of the tsunami with cash grants," the letter reads.
"These will be given to victims who have lost immediate family members; families whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake, tsunami or resulting fires; families whose homes were severely damaged; and households who have been required to evacuate.
"It will equip up to 70,000 transitional shelters with a package of essential home appliances, benefiting some 280,000 people."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/44653/Euro...-for-Red-Cross ...

Sony offering 100 free items to users of their virtual community
PlayStation Home users can now receive 100 free items as part of Sony’s Welcome Back program.
“Today we will begin rolling out the first phase of this customer appreciation program, which will include 100 free items, two personal spaces, and an exclusive game available for all users to download for 30 days,” said a PlayStation Home community manager on the PlayStation Blog.
A free virtual items package will be available from today in the Central Plaza, and includes clothing and furniture items from Sony and its partners.
The new spaces include The Dragon’s Lair and the Mansion Garage, and an interstellar casino that will be published later this month.
As part of the Welcome Back programme, Sony has offered PSN users free PS3 and PSP games, as well as 30 days free subscription to their PlayStation Plus service, and a further 60 days for existing Plus subscribers.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/44650/Free...-PS-Home-users ...

News via http://psx-scene.com/forums/f6/freed...ew-game-87798/

PS3HaX member, mc_ has released a port of FreeDroid Classic for the PS3.







Quote:
Hey guys.

I've been working for a while on porting Freedroid Classic to SDL_PSL1GHT, and now
I think it works well enough to release some packages.

Freedroid is an open-source port of Andrew Braybrook's brillant C64 game Paradroid. This is the "Classic" variant, which actually plays like the original, not the "RPG" which is like a completely different game.

Anyway, version 01.10 packages here:

GITHUB DOWNLOADS

// Marcus

https://github.com/zeldin/freedroidC...-PS3/downloads ...

While Sony is busy welcoming its customers back to PlayStation Network, some aren't celebrating just yet. Speaking to IndustryGamers, security expert Gregory Evans said that PSN still isn't safe because Sony is "relying on the wrong people to secure their system." Specifically, Evans believes that Sony (and most companies) use "IT managers" instead of true security experts or, to put it a different way, hackers.

IT managers, in Evans' estimation are "just book-smart people who went out and read a book and passed the test." He likened them to military infantry, trained only in basic skills, whereas hackers are more like highly skilled Navy SEALS.

Evans would seem to be something of an expert on the subject ... having been to federal prison for hacking major companies like AT&T, Sprint and Worldcom. Evans now runs a security company, helping companies build more secure networks. Sony isn't a special case, however, as Evans noted that any online-capable gaming console is potentially at risk and no network is completely secure. He added further that "these attacks will continue to happen." So, happy gaming, everyone!

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/se...till-not-safe/ ...