Joystiq

Planetside 2 takes flight in new trailer and screens

David Hinkle — Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:00 EST

We never understood why they call aerial combat dogfighting - it's not like dogs can fly, right? Wait, can they? ... No, we're pretty sure that's just a dream we had once.

Continue reading Planetside 2 takes flight in new trailer and screens

Planetside 2 takes flight in new trailer and screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE announces free-to-play Bullet Run, a revamped Hedone from Acony Games

Mike Schramm — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:25:00 EST

Acony Games, a German developer, has been working on an online first-person shooter called Hedone, about contestants fighting to win a deadly reality show. Sony Online Entertainment today announced that it is publishing a game by Acony called Bullet Run, and as far as we can tell it's Hedone with a new title.

There's no mention of Hedone on the official website or in the press release, but the free-to-play shooter now called Bullet Run boasts the same reality show premise as Acony's project, and it certainly looks the same as the old game (not to mention that hedone.tv now redirects to Sony's official Bullet Run site).

Some of Acony's developers previously worked on MMO flops APB and BattleForge, so the track record here isn't the greatest. But SOE apparently sees something in the title and is already trying to work some rebranding magic. Beta signups for Bullet Run are going on now, and the game is set to go live later this summer.

Continue reading SOE announces free-to-play Bullet Run, a revamped Hedone from Acony Games

SOE announces free-to-play Bullet Run, a revamped Hedone from Acony Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 May 2012 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Hamill returns as The Joker in DC Universe Online expansion

Mike Suszek — Sun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

In addition to the player-versus-player goodies the latest DC Universe Online downloadable content pack provides, Mark Hamill will be returning to voice The Joker, and he won't be alone.

"The Last Laugh" DLC pack also features Arleen Sorkin, who returns as Harley Quinn, a role she played in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Adam Baldwin joins the two as Superman, his first video game voiceover role since, well, DC Universe Online. The content is free for Legendary subscribers and can be purchased by free and Premium users via PSN and the game's website.

Continue reading Mark Hamill returns as The Joker in DC Universe Online expansion

Mark Hamill returns as The Joker in DC Universe Online expansion originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlanetSide 2 alpha gameplay shows off map size, vehicle combat

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST

This guided walkthrough of PlanetSide 2's GDC alpha demo takes pride in how "MASSIVE" every part of this game apparently is, from its day/night-cycling environments to its customizable tanks, planes and support vehicles. Even the infantry combat is MASSIVE, despite being totes normal-sized.

PlanetSide 2 alpha gameplay shows off map size, vehicle combat originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony closing four online titles in March, you're probably okay with it

Xav de Matos — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST

The folks at Sony Online Entertainment have announced that four titles in its stable of massively-multiplayer online games will be taken out to pasture, but they probably aren't experiences you're staying up nights to savor.

The worlds of Cosmic Rift, Infantry, Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga, and EverQuest Online Adventures (pictured) will all come to a close on March 29, 2012.

"This is not an easy decision," a post from the team at SOE revealed, as we scoured Google for any information of the aforementioned titles. SOE cites "there comes a time when" development resources must step away from old adventures and focus on new ones as the primary reason for its decision. And ... EverQuest Online Adventures is a PS2 game and it was working this whole time? Color us surprised.

According to Videogamer.com, the multitude of players journeying through the affected titles will receive refunds for any pre-paid time that reaches beyond the shutdown date. Sarcasm aside (we do it because we love you), EverQuest Online Adventures players will net three free months of Gold Membership status in both EverQuest and EverQuest 2 -- free-to-play titles on the PC.

SOE thanked fans for their loyalty, saying: "It's been a blast. And we hope to keep gaming with all of you in our other great games here at SOE."

Sony closing four online titles in March, you're probably okay with it originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everquest 2 sees 300% player increase after going free-to-play

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:00:00 EST

Proving once again that more people will try your product if they don't have to pay for it, Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley has announced a huge player increase for EverQuest 2 since it went free-to-play in December. Smedley revealed on Twitter that the player base has increased by 300 percent, with daily logins going up by 40 percent.

Smedley also revealed that item sales have gone up 200 percent, proving another, more modern adage: More people will buy your product if they don't have to buy all of it. Fascinating!

Everquest 2 sees 300% player increase after going free-to-play originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Rock, Paper, Shotgun collaborated in obtaining responses.

The Entertainment Software Association's support of the "Stop Online Piracy Act" has led us to ask every member of the video game industry's lobbying and political group to publicly declare its stance on the bill. The ESA's continued support means every member, by proxy, is a supporter of the bill.

Some companies have pulled their logos from supporting SOPA documentation to dodge ire, while others are hiding behind rhetoric, as you'll see below. Joystiq contacted every member of the ESA and requested a declarative statement on SOPA. After the break we've listed the responses we've received, along with others we found. We continue to seek clarity on this issue from every member of the ESA.

This will become the page we update as we receive responses and clear declarative statements, so feel free to bookmark.

(Joystiq does not support SOPA, nor does our parent company.)

Continue reading ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond

ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online invites Orange Lanterns for the holidays

Justin McElroy — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:45:00 EST

Not only is DC Universe Online already giving you the greatest gift of all (being free), but it's currently doubling down on the generosity with a bonus holiday event called "Season's Greedings." Not only will you find some festive decorations around the world, but Larfleeze, leader of the greedy Orange Lanterns, is stealing all the Christmas presents for himself.

Now, you have to team with Rudolph, Baby New Year, John McClane, Scut Farkas and Kevin from Home Alone to get them back. OK, so we're making the guest stars up, but we figured as long as SOE is cribbing plots from a Rankin-Bass stop-motion special, the rest of us could get in on the act.

"Seasons Greedings" will continue until January.

DC Universe Online invites Orange Lanterns for the holidays originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest 2 going free-to-play (again)

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST

No, you and you internet browser haven't slipped backwards through time -- though EverQuest 2 already went free-to-play last year (with the somewhat confusing, browser-based EverQuest 2: Extended), the game is going really free-to-play starting December 6. A post on the game's official site clears things up: The offerings of Extended will be folded into the rest of the title, and membership will be broken down into three tiers: Free, Silver and Gold.

Free members get a handful of races, classes, character slots and other utilities, while Silver members ($5.00 or 500 Station Points per month) get ... well, a handful more. These two tiers also have the option to purchase some items (like races and classes) piecemeal. Gold members ($14.99/mo.) get unrestricted access to everything. Check out this handy rubric if you're still confused by all these precious, precious metals.

EverQuest 2 going free-to-play (again) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DCUO nets 1 million new players since going F2P

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:45:00 EST

Sure, a 1000 percent increase in players for DC Universe Online sounds big, but you know what sounds really big? A million new players, which is how many have signed up since the MMO went free-to-play earlier this month. According to Sony Online Entertainment, the number of new signups is evenly split among the PC and PS3 versions of the game.

In short, it turns out that making your product free is a pretty big incentive for consumers. But asking them to stop by is different than having them stick around.

Continue reading DCUO nets 1 million new players since going F2P

DCUO nets 1 million new players since going F2P originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlanetSide 2 going for big continents, big battles

Mike Schramm — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:00:00 EST

Sony Online Entertainment recently showed off the latest version of PlanetSide 2 to PC Gamer, and if you were worried about not having enough elbow room in the sequel to the popular MMO shooter, worry not. The game takes place on landmasses that can stretch out to eight virtual kilometers on either side, and battles can rage all across those areas, with some weapons firing up to an in-game kilometer. The continents also contain "facilities," which hold courtyards of action, some of which creative director Matt Higby says are "the size of a Modern Warfare level."

The team also talked about another form of scale: How many players are involved in these massive battles. At times, they admit, it'll be around 200 people fighting against only 30, but they're attempting to design the game so that with the right tactics, "you can still have fun and enjoy yourself as a group of 20 people defending against an onslaught."

Of course, it takes even more design acumen to figure out how to also make that fun for the 200 players, but we're hopeful SOE can figure out something smart.

PlanetSide 2 going for big continents, big battles originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sideway: New York review: Urban blight

Russ Pitts — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Reviews

It had to happen sometime. With the veritable explosion of videogaming across all media, on all platforms and within all demographics, there simply had to come a game - at some point - to which one could un-ironically attach the label "urban." That time is now, and that game is Sideway: New York.

Sideway is a funky and hip (almost too hip) platformer in which you play as Nox, a young graffiti artist who enters the world of Sideway to rescue his girlfriend from the evil villain Spray. In so doing, he becomes a part of the gritty graffiti landscape of New York City, adventuring across the walls and rooftops of the urban jungle, collecting tags and eliminating the spray-painted obstacles in his way. It's a novel concept that's amazing to look at, and, unfortunately, that's just about where the praise ends.

Continue reading Sideway: New York review: Urban blight

Sideway: New York review: Urban blight originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eufloria review: Fight the flowers that be

Russ Frushtick — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:42:00 EST

The games industry is often known for its bluster. Its explosions, its gruesome headshots, its eerily realistic prostitutes. Less well known is the games industry's quiet, thoughtful nephew who, instead of getting drunk and grabby at Thanksgiving, crawls under the table to finish the 1000-piece puzzle he's been working on. That nephew is the independent games community.

Sony has done right by indie games, giving them an outlet on PSN, taking big risks with artsy titles like Flower and PixelJunk Eden. The publisher's latest indie outreach is Eufloria, another quiet, subtle game that blends elements of RPGs, space exploration, and RTS games with soothing visuals and a stellar ambient soundtrack.

Continue reading Eufloria review: Fight the flowers that be

Eufloria review: Fight the flowers that be originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rochard review: Puzzles suitable for miners

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST

Rochard understands the peace of mind found in a sealed room. Like Portal, it offers bursts of purity in its puzzle design, and a calming, implicit reassurance that each area has a clean start and solution. It may not exude ambition in every moment, but Rochard's quiet, deliberately delineated approach offers a sublime break from the mental overhead that accompanies the year's bigger games and their sprawling quests.

That simplicity -- or focus, rather -- extends to burly protagonist John Rochard, a down-to-earth space miner armed with an anti-gravity lifting tool and a quaint selection of backwater metaphors (you're right to assume that "tighter than a frog's butt" means very tight indeed). While an unexpected discovery on a barren asteroid leads to a vague galactic threat, you get the feeling he's more worried about its effect on his pension. And as a special bonus, he's proof that the voice of Duke Nukem managed to find a good game in 2011 after all.

Gallery: Rochard (Gamescom 2011)

Continue reading Rochard review: Puzzles suitable for miners

Rochard review: Puzzles suitable for miners originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sideway: New York shows off new mechanics and a spray-on look

Mike Schramm — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:30:00 EST

The PSN Blog has posted a feature on Sideway: New York, the upcoming 2D platformer from Playbrains that features a lead character actually painted on a wall, and interacting with the environment from a flat plane. Developer Scott Simpson is also interviewed, and talks a little bit about the various mechanics of the game -- working through the levels will allow your character, Nox, to double-jump, glide down a wall, or even leave the wall for a bit to explore the actual 3D world.

The trailer above shows off the game's art style as well -- it's not super realistic, even in the parts off of the wall, but the "sprayed-on" graffiti asthetic does seem to make for a few fun twists and turns. Sideway: New York (the subtitle hints, of course, that it's the first in a series) will be available on October 11 for $9.99 on PSN.

Sideway: New York shows off new mechanics and a spray-on look originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Closure preview: Try, try again

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST

Logic-based games are only compelling the first time you play them. At least, that's what Closure reboot developer Eyebrow Interactive thinks, and if you're only going to enjoy the game the first time through, they figure they'll make that trip as long and arduous as humanly possible.

It's an interesting (and completely apt) theory. Solutions are only satisfying the first time you divine them, that feeling of overwhelming bewilderment is only bewildering the first time you encounter it -- unless you have some kind of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind memory-wiping machine, your second run through of your favorite puzzle game probably won't be as poignant as your first.

Continue reading Closure preview: Try, try again

Closure preview: Try, try again originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planetside 2 to be freemium in some form, beta coming late 2011/early 2012

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

How free will Planetside 2 be? So, so free. At least, in some part, according to Sony Online Entertainment prez John Smedley. In two recent interviews, Smedley confirms the long-awaited sequel's business model, saying, "The game will be F2P. What form will it be? We're still working that out." Smedley specifically notes that the team is looking at Riot Games' enormously popular League of Legends as a model, meaning you can pay for visual upgrades, but not for ability upgrades.

Those excited about the upcoming sequel will get a chance to go hands-on in the coming months, as Smedley also promises a beta by the end of 2011 or early 2012. That said, it could be a bit longer, as he also notes that the beta will be "ready when it's ready and we are proud of it."

Planetside 2 to be freemium in some form, beta coming late 2011/early 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rochard preview: Gravity, don't let me go

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:25:00 EST

Rochard is a game built on miner inconveniences. As spacefaring but down-to-earth excavator John Rochard, you'll learn that off-world facilities are designed to be as complex and diversionary as possible. Even a simple corridor finds an excuse to become a gravitational gauntlet, proving that engineers and game designers are almost the same thing in the future.

Of course, we don't actually want Rochard to lead a more convenient life. In a side-scrolling puzzle platformer such as this, there's irresistible schadenfreude in seeing the camera pull back to reveal a room of improbable, nightmarish construction. The fun part is in navigating that space, to untwist it as we bound upwards and upside-down.

Gallery: Rochard (6/29/11)

Continue reading Rochard preview: Gravity, don't let me go

Rochard preview: Gravity, don't let me go originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlanetSide 2 mashes up MMO and FPS once again

JC Fletcher — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:25:00 EST

Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide Next didn't make it out in the first half of the year, and it's no longer called PlanetSide Next, but it's still coming. During its Fan Faire event, SOE officially took the wraps off of PlanetSide 2, the sequel to its MMO FPS

Players in one of three empires (the Terran Republic, the New Conglomerate, or the Vanue Sovereignty) will be able to customize their fighter, vehicle, and weaponry, and build up the character with "ranks, unlockable traits, and skill sets." Creative director Matt Higby talked up the "massive scale of PlanetSide battles" in the announcement.

The new game is being built in SOE's new Forgelight engine, and will feature Nvidia's PhysX tech for in-game physics. Check out a new trailer above, and some new screens in our gallery, and then get right back to waiting -- SOE tellingly declined to provide a date, saying only that it's "currently in development" for PC.

Gallery: PlanetSide 2 (7/8/11)

Continue reading PlanetSide 2 mashes up MMO and FPS once again

PlanetSide 2 mashes up MMO and FPS once again originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Class action lawsuit alleges Sony layoffs made PSN vulnerable

JC Fletcher — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:20:00 EST

A class action suit was filed this week in San Diego, alleging that Sony made its online services less safe by laying off important staff just before the April security breach. The suit, against Sony Corporation of America, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment International, is based on testimony from confidential witnesses (ex-Sony employees) who claim that Sony knew its security was compromised due to previous, smaller-scale intrusions. An SOE platform engineer claims that "Sony's technicians only installed firewalls on an ad-hoc basis after they determined that a particular user was attempting to gain unauthorized access to the network."

The suit also alleges, as stated by another confidential witness, that Sony "spent lavishly" on security measures for its own PS DevNetwork, but didn't put the same effort or budget into securing users' data.

Sony Online Entertainment enacted large-scale layoffs in March of this year -- just weeks before the massive data breach. One witness quoted in the claim said that those layoffs included staff from the company's Network Operations Center, which would have been instrumental in addressing a data breach.

Class action lawsuit alleges Sony layoffs made PSN vulnerable originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Online Entertainment services also coming back online

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 16 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

Sony Online Entertainment has been an unfortunately named business these past two weeks, when its catalog of MMOs were taken offline following the PlayStation Network security breach. Fortunately, the servers of titles like Free Realms, EverQuest 2 and Clone Wars Adventures slowly but surely started to come back online this past weekend -- each including a little incentive to try and lure back their disconnected player bases.

These incentives include XP bonuses, free rare items and special events, all of which are laid out on this handy chart. If you're an SOE account holder in "good standing," you'll also get 45 days of in-game time on-the-house. If you're a lifetime subscriber, though, you'll get just the extra super special in-game bonuses. Also, everyone gets 500 Station Cash, a currency players can use to purchase even more in-game items. This outage might just be the best thing to ever happen to your online adventurer's lootsack.

Sony Online Entertainment services also coming back online originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Online Entertainment senior producer becomes Zynga Austin GM

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 15 May 2011 19:05:00 EST

At Sony Online Entertainment in Austin, Texas, John Blakely headed up projects ranging from Star Wars Galaxies to DC Universe Online. Now, Blakely is leading Zynga's Austin-based offices, acting as general manager for the studio in a move spotted this past week. Blakely's LinkedIn profile indicates he's been with Zynga Austin since some point in April of this year.

SOE confirmed Blakely's departure in a statement, thanking him for "the passion and leadership he brought to work every day," and noting that the company "fully supports him in his future endeavors." Zynga could not be reached for comment as of publishing, though it stands to reason that the social media giant isn't exactly unhappy with the acquisition. Executive director of development, Lorin Jameson, will fill Blakely's spot at SOE.

Sony Online Entertainment senior producer becomes Zynga Austin GM originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 15 May 2011 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE announces free month, rewards for players affected by downtime

Mike Schramm — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:00:00 EST

Despite initial assurances, Sony Online Entertainment eventually confirmed that yes, it did misplace some of your user data recently, and the company feels really, really sorry about that. It can't actually get the data back, of course (that's not how it works), but SOE says it will do its best to make it up to customers with free stuff, as announced on its blog today.

All SOE players will get 30 days of free game time in every game they're subscribed to, in addition to extra play time for every day the servers are down (they've been down since May 2 already). There are also plenty of rewards lined up per game, including special gear and items in DC Universe Online and Star Wars Galaxies plus some special Double XP events in Everquest and Vanguard.

Lifetime subscribers will get another load of in-game currency in addition to all of the other rewards, and Station Access subscribers will get an extra 500 Station Cash. And don't forget about Sony's plan to also offer affected users free identity protection for a year through Debix.

SOE announces free month, rewards for players affected by downtime originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 14 May 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anonymous denies involvement with PSN hack

JC Fletcher — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:30:00 EST

Despite Sony's report of an Anonymous slogan found on a compromised SOE server, the hacking group denied responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to The Guardian. The group claimed that this hack, which resulted in the prolonged (and ongoing) outage of the PlayStation Network and the leak of data from millions of accounts, is not in keeping with Anonymous's MO of fighting organizations' criminal activities with hacks.

"Public support is not gained by stealing credit card info and personal identities," the statement reads. "We are trying to fight criminal activities by corporations and governments, not steal credit cards." The statement showed confidence in Anonymous's lack of involvement: "If a legitimate and honest investigation into the credit card is conducted, Anonymous will not be found liable. While we are a distributed and decentralized group, our 'leadership' does not condone credit card theft." Of course, the "intrusion" could still have been the work of someone who self-identifies as an Anonymous member; that very "distributed and decentralized" structure makes it difficult to identify officially sanctioned actions by those claiming affiliation.

Last month, during intermittent PSN outages, Anonymous issued a release saying that it would not attempt to take PSN down, because it did not want to "severely impact Sony customers."

Anonymous denies involvement with PSN hack originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 May 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online players get credit, mask for downtime

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:05:00 EST

Sony Online Entertainment plans to give all DC Universe Online players a free month and "Batman-Inspired mask" as compensation for the current outage. The company asked players on the game's Facebook page to bear with them as "the complexities of the subscription server dictate how and when this will be available" and that the company will be releasing "more information this week."

The outage is part of the overall PlayStation Network issue that resulted in SOE announcing earlier this week that 12,700 credit card numbers were taken and 24.6 million accounts were compromised. So, yeah, a free month and a virtual hat seems like a good start to an apology.

DC Universe Online players get credit, mask for downtime originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony responds to Congress with open letter, suggests 'Anonymous' was responsible

JC Fletcher — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:21:00 EST

In response to a letter sent to Sony by the US House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, Sony's Kazuo Hirai sent an open letter detailing Sony's "principles" in dealing with the PSN outage and Sony/SOE data leaks. The full letter has been scanned and placed on Flickr for public view.

A PlayStation Blog post summarizes the content of the letter. According to Hirai, Sony has worked under the following four principles in dealing with the issue: "Act with care and caution, " "Provide relevant information to the public when it has been verified," "Take responsibility for our obligations to our customers," and "Work with law enforcement authorities."

In addition, the letter and post provide a timeline of the attack, including this early clue: "We discovered that the intruders had planted a file on one of our Sony Online Entertainment servers named 'Anonymous' with the words 'We are Legion.'" Despite that evidence, Sony still says it has yet to identify the "individual(s) responsible for the breach." It's unclear if that means Sony does not think the hacking organization known as Anonymous was responsible or, rather, if it hasn't managed to uncover the actual identities of Anonymous' ... err, anonymous contributors.

The "Welcome Back" program was also detailed, through which Sony is offering free downloads, and free PlayStation Plus memberships (and Qriocity access for those subscribers) lasting 30 days plus the length of the PSN outage.

Sony responds to Congress with open letter, suggests 'Anonymous' was responsible originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Online Entertainment explains backtracking on safety of user data

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:22:00 EST

When Sony Online Entertainment announced last night that it had lost several thousand customers' credit card numbers -- though the theft came weeks earlier, during the main attack affecting Sony's PlayStation Network and Qriocity services -- something didn't add up. Sony Online Entertainment had just one week earlier specifically said that its customers data was safe, because "SOE's systems and databases are separate from PSN's." So, how did SOE customer information leak if the "systems and databases" were different for PSN and SOE?

"While the two systems are distinct and operated separately, given that they are both under the Sony umbrella, there is some degree of architecture that overlaps," an SOE rep told Joystiq this afternoon. Speaking to the method used for breaching the information, the rep told us, "The intrusions were similar in nature," indicating that the same party perpetrated both thefts.

SOE also insisted once more that "This is NOT a second attack," and that yesterday's announcement was a result of "new information" that was discovered on May 1 "as part of our ongoing investigation of the external intrusion in April." It is still unknown when service will return to SOE's games, but the company says "it will be as soon as we are 100% confident that we can resume a safe and secure service."

Sony Online Entertainment explains backtracking on safety of user data originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 May 2011 18:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Online loses 12,700 credit card account numbers, 24.6 million accounts compromised [update 2]

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:45:00 EST

Following up on this morning's news that Sony Online Entertainment servers were offline across the board, SOE 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.

The company took SOE servers offline after learning of the attack last evening, and today detailed the unfortunate results: "approximately 12,700 non-US credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes), and about 10,700 direct debit records of certain customers in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain" were lost, apparently from "an outdated database from 2007." Of the 12,700 total, 4,300 are alleged to be from Japan, while the remainder come from the aforementioned four European countries.

Furthermore, Sony ties today's announcement directly to the recent attacks on PlayStation Network and Qriocity, and says SOE customer information was stolen on either April 16 or April 17. Sony has repeatedly stated that its PSN servers and SOE servers are not part of the same network, so it remains unclear just how these two attacks are tied together. Head past the break for the full statement from Sony.

Update, 9:03PM EST: SOE has provided us with the following statement, in which it confirms that its user data was stolen as part of the original intrusion -- not a second attack. "While the two systems are distinct and operated separately, given that they are both under the SONY umbrella, there is some degree of architecture that overlaps. The intrusions were similar in nature. This is NOT a second attack; new information has been discovered as part of our ongoing investigation of the external intrusion in April."

Update, 3:45PM EST on 5/3/11: SOE has told GamesIndustry.biz that, of the 12,700 stolen cards, just 900 were still active.

Continue reading Sony Online loses 12,700 credit card account numbers, 24.6 million accounts compromised [update 2]

Sony Online loses 12,700 credit card account numbers, 24.6 million accounts compromised [update 2] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 May 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online 'Super-Servers' to address queue time issues

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EST

"Super-Servers" sure sounds like a euphemism for "server merge," a sign that the DC Universe Online community is in rapid decline, but SOE is putting a positive spin on its plan to address "concerns about queue times on the servers." The DCUO operator expects to begin testing "new technology to meld all of our US and European PC and PS3 servers into four Super-Servers" this month, according to a news post on the official game site.

The so-called Super-Servers would be divided into two per region, with the US and Europe each hosting a PC and PS3 server and continuing to segregate the platform communities. "This will allow for more opportunities to queue and participate in other group related game mechanics," SOE explained, without clarifying whether the move would actually reduce the number of servers or instead initiate cross-server queuing to cut down on wait times. The "melding" has also raised questions about how SOE would keep PvP and PvE players separated. "We'll have more details at a future date," said the company.

Editor's note: As of publishing, access to the DCUO site (and game) has been suspended due to a separate issue. We've re-posted SOE's Super-Servers announcement after the break.

Continue reading DC Universe Online 'Super-Servers' to address queue time issues

DC Universe Online 'Super-Servers' to address queue time issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Online Entertainment says its customer data is safe

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

Though the PlayStation Network and Qriocity side of Sony's digital services may have been subject to a massive breach of user information, it seems that Sony Online Entertainment product users are safe. SOE reps took to Sony's forums to clear the air, saying, "We have been conducting a thorough investigation and, to the best of our knowledge, no customer personal information got out to any unauthorized person or persons."

The post also acknowledges a "continuing investigation" currently taking place at SOE, and notes that the company will "promptly notify" customers of any change in the situation. SOE's games -- including Free Realms and DC Universe Online -- temporarily went offline on April 21 and have since had service restored. An SOE rep states that "SOE's systems and databases are separate from PSN's," thus explaining how the company's games are still working -- and how your information wasn't stolen.

Meanwhile, as reported by our sister site Massively, SOE is working on a "make good plan" for Free Realms and DCUO players on the PlayStation 3, as well as holding a handful of in-game events across multiple games in the coming weeks.

Sony Online Entertainment says its customer data is safe originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smedley: Free Realms on track to 100 million players

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:15:00 EST

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.

Smedley: Free Realms on track to 100 million players originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE confirms studio closures, cancels The Agency

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:52:00 EST

Following earlier reports of studio closures and mass layoffs, Sony Online Entertainment has issued an official statement regarding its "strategic decision to reduce costs and streamline its global workforce." The company confirmed the closings of its Denver, Seattle and Tucson studios and the elimination of 205 jobs.

Additionally, SOE announced the cancellation of The Agency, the long-delayed, cross-platform spy MMO under development at SOE Seattle. The company said it's discontinuing production of the title to "focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games."

SOE added that the Denver and Tucson studios' projects would be transitioned over to its San Diego headquarters. The company's full statement is posted after the break.

Continue reading SOE confirms studio closures, cancels The Agency

SOE confirms studio closures, cancels The Agency originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Three SOE studios close, layoffs abound

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST

Following a series of tweets from George Broussard, co-owner of 3D Realms, which indicated that Sony Online Entertainment would be undergoing layoffs and possible studio closures around its five locations today, Kotaku reports that a source "familiar with the matter" has confirmed the closures of SOE's Denver, Seattle and Tucson studios. Additionally, half of the Austin staff has been reportedly laid off, along with a "sizeable" number of workers at SOE's San Diego headquarters. In all, the layoffs are said to affect nearly one-third of SOE's total workforce.

Notably, SOE Seattle has been the lead development studio of The Agency, which had been slated to launch in the second half of the year (after a long delay). Neither SOE Denver nor Tucson has been working on anything as high profile as The Agency, though both have continued to operate a number of SOE titles, including Denver's Legends Of Norrath and other digital card games, and Tucson's PoxNora strategy game.U

Update: SOE has issued an official statement confirming the report and providing further details.

Report: Three SOE studios close, layoffs abound originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Realms coming to the PlayStation 3 on March 29

Mike Schramm — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

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: Free Realms PS3

Free Realms coming to the PlayStation 3 on March 29 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online will be available digitally on PS3

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST

You know, Supes, Bats and ... Lanterns make it look so difficult to constantly keep the forces of evil at bay -- in all actuality, you can do so from the safety and comfort of your own home thanks to DC Universe Online. And once the MMO is available to download directly through the PlayStation Store, you'll be able to do so without leaving the safety and comfort of your musty, sunken-seated, curiously damp recliner. (Hey, buddy? That thing is disgusting.)

PlayStation Blog announced the title's forthcoming digital availability. No release date was revealed, but the downloadable version will retain the tangible version's $59.99 price tag. Sounds like a reasonable price to pay for a level of safety and comfort that will almost certainly lend itself to the development of bedsores.

DC Universe Online will be available digitally on PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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See Rochard's gravity gun play with a companion cube

Andrew Yoon — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST

Rochard, an upcoming PSN platformer, first reminded us of Dead Space -- but now, we're thinking "with Portals." This first gameplay trailer shows how Rochard can manipulate gravity, and how boxes are a man's best friend.

Continue reading See Rochard's gravity gun play with a companion cube

See Rochard's gravity gun play with a companion cube originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online gets first game update, SOE has more on the way

Mike Schramm — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:30:00 EST

The first major update for DC Universe Online is now available for both the PS3 and PC versions of the game (just a day or so after the first buyers' subscription plans kicked in). The patch includes a new eight-player raid inside the Batcave; a number of new missions based around Catwoman and other DC luminaries; some "Love is a Battlefield" holiday content and the long-awaited Auction House functionality. Sony is also streamlining the social UI quite a bit, answering players' wishes for an easier-to-use chat system.

And if that's not enough updating for you, Sony has started revealing what's coming next in an interview over at PC Gamer. More bugfixes are incoming, including fixes to issues around voice chat and grouping. In future content, Sony's Chris Cao says that The Penguin is going to get his due, as well as the Flash and some of his associated heroes. It all sounds fun -- SOE promised to push updates quickly on this one, and this free content is its first delivery.

DC Universe Online gets first game update, SOE has more on the way originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: PS3 copies of DC Universe Online tied to one-time-use codes

JC Fletcher — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:00:00 EST

If you bought DC Universe Online on PS3 and decided not to commit to it for the usual MMO lifespan of forever, you won't be able to recoup your losses by trading it in. At least, you shouldn't trade it in, even if you find a store who will accept it, or you risk being a super-jerk. Sony Online Entertainment confirmed to Lazygamer that the serial key included with retail copies of the game is a one-time-use thing, and each disc only includes access for one account. That means that the first person to use a copy of DCUO is the only person who can use that copy.

This kind of restriction isn't exactly new to consoles, with trade-ins of every iteration of Phantasy Star Online refused by retailers due to the unique codes tied to each disc. But it's not common -- mostly because MMO-type games on consoles are so uncommon.

PSA: PS3 copies of DC Universe Online tied to one-time-use codes originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the Magic: The Gathering - Tactics 'White Mana' trailer

Justin McElroy — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST

Like most liberated free thinkers, we don't discriminate between types of mana based on their colors. To us, it's all just mana. That said, if you're a little less enlightened, here's a Magic: The Gathering - Tactics "White Mana" trailer just for you. Enjoy your barriers, cro-magnon.

Continue reading Watch the Magic: The Gathering - Tactics 'White Mana' trailer

Watch the Magic: The Gathering - Tactics 'White Mana' trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA, Bethesda, and Sony Online vets form Second Star Interactive

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:50:00 EST

Hero's Journey may be no more than a distant memory at this point, but Simutronics' HeroEngine -- the game engine currently being employed by BioWare to create Star Wars: The Old Republic, among other things -- is still going strong. After being quietly scooped up by Idea Fabrik in 2010, the HeroEngine is now being used to create a game in-house at a newly formed studio, Second Star Interactive.

Formed by ex-Bethesda, EA, and Sony Online Entertainment devs and execs, SSI intends on creating an online game of some form that will launch "later this year." The release also notes that "a number of third-party developers who have licensed HeroEngine also plan to launch games featuring the technology before the end of 2011," which is especially interesting as the two main development houses working with the engine are BioWare and ZeniMax Online (parent company of Bethesda Softworks and id Software). We know about BioWare's big game, but we've yet to hear anything about what ZeniMax Online has planned.

EA, Bethesda, and Sony Online vets form Second Star Interactive originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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