Tag: Sony Online Entertainment

Important: Sony Was Not Hacked, 93K Accounts Compromised


A title certain to cause confusion among my readers, but I did so to force the few of you who only read the title to read the article itself as well. Despite how some of my fellow MMO journalists have been wording their writing, the Sony database has not been hacked. Rather, Sony announced on the Everquest forums that they’ve detected an attempt to test username/password combinations for a massive amount of accounts ranging from the Playstation Network (PSN) to Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). RadarX, otherwise known as Sony’s Chief Information Security Officer, posted that

“these attempts appear to include a large amount of data obtained from one or more compromised lists from other companies, sites or other sources. In this case, given that the data tested against our network consisted of sign-in ID-password pairs, and that the overwhelming majority of the pairs resulted in failed matching attempts, it is likely the data came from another source and not from our Networks.  We have taken steps to mitigate the activity.”

Approximately 93,000 accounts passed the “test,” and Sony has subsequently locked them down to prevent further intrusion. Players will have been emailed if they are affected, and will need to unlock their accounts and change their passwords. Since now would be the best time to be preachy, one of the most efficient measures you can take to protect your account is to not use the same password on fan sites.

DC Universe Heading Free to Play In October


DC Universe is something of a lone duck in the industry. With Champions Online free to play and City of Heroes making the transition later this year, I’ve speculated before that Sony following with a similar model was only a matter of time. Of course you could also look at John Smedley’s statement that freemium is the future, but we’re talking competition folks!

The free transition brings three tiers of benefits, from free players to past subscribers to current subscribers, with the usual change in access. Subscribers and past subscribers will have access to more inventory space, cash limits, and while free players have access to the base game, subscribers will gain access to the extra content (such as the Green Lantern pack) for free.

Smedley did reveal some interesting information regarding the shift, including that the feedback from console players was a large driving force in the decision, and that the PS3 population outnumbers the PC crowd three to one.

This can only spell good things for DC Universe, whose major criticism has been not warranting a $15 monthly subscription. When the game goes free in late October, players who enjoy the game in smaller bites will be able to do so without the commitment.

Star Wars Galaxies: So This Is How The World Ends


Did you know that if you pay for a month of Star Wars Galaxies now, you never have to pay again? If your account is active and in good standing on September 15th, you will no longer have to pay for Star Wars Galaxies until the game shuts down on December 15th.

Starting in September, Sony Online Entertainment is laying the plans to take the game out in style. Similar to Tabula Rasa’s events or The Matrix Online, the factions in Star Wars Galaxies have decided that enough is enough: It is time for a decisive victory. Players will be able to acquire Galactic Civil War points at a faster pace, with more activities available to them. At a point prior to the December 15th shutdown, a victor will be decided and the game will update to match. For the victor bear the spoils. For the loser? SOE says at least you’ll be going down with a bang.

We’ll have more coverage on the Star Wars Galaxies shut down as it appears.

Sony’s “Back To School” Sale: Double Station Cash


Sony’s “Back to School Bonanza” sale strikes me as odd, given spending more on MMOs isn’t even on my list of priorities once I go back to school in September. Either way, put down your Ramen and tell your homework exactly where to shove itself, because between September 2nd and 5th, Sony is holding a double Station cash event. You can redeem a cash card on the above dates and receive twice as much cash.

Check it out here. Certain games will be having specials during the above period including cash shop sales and double experience.

Sony's "Back To School" Sale: Double Station Cash


Sony’s “Back to School Bonanza” sale strikes me as odd, given spending more on MMOs isn’t even on my list of priorities once I go back to school in September. Either way, put down your Ramen and tell your homework exactly where to shove itself, because between September 2nd and 5th, Sony is holding a double Station cash event. You can redeem a cash card on the above dates and receive twice as much cash.

Check it out here. Certain games will be having specials during the above period including cash shop sales and double experience.

Everquest II: Now With A Decent Free Trial


Technically Everquest II has the mother of all free trials, however if you’re looking to bud into the subscription-only sector to play with friends, this promotion doesn’t exactly help you. Announced on the Station website, the new free trial offers 14 days of worry-free gaming, with a few perks on the side. Players receive a superior experience potion offering twice the advancement for two hours, and a special cloak that increases run speed by 25%.

If you don’t play the subscription version, you can still obtain the cloak and potion in Everquest II Extended, along with a few other items according to players. For casual players who don’t have anyone playing the subscription version, Extended is still the best deal.

Planetside 2 Will Have A Cash Shop

Planetside 2 will have a cash shop, but without offering exclusive weapons/armor.


I’ve downplayed cash shops quite a bit here on MMO Fallout, but I understand the people who do not like them, and why, and the factions of supporters and opposers continues to widen as new ideas are implemented. On the extreme sides you have players who won’t play a game now unless it has a cash shop, and players who will not play any game with a cash shop. There are issues over items in the cash shop being attainable through natural gameplay, or only selling vanity items or variations of existing weapons (for instance a different color/design but with the same stats).

So for some, the SyndCon experience of Planetside 2 was less about destructible buildings, space gameplay, and skill-based system, and more about the inevitable presence of a cash shop.

If a weapon can be bought in the cash store, he was quick to assure us that it would be attainable in the game as well. Definitely though, one of the things that will be sold would be customization.

In a game like Planetside 2, the cash shop ultimately comes down to a matter of skill over stats. Unlike a traditional MMORPG, will it matter that your store-bought rifle does 20% more damage if you can’t aim it properly? Or how a tuned sniper rifle won’t change the fact that the player still has to draw a bead on your head from across the valley. Watching the impact of the cash shop will be interesting, to say the least.

More on Planetside 2 as it appears.

SOE Authenticator Coming To Device, iOS, and Android


Even if you did hide the authenticator image behind several pages of CSS. With the recent hacking of Sony’s services, one might be slightly concerned about the safety of their account. Following in the steps of Blizzard, Square Enix, and a select few other companies, Sony Online Entertainment has announced that the company will be releasing their own version of the authenticator.

Right now, players can purchase a dongle at Sony’s website for $9.99 (USD) with free shipping for the time being. Sometime down the line, an iOS and Android app will be released, but there is no timetable for release.

This will no doubt be a pleasant addition to any SOE fan’s accessories. There are no plans to my understanding for a Blizzard-like incentive (in-game pet).

Vanguard Gets A Patch


Allow me to be the first to exclaim: Holy cow! If you don’t understand why Vanguard being patched warrants an article, you probably don’t follow Vanguard, and if you don’t follow Vanguard…Well I’ll let the community’s wrath be a surprise. So far, MMO Fallout is running on comments that Sony would like to take Vanguard to a free to play system, but that some key infrastructure must be put into place first (updates to the game, actual developers working on the title, etc).

The update added in today doesn’t do much apart from some bug fixes, but the overall message is that Sony does indeed still notice this red-headed step child. This will likely still not quell discussion surrounding John Smedley’s comment over their subscription service back in January:

“The monthly subscription fee means players can expect a lot of new content from us. And I say a lot — I really mean that. This is something that we feel obligated to the players, because they are paying a monthly sub fee.“

More on Vanguard as it appears.

DC Universe Server Mergers, Name System, Phasing


As my emails have shown, I’m not the only one still confused about DC Universe’s upcoming server merger/melding on Monday. Previously, I presumed that this not-merge-merger would allow players to keep their names, as the servers weren’t merging. As it turns out, however, that is not the case. When the mergers go live on Monday, players may find that their superhero title is no longer accessible, and must be changed.

Sony is handling this in a semi-traditional fashion. Players who are subscribed will take precedence over those who do not. If two players carry the same name, the character with more hours logged will be allowed to continue the honor of having that name. If you are on the losing end of the ticket, you will receive a token for a free name change. Also mentioned is how players will change between PvE and PvP phases. In order to swap roles, heroes will have to visit the Watchtower, while villains will need to visit the Hall of Doom.

Hopefully this will bring the much needed population to a game whose multi-year longevity is still deeply in question. The megaservers roll out Monday.