These days, it hardly seems newsworthy when Sony Computer Entertainment has some sort of debacle with the PlayStation Network.
It seems almost like an unwelcome yearly holiday. The free Xbox Live alternative suffers some sort of catastrophic glitch or incident that leaves Playstation 3 owners worldwide without a venue to take their favorite games online.
Whether it’s someone hacking the system’s security protocol or an issue with the internal clock, Sony has had an amazingly poor track record with its online service and the security of its users.
So when PS3 users were greeted with the familiar “undergoing maintenance” screen while trying to log onto the PlayStation Network last Wednesday, the reaction was expected frustration.
These things happen when you’re dealing with the Ridge Racer machine. So you just bought “Portal 2” and can’t play the co-op online. Maybe next time you’ll be smarter and buy it for a console with a fairly decent online record. (Hint: A big green X marks it.)
You remind yourself PSN has never been down for more than a few days. This is just another bump in the road. You’ll be able to watch those sad, delusional faces on “The Tester” soon enough. Everything will be fine.
Then, six whole days later, Sony decides to casually bring up the fact that some hacker may or may not have your personal information now.
But don’t worry bro; it’s just your credit card info, billing address, purchase history, email and even your birthday. They might get you a present!
Yet, the main issue here that Sony’s online security was compromised (history precedent — it happens to even the best on occasion), but the way they handle the debacle.
The failure of technology is no excuse for putting your company’s PR over the basic safety of your customers. While a customer should never expect a corporation as large as Sony to have their best interest in mind, I’d like to think even Aperture Science would tell me if GLaDOS got a hold of my home address.
Actually, scratch that last part.
However, you know you’ve probably made a misstep somewhere when a United States senator calls you out.
In a letter to Sony CEO and President, Jack Tretton, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., expressed his concern for Sony’s security situation.
“Compounding this concern is the troubling lack of notification from Sony about the nature of the data breach,” wrote Blumenthal.
I’m pretty this is the first time a Democratic senator and the gaming community have managed to agree on an issue.
Sony has provided a half-hearted explanation on the delay, attesting that it took a number of days to discover the scope of the breach, according to a post on the PlayStation Blog.
However, this is simply not enough. With an already tainted track record, Sony should have prepared for the worst, for both their network and their customers.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Sony Computer Entertainment America by Rothken Law Firm of California. The suit is filed on “behalf of consumers to learn the full extent of Sony PlayStation Network data security practices and the data loss and to seek a remedy for consumers,” according to PC Magazine.
Let’s hope both this situation and lawsuit will teach Sony to treat its customers with more respect.
Reach David at dsydiong@asu.edu
