Lawsuit Alleges Sony Knowingly Failed to Protect Customer Data Ahead of PSN Attack

Company fired network security personnel, used inferior cyber security for customer data, lawsuit claims.

Sony has repeatedly stated there was nothing more it could have done to prevent the April PlayStation Network cyber security breach that led to one of the largest thefts of consumer data in history. But according to a new class action lawsuit, nothing could be further from the truth.

As Reuters reports, on Monday a trio of men (Felix Cortorreal, Jacques Daoud Jr., and Jimmy Cortorreal) filed a lawsuit against Sony that alleges the company fired network security employees two weeks before the attack on PlayStation Network and "spent lavishly" on cyber security to protect corporate information while choosing not to use the same level of security for customer data.

Report - PlayStation 3 Price Drop Imminent

Sony could use Gamescom to announce a sub-£200 price drop for PS3.

According to MCV, the UK games industry is expecting Sony to announce a pricecut for PS3 at this year's Gamescom.

Trade insiders are said to be hoping for a recommended retail price of £199.99, allowing stores to sell it at £179.99.

Codemasters boss Rod Cousens said, "I would anticipate a further price cut on existing consoles prior to Christmas.

"It'll probably happen around September and Gamescom may be interesting. But there's also time for a further cut next year, before Wii U is out."

Sony has said that it doesn't comment on rumour or speculation.

Gamescom runs from 17-21 August, and IGN will be there keeping you in the loop.

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Two PSN Pinball Games For the Price of One

It's time to get more bang for your buck.

This week's PSN Update article was posted yesterday, but there was no information given about a special deal that's going on for one week only on the PlayStation Network. Good thing, then, that we received an e-mail this morning that illuminates this illusive deal, and it's certainly worth mentioning to those looking for their digital pinball fix on the PSN.

For $9.99, you can purchase Marvel Pinball via the PlayStation Store. This isn't news itself, of course, but the fact that you get ZEN Pinball for free for purchasing Marvel Pinball certainly is. This two-for-one deal began yesterday, and only runs through June 28th. So if you want two pinball games for the price of one, now's the time to act!

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Mortal Kombat DLC Dated, Fighters Detailed

A new trailer and new names round out our report.

It wasn't too long ago that we heard Skarlet -- a blade-wielding hottie -- would be joining the Mortal Kombat cast, but now we know when she's coming and who will be coming after her. The new trailer below says "download now," but the Skarlet downloadable content will really hit the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on June 21, 2011. The trailer goes on to tease three additional characters -- Kenshi, Rain and a fighter to be named later.

E3 2011: DC Universe Online - Ra's al Ghul in Action

Batman's villain is ready to bring the pain, and we have big news this weekend.

Last week IGN brought you the full rundown of DC Universe Online's next update. It packs Bat-villain Ra's al Ghul, a new alert, a new Duo and a Swamp Thing/Poison Ivy event for the MMO. But words only do so much, and that's why we've got the video below that offers your first glimpse of Ra's in action.

On top of that, if you're anxious to see what's on the horizon for DC Universe Online at E3 and beyond, I suggest you check out IGN this Saturday for some major news.

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Sony Restores PlayStation Network Store

After more than 40 days offline, the digital store is finally back up and running.

After being pulled offline on April 20 in the wake of the PSN security breach, the PlayStation Network Store has been fully restored with a massive update. But Sony isn't quite ready to roll out its Welcome Back program just yet, and the deluge of PlayStation 3 gamers anxious to download digital goods is causing the store to spit out error messages to some visitors.

"The PlayStation Store is back online and thank you everyone for your patience," PSN Store Director Grace Chen said in a statement. "You will notice a huge lineup of new downloadable games, demos, add-on content, themes, avatars and videos. Also, PlayStation Plus has been updated with new full game trials, free games and DLC, free avatars and even more discounts."

The very lengthy list of new PSN Store content, including long-in-waiting SOCOM 4, Killzone 3, and Motorstorm: Apocalypse DLC, can be found in this posting on the official PlayStation blog. And if you're having trouble getting past the 807 error on the PSN Store door, Sony asks that you once again be patient.

Road to E3: Dark Souls

Anticipation is high for Demon's Souls' spiritual successor.

Don't look now, but E3 2011 is only a week away. By this time next week, the IGN crew will be drowning in a slew of new games. But while E3 runs in Los Angeles from June 6-9, we still have a few ideas of what you can expect from some of your most-anticipated titles a bit early.

Today, we'll give the special treatment to the highly-anticipated Dark Souls, the "spiritual successor" to the PlayStation 3-exclusive dungeon-crawling RPG Demon's Souls.

What We Know

When I saw Dark Souls early in May, the lasting impression I had of the game was that it's more of the same. Demon's Souls took PlayStation 3 gamers by storm when it was released, and Dark Souls promises to do the same, but in an even more sadistic and ruthless fashion. And better yet, unlike Demon's Souls, Dark Souls isn't a PS3-exclusive. So there are plenty of reasons for Xbox 360 gamers to be excited as well.

Demon's Souls was hard, almost comically so. And Dark Souls promises to be even more difficult. During my earlier preview of Dark Souls, I was able to check out a location known as Sen's Fortress. Sen's Fortress was chock-full of dangerous pitfalls, strong enemies and a ridiculous amount of traps. Our nameless hero did his best to fend off all of the attacks, but even the buffed-out character being used by the developer giving the demo was nearing death (and did, in fact, fall to his death once). So that should give you a pretty good idea of what you're in store for when your much-weaker character is dispatched to see what he or she is made of.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any other locations in Dark Souls, but the developers did promise me that places in Dark Souls are much more interconnected than they were in Demon's Souls. Otherwise, mechanics seem to be pretty similar. Souls will be required to upgrade your character, and you'll find plenty of useful loot by killing powerful enemies and scouring the entirety of sprawling dungeons.

We also have a release date for Dark Souls. Look for it on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 11th of this year.

PlayStation Network Down Today

Maintenance 'a crucial step' towards the store's return.

The PlayStation Network will be down for "several hours" today as Sony works to get the service up to speed and ready for the relaunch of the PlayStation Store, which the company says will happen this week.

"The server maintenance performed at this time represents a crucial step in the full restoration for PSN, including the PlayStation Store," posted VP of Sony Network Entertainment Eric Lempell on the PlayStation Blog. "During this maintenance period, users will be unable to sign in to PSN, though those that are already logged in should be able to remain online."

Lempel closed out the short post by saying that "resumption of full PlayStation Network service is still on track for this week in most regions."

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Catwoman a Playable Character in Batman: Arkham City

Rocksteady reveals Catwoman will be more than just a pretty face in Arkham City.

We've known Selina Kyle would be a major character in Batman: Arkahm City since the game was first announced back in December. What we didn't know until today is that the brunette vixen known as Catwoman will also be a playable character in the anticipated sequel from Rocksteady.

Speaking with Gamespot, the U.K. studio revealed that Catwoman will be playable through a small portion of the main story and even have her own progression path that allows players to upgrade her acrobatic moves and equipment. Further, Catwoman will be key in accessing certain areas that Batman can't reach on his own, helping players discover Riddler trophies.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North Beleram Trailer

Great Eagle joins the Fellowship in their quest to defeat Agandaur.

It pays to make friends with the Great Eagles. It's a lesson that's been learned by many in the Lord of the Rings universe, and when gamers get ahold of Snowblind Studios' upcoming action-RPG, War in the North, they'll learn that lesson for themselves.

Warner Bros. Interactive and Snowblind revealed today that the three member human, elf, and dwarf party in LOTR: War in the North will have a powerful fourth party member to call upon when the going gets rough: Beleram the Great Eagle. See him in action below:

"Destroying structures, providing an aerial advantage, and employing his instinctual combat prowess to tear apart those who threaten the fellowship, Beleram accompanies our heroes in their campaign to overthrow Agandaur, Sauron's Chief Lieutenant in the North," Snowblind states.

THQ Announces Metro: Last Light

Post-apocalyptic shooter sequel set for release in 2012.

It's not Metro 2033 2 or Metro 2034, it's Metro: Last Light, and developer 4A Games promises the sequel will improve on the original Russian post-apocalyptic shooter in every way when it launches next year.

Publisher THQ and 4A describe Last Light as a "terrifying, atmospheric single-player adventure" that fuses combat with exploration and survival horror to create a memorable experience. And after the single-player adventure is completed, the battle will continue online in the franchise's new multiplayer mode. Get a glimpse at what's to come in the debut trailer:

"We believe that Metro 2033 was a flawed masterpiece," THQ Core Games VP Danny Bilson said in a statement. "It was a beautiful, original game that didn't get the marketing support it needed. We won't make that mistake with Metro: Last Light."

No Online DiRT 3 Multiplayer for PS3

Competitive multiplayer out until the PlayStation Store returns.

PS3 owners will have to wait until PlayStation Store is back to access DiRT 3's online features.

Even though online play is now functional for other games on the PSN, DiRT 3 owners must redeem the in-box VIP pass to unlock competitive multiplayer, as well as other cool features like uploading videos to YouTube.

Similar to EA's online pass, purchasers of DiRT 3 second-hand will have to buy the VIP pass, which costs �6.29 ($10) on PS3 or 800 Microsoft Points on XBL. If you bought the game new, you don't have to buy anything; however, it is still needs verification by the Store.

Report: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Heading to PS3

Snake to undergo pioneering facelift operation for remaster library.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker may be amongst the first titles in the recently announced PSP Remaster series.

Yesterday we placed the excellent, though largely overlooked, Metal Gear title on our wishlist of PSP games that we'd most like to see make the leap from handheld to console.

According to French website JVN, in addition to crisp HD visuals, the updated version will be tailored for the PS3, taking full advantage of the Dual Shock's right analogue, which is of course absent on the PSP. There are as yet no details of it offering SIXAXIS support or stereoscopic 3D.

Peace Walker is expected be announced at this year's E3 in June.

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PSN Attack Costs Sony $171 Million

Company provides estimated cost for network breach.

As part of its revised earnings projections published today, Sony said it estimates the PlayStation Network attack from April will cost the company 14 billion yen, or $171 million.

This estimated cost includes the personal information theft protection program for customers, the "Welcome Back" program, customer support, network security enhancement, legal experts, and the impact on profits due to a possible future revenue decrease.

LEGO Harry Potter: Year 5-7 Details

The epic series concludes in plastic brick form.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, based on the last three Potter books and final four films, will be out at the end of the year.

From Hogsmeade and Hogwarts to enchanting new locations, including Grimmauld Place, the Ministry of Magic, and Godric's Hollow, players will encounter "new faces, new challenges and new magic, preparing them for the ultimate face-off against Lord Voldemort."

Report: Exploit Allows Hackers to Reset PSN User Passwords

Attacks on Sony continue with exploit in PSN password reset page.

The good news is PlayStation Network is still up and running. The bad news is that hackers have once again made Sony their target, exploiting a glitch in the PSN password reset web page that allowed them to reset other users' passwords and potentially hijack millions of accounts.

Sony confirmed this morning that it suspended signing in to PlayStation.com, Qriocity, and the PlayStation forums and it has taken down the PSN password reset web page as it investigates the issue.

According to various reports, the exploit allowed anyone to reset another PSN user's password by simply inputting their username and date of birth -- the very information that more than 77 million PSN users had stolen in April. It's unclear at this point how many users -- if any -- were impacted by the exploit.

Infamous 2 Refresher Course Trailer

See the story thus far and get an idea of the adventure ahead.

Sucker Punch's superhero sequel swoops onto shelves in three weeks, and in preparation of the adventure to come, the studio is offering a "the story so far" trailer to get fans up to speed. It's the Infamous 2 refresher course.

From bike courier to electrified superhero, protagonist Cole MacGrath had a wild ride in the original Infamous, and his story is about to get even more wild in Infamous 2 because The Beast is coming. Check the trailer:

Infamous 2 is a PlayStation 3 exclusive. The game is scheduled for launch on June 7.

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Password Reset Requests Slow PSN Restoration, Japan Halts Restart

Sony asks PS3 gamers to be patient. In Japan, government wants questions answered.

Sony flipped the switch on PSN Saturday, but a significant chunk of the PlayStation 3 gaming population is still offline. The problem? A bottleneck in the tubes as millions of PlayStation Network users attempted to reset their passwords at roughly the same time. In Japan, however, Sony's home base, there is a completely different issue: the government is unsatisfied with Sony's new security measures.

Posting on the official PlayStation blog last night, Communications Director Patrick Seybold said Sony was inundated with password resets and had to turn off PSN once again to clear the queue. And though the outage was brief for most, many are still waiting for their password reset request to be completed.

"If you've requested your password reset, please give it a bit of time to reach your email," Seybold said. "Thanks for your patience as we work to get everyone back online."

Seybold's European counterpart, Nick Caplin, confirmed PSN users in his part of the world were experiencing much the same problem. Caplin noted that anxious PS3 gamers should refrain from submitting multiple requests as it will only further gum-up the works.

Sadism is Fun in Dark Souls

Demon's Souls fans may have a new dungeon to call home.

When Demon's Souls was released back in the fall of 2009, it surprised gamers for a number of reasons. Japanese developer From Software created a game that was so ruthlessly hardcore that it was surprising when the PlayStation 3 audience took so fervently to it. Equally surprising were its sales. Demon's Souls managed to sell well over 500,000 copies in the United States alone. Quite a feat for a PlayStation 3 exclusive assumed to be such a niche title that Sony didn't bother to publish the game outside of Japan.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of all was that gamers couldn't get enough of Demon's Souls' formula. For a title that personified the notion of unforgiving, there was a legion of players that wanted more.

And more they will get. I recently got a chance to see Dark Souls, and the single lasting impression was that, in many ways, it's more of the same. And that's just fine. Like Demon's Souls, Dark Souls is all about grueling gameplay and outrageous difficulty. From Software wants to make Dark Souls even harder than the previous game, and this was on full display.

Demon's Souls conventions were in full effect in Dark Souls as I witnessed a heavily-armored knight fight his way through a castle-like location known as Sen's Fortress. Fending off a variety of lizard creatures with snake-like heads was the least of our poor knight's concerns. Many of these conflicts took place on thin corridors suspended over gigantic chasms. One wrong move, whether made by the knight or forced upon the knight by an enemy, would mean failure. And all the while, hanging blades swing like pendulums over the pathway, forcing you to time your movements. If you did happen to fall and survive (which happened during the demo, as the PR representative was using a ridiculously buffed-out character to avoid an untimely death), you'll be greeted by even more powerful enemies below. You know – typical Demon's Souls stuff.

Sony, LightBox Interactive Announce Starhawk

Spiritual successor to Warhawk set for 2012 launch.

In 2007, PSOne flight combat game Warhawk was updated for the PlayStation 3 with ground vehicles and online multiplayer. The franchise will continue to evolve in 2012 with Starhawk, Sony has announced, a spiritual successor to Warhawk that adds foot combat and real-time strategy elements to the mix.

Now in development at LightBox Interactive (formerly Incognito), Starhawk will most notably allow players to call down a number of different base structures, vehicles, and weapons, RTS-style, to aid them in their sci-fi third-person shooter battles.