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PSN users around the world have been booting up their various consoles only to be confronted with a message saying their passwords are incorrect. They’ve then had to go through the rigmarole of creating new login details, usually while still in the dark as to what happened to their accounts in the first place — and whether they might have been hacked. Sony has since put out an explanation via various official channels in the US, EU and Japan, saying that only “some” users have been affected and that the password resets are “purely a precautionary measure” for “routine protection.” We’ve contacted the company for clarification on its policy about contacting users individually in this sort of situation, and also to see if we can find out a little more about this “non-specific” threat to certain accounts.

Filed under: Gaming, Internet, HD, Sony

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Eurogamer

Source: PlayStation Forum, AskPlayStation (Twitter)

Back at Gamescom 2013, Sony made it known that select cross-generational games, like Call of Duty: Ghosts, purchased for the PlayStation 3 would be upgradeable for its forthcoming PS4. At the time, Sony kept general pricing details for the program under wraps, although Activision did announce its qualifying CoD title would set PS4 users back $10 bucks for the next-gen upgrade privilege. Now, Sony’s coming clean with the full spate of its limited run upgrade program, adding Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs to the list — all for $10.

So how does it work? Well, for those gamers that insist on purchasing a physical copy of any of the above games, they’ll receive a redeemable pack-in code which they can enter into the PlayStation Network for a digital copy of the PS4 version. That’s not all though. In order to unlock that next-gen copy, the physical disc has to be in the console to activate it. The process is much simpler for those that opt for the all-digital route, as a PS3 purchase made on PSN will automatically qualify gamers for the discount, at which point the game will be available for download. You have to hand it Sony: with news of this expanded upgrade program and the PS4’s Gaikai-powered PS3 backwards compatibility, it seems the company’s well learned from the lessons of the previous gen’s past.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Source: PlayStation Blog

Remember the 2011 attack that crippled Sony’s PlayStation Network, leaked almost a quarter million users’ information and generally was a nuisance? It’s still cleaning up after that mess. Earlier this year, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) slapped the company’s European wing with a £250,000 fine ($377,575), saying it should have been better prepared for the attack — now Sony’s agreed to pay up. The electronics giant still maintains that the charge is without merit, but ceded to the penalty to avoid disclosing details about its security procedures. Apparently, the two months of free PS+ wasn’t enough to make everybody forget.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Via: Joystiq

Source: V3 (UK), ICO (Twitter)

It’s the morning after the night before, and Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has just confirmed to us that current-generation PSN titles won’t transfer across to the PlayStation 4. The company admitted last night that PS3 games wouldn’t be compatible with the latest console, but has added that it will try to make titles playable “in some form.” Because the architecture of the Power-PC-based PS3 and x86-based PlayStation 4 are so different, Sony will only bring across games that don’t guzzle the latest console’s power in emulation. The executive also said that the company aims to offer server-side and cloud services to offer a wider library of older games, but said that’s one for the “longer term.”

Ben Gilbert contributed to this report.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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According to the New York Times, Fox is about to try another tactic to enhance sales of its movies, by offering downloadable UltraViolet (Update: and many other formats, see below.) copies for sale a full three weeks ahead of their release on Blu-ray / DVD or for video on-demand rental. The first movie to get the treatment will be Ridley Scott’s Prometheus later this month, and Fox is pricing the copies at about $15, down from the $20 of previous releases. Other flicks on deck for the early digital sale treatment are Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Watch and Ice Age: Continental Drift. Fox is apparently calling the setup Digital HD, or DHD, as it rolls out in 50 different countries all at once, and opted to offer the flicks in high definition instead of issuing cheaper standard def versions to “put its best foot forward”. Last year’s $30 premium VOD rental pilot was another attempt to experiment with release windows that Fox participated in, but DHD’s more reasonable pricing makes it an interesting option. Of course, the main trick will be getting customers to opt for an UltraViolet format which is still not supported by Apple and Amazon’s movie stores, but dangling early access to mainstream movies could be just the bait required.

Update: We talked to Fox and confirmed that the DHD initiative is not limited to only Ultraviolet. According to the studio when this kicks off September 18th, it will make more than 600 films available across stores including Amazon, CinemaNow, iTunes, PlayStation, VUDU and Xbox. Prometheus is also Fox’s first UV title and its first new release under the DHD program, but if you prefer your digital movies in another format, it looks like you’ll be able to get them.

Continue reading Fox to sell Digital HD movies three weeks ahead of discs or VOD, Prometheus is first (Update: via Amazon, iTunes, Xbox, Vudu etc.)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Fox to sell Digital HD movies three weeks ahead of discs or VOD, Prometheus is first (Update: via Amazon, iTunes, Xbox, Vudu etc.) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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