100°

Scheduled PSN Maintenance April 15, 2013

Sr. Community Manager writes: "We’re settling in to spring on PSN and between the great deals coming to you during Spring Fever 2013, the new PlayStation Plus offerings and epic exclusives, like The Last of Us, just around the corner, there’s a lot happening.

In order to continue bringing you the best online games experience on PSN, we will perform routine maintenance beginning the morning of Monday, April 15th. This maintenance will start at approximately 8:00AM PT (9:00AM MT / 10:00AM CT / 11:00 AM ET) and last until around 8:00PM PT (9:00PM MT / 10:00PM CT / 11:00PM ET)."

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community.us.playstation.com
antbolton894030d ago

I wish SONY would give us some sort of explanation for all this maintenance, i dont see these articles for other consoles

Minato-Namikaze4030d ago

Network stability probably, Most of the time i can sign on. Most of the people that cant sign on are usually ones that havent logged on for a while, probably a week or so.

Jek_Porkins4030d ago

The Nintendo Network had maintenance once this year, not sure when Microsoft does theirs, never had any down time in 8 years with them. Maybe they switch people to another server while they work on one, then switch back? I don't know, but it does seem every other week is some maintenance for PSN.

Roper3164030d ago

do you really need a explanation? Security updates, continued Gaikai integration & getting other features in place for the PS4 launch. They could also be preparing somethings that will be announced at E3.

Even if it is none of these what difference does it make? I would rather have them doing updates weather I know what it is or not then to have them doing nothing.

antbolton894030d ago

they don't need to deny us playing online for gaikai integration and other features, i dont see XBL being offline and they are preparing for the next xbox

Roper3164030d ago

well go spend money on XBL and you will be good to go.. I will stick with free and am mature enough to not worry about not being able to access something that is free for a few hours.

Christopher4030d ago

Roper, you're not 'mature' because you're not asking questions as to why they are still stuck into a regular maintenance structure that requires a major part of their services go unavailable during that time (or, that you have to 'plan' for the downtime in order to play online by signing in the day before).

These are completely valid questions for people to ask about Sony as they continue further into a system where they will be offering a lot more online features and services. If Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Steam, and so many others can roll out back-end updates without taking down their major services or requiring users jump through hoops to maintain multiplayer capability, there's no reason Sony can't get into that position as well.

Sony's weakness when it comes to their online services is just that, a weakness. Sony needs to improve on it. Sure, games are great and when their service is working it's mostly great (seriously, the Store is slow heck and still so many button clicks to buy one thing). But, they need to improve. Just like MS needs to improve on things and Nintendo needs to improve on other things.

People aren't questioning Sony's inability to improve their network infrastructure and how updates to it affect their users because they don't care, they question them because it's something Sony should already be aware and responding to as something they are working to move away from.

profgerbik4030d ago (Edited 4030d ago )

OH NO I CAN'T ACCESS THE STORE FOR 15 HOURS!!!!

I didn't plan on buying anything anytime soon anyway. Still playing the shit out of Guacamelee and just got P4G on the Vita which is very time consuming.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4030d ago
Sharius4030d ago

i don't care, till the soul sacrifice come out in 30 april i don't have any game require me to always on

Tetsujin4030d ago

I'm assuming to prepare for the PS4, and to slowly add Gaikai into the service rather than wait till the last minute. If you read the article it says you can still log in to play however you can't access the store or content.

sandman2244030d ago

It will be down again, but you can still play your multiplayer games. You just can't use the store. That's not a big deal.

Hicken4030d ago

Too late. People are already jumping on it as a huge deal.

Christopher4030d ago

Yes and no, IMHO.

Other companies are able to do regularly scheduled maintenance w/o taking down the services that they are. It's great that people can still play multiplayer, but Sony needs to get to a point where they can do maintenance without taking down a major part of their infrastructure each time. Especially for a service like their music service where you have to sign in to play and it's completely inaccessible during any maintenance unlike multiplayer on the PS3/Vita.

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120°

Sony Could Increase Your Game's Difficulty If It Sees You Complain About It

Sony has recently published a new patent that wants to dynamically handle the games' difficulty and gameplay based on the player's emotions.

jznrpg9h ago

This is something I might use. Sometimes I play some good games but they don’t have difficulty option and are a little too easy.

Profchaos8h ago

Souls games will be like that players struggling make it harder

PassNextquestion7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

I think if used correctly it could work well

jambola3h ago

cool idea
cool idea for horror games especially
the way it's explained here sounds like it could never be forced hopefully, so that's ok with me

Show all comments (7)
280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

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techraptor.net
ChasterMies20d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken20d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga20d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken20d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6420d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long20d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197220d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic20d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 20d ago
DivineHand12520d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91320d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer20d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91319d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit19d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 19d ago
Christopher20d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6919d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit19d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher20d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken20d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197220d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic20d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2320d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218320d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder20d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts20d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

Show all comments (43)
80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

blackblades26d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken26d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades26d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii26d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p