You likely already know, but The PlayStation Network is down and will continue to be down for a couple of days.
Here’s the latest from the PS Blog:
While we are investigating the cause of the Network outage, we wanted to alert you that it may be a full day or two before we’re able to get the service completely back up and running. Thank you very much for your patience while we work to resolve this matter. Please stay tuned to this space for more details, and we’ll update you again as soon as we can.
So that rules out Demon’s Souls…
This is pretty amazing. Can anyone imagine Xbox Live going down for even 12 hours, to say nothing of entire days?
Really this entire console generation has been a text book case of East vs. West design philosophy. Sony makes the biggest baddest piece of hardware imaginable with absolute shit as the underlying software. Microsoft makes a crapass piece of hardware that melts down when you look at it too intensely, but the software is rock solid.
I’m no Xbox fanboy, but frankly Sony has failed big time in the software department. Updates that take forever to download then install; a user interface that makes Russian bureaucracy look intuitive; security problems. Software is fast becoming the most important part of the user experience, ask Apple. Sony better get its ducks in a row if it wants to remain a competitor in the coming years.
I was gonna rip the cellophane off my copy of Demon’s Souls tonight; I’m guessing that’s a non-starter with this game since you want to see what other players have done?
Ha!
https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/4/22/it-only-doesnt/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pa-mainsite+%28Penny+Arcade%29
Bummer for me for Demon’s Souls, too. Just received it from Amazon yesterday, and have only been able to play in offline mode. (which is still pretty great) I really wanted to get a look at the online stuff.
I blew the dust off my copy and played a bit yesterday, you still get 95% of the game experience. I wouldn’t let the outage stop you, especially since you probably need some time to get comfortable with the game before the messages/ghosts are much use to you anyway.
Right. Certainly worth playing w/o the hints and ghosts running about.
Is this by any chance related to the hackers who were recently attacking Sony? Did they find a hole in the firewall and now Sony is turning it off until it is fixed? This can’t be unrelated, right?
Speculation, I believe, at this point.
I don’t think this is necessarily an East vs. West thing. It’s simply that Sony is one of the top hardware companies and that’s where their expertise lies, whereas Microsoft is the biggest (and best?) software developer. The engineering focus is simply a different one within both companies.
I think the Eastern vs Western thing shows itself in other things much more clearly.
“An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services” https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/04/23/update-on-playstation-network-qriocity-services/
Apparently not speculation anymore.
Seriously?
You’re going to sit there and say “A completely free service should be expected to have the same up time as a service with a pay-for facility.”?
I wouldn’t call it a “big fail”. I’d more call it a demonstration on the benefits of the paid side of XBox Live.
As for the PS3 UI, I think the XBox one is a pile of shit. The menus all look horrible and they’re covered with “in-your-face” images everywhere. It’s the reason my XBox sits around gathering dust and looking pathetic. Why? Because I’m used to the PS3. I’m guessing you’re just used to the XBox UI.
I’ve also never had an issue with download times for firmware or game updates. Maybe thats because I use the USB facility for firmware updates. Maybe I just have more patience, or faster internet. I honestly don’t know. I also don’t know what these “security problems” are. A DDoS attack? Happens to most companies with an online facility at one time or another. I wouldn’t call that a problem. I’d call it an unfortunate fact of life that some people are selfish pricks who will punish other people either to try and get their way or for shits and giggles. Someone hacking the console? Yes, because an XBox has NEVER BEEN HACKED EVER! You’re just useing arguments that could be swung in the other direction against the XBox.
Also, my first PS3 melted, so the hardware arguments can swing too. My motherboard literaly burned.
EDIT: Just remembered, during the end of 2007 the XBox online systems suffered weeks of on-again-off-again system failures due to “maintenance”. All users got was an “oops” from Microsoft and a free, fairly awful game. I’ve yet to meet a person who honestly enjoyed Udertow for more than 5 minutes.
https://kotaku.com/#!346355
I can easily imagine it. I don’t like the fact that I’m most likely doing some troll-feeding here (the part about the XMB was way over the top and gave you away), but I can’t help but point out the wild inaccuracy of your comment.
It’s not like Microsoft is perfect. I greatly disliked the first Xbox and may never get a 360. But it’s hardly fair to compare this situation, in which the entire network has been down *for several days* to Microsoft’s somewhat wonky network issues three years ago, back when this generation was much younger.
So, yeah. That was hyperbole on his part. I’m pretty sure he was exaggerating intentionally. That’s about all you’ve demonstrated. The post you link to here isn’t even in the same league.
I dunno, I don’t know why I’m jumping in here. Everyone is wrong. Even me. This is an utterly senseless “debate.”
Just got Demon’s Souls myself, also enjoying it even without the online portion. Should have bought it ages ago. It’s probably a good thing I’m not connected though; not exactly sure how often invasions happen but I’m pretty sure I’ll lose every single one of them once they start.
I slightly disagree with the “it’s free, it shouldn’t be held to the same standards” argument. While I agree with the thought in theory, it seems to me that if you are going to “sell it” (i.e., “hey, our system is better because we offer free multiplayer services”), than you should be expected to keep that service up and running and comparable to the competitor’s service.
Just an idea to ponder…