DAILY MANIFESTO

Calling Them Out: Microsoft on PSN Outage

Posted on Monday, June 13 @ 12:54:22 Eastern by Daniel Bischoff

I don't need to lecture you on the cost of the PlayStation Network to the user. I also don't need to tell you that Microsoft charges $60 a year for their online service. Yes, the PSN went down for about a year. Yes, Sony could have done more to improve security of their online platform. Honestly, you have to give them a pass: if a hacker wants in, they'll get in.

Microsoft took the time at E3 2011 to sound off on the PSN outage and what it means for the game industry. While I'd expect them to talk trash about Sony and their online network, I never expected I'd here some of these words:

We don't view it as a good thing for our industry. When we think about the future of the industry, with regards to privacy, security, digital rights - all the things that are really important for consumers to feel like they trust the systems they're using.

That's Microsoft's COO Dennis Durkin. I'll start here and say that I don't trust Xbox Live or Microsoft at all. When the system I'm using doesn't let me remove my fucking credit card number, there's no trust. So, Durkin, you're wrong on that point.

Something we've felt was always very important for Xbox Live; we're invested in people's privacy and their security and making sure that we work to keep it a cheat-free and hack-free environment.

Durkin, strike two. If you're seriously trying to tell me that you keep Xbox Live cheat-free or hack-free, you need only look at the game that garners your highest level of online traffic. Here's a hack for you or do you remember this one? This is so goddam stupid. You can't possibly be serious.

That's something we've always been about. It's something we take very seriously.

OK Durkin, enough from you. Is there someone else from Microsoft we can talk to?

I think it's a message to consumers about making sure they take the right safety precautions in terms of the services they use. Using the same user ID and password across different systems is a very dangerous thing to do.

That's Mircrosoft VP for Xbox Live, Mark Whitten. Where are you going with this Mark?

We don't want anyone to go through what Sony's going through. We think it's bad for the industry. We want safe online environments. I think we all agree what the future is in terms of where our business is going and we want consumers to feel safe and that they'll have reliable quality of service and safety of their information. This is something we drive very, very hard across the company.

At least Mark is willing to say what everyone in the industry is thinking. "We don't want anyone to go through what Sony's going through." What this really translates to back at Microsoft HQ is "Thank God it wasn't us."

[Source]

Tags: xbox live, psn, microsoft, e3

Comments

hanz007
Joined: Dec 2005

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Good points. I hope most people see it this way. I don't complain about free.

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Comment hidden due to low quality. Show Comment.

Cueil
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
You're a ****ing idiot. I had a huge response, but your stupidity and bias don't deserve it so I deleted it. Have a nice day moron.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Ohhhh, so that's why we installed a thumbs down button!

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SweetHat
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I would like to point out my first xbox live account was banned for "cheating" and i didn't cheat. They honestly don't care if your a cheater or not, your banned if its even Hinted at your cheating. Also trying to prove you didn't cheat is a whole other story, they don't care and will NOT listen to you. Nothing short of a new account and a fresh 60 bucks is the only thing that you will get back to playing on live. That is my Beef with microsoft thank you for the time. Thank you Dan I thought your Rant was well thought out and had very good points. I am damn sure thats what Microsoft said when they first found out sony was hacked.

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devaldogz
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
You didn't have a "huge" anything. Shut up liar!!!

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UghRochester
Joined: Jun 2006

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
That's we installed a thumbs up too, Daniel.

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UghRochester
Joined: Jun 2006

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
*Why
forgot to add that in my comment.

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Greywolfe1982
Joined: Jan 2008

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Christ, really? I'm having a huge issue with your complaint about the "cheat and hack free environment" line. First of all, the issue is with the game and the game developer, not Microsoft. Not only that, but the second video you linked to has "Patched" right in the title. Unless you plan on spending a few years testing the game, there's going to be bugs. That's what a patch is for. Microsoft and Sony both suffered through glitches on MW2 and plenty of other games. This article is just a huge steaming pile of Sony fanboyism/troll bait (more or less the same thing)...so well done with that, I suppose.

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NathanSix
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
WOW is all I can say to this, first off I'm not sure if you realize this, but you come off as a huge PS3 fanboy, talk about biased. Your obvious hate for Microsoft has clearly clouded your judgement.

Theres just too much to point out here so lets just say this, what MS said in those quotes you had was perfectly acceptable. I saw nothing out of order or unexpected from a company being asked the questions they were clearly being asked about security, im not sure what you expected them to say.

Im amazed how angry and bitter you are towards the company that did NOT get hacked and did NOT carelessly neglect to protect the private data of its customers, yet the company that is guilty, you have written no tasteless bitter article calling them out???

Sony was especially careless with security, as pointed out by those who have repeatedly hacked them. Most likely a result of trying to compete with a for pay service, without the for pay income.

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SweetHat
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
LOL TROLL INVASION!!!!!

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NathanSix
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Also your title is BS, Microsoft in no way "called out Sony" They were asked a bunch of stupid questions about what they think about security and how they handle it, and what are they doing to prevent what happened to Sony from happening to them.

They responded with typical corporate vague neutrality, there was no calling out here, you just put that in a title to get hits. YOU are whats wrong with game journalism Mr. Bischoff, please stop fanning the juvenile flames of fanboyism and go do something else, no more articles, your credibility is shot.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
No, I'M calling out Microsoft.

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SweetHat
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
i think someone left the door open to the special ed class.

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213EDD
Joined: Sep 2007

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
People who re-posted on N4G don't seem to realize what you wrote...idiots

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Greywolfe1982
Joined: Jan 2008

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
One more thing. "Honestly, you have to give them a pass: if a hacker wants in, they'll get in." That may or may not be true. But what is true is that running your servers on software that's a year old is practically begging for a hack.

Oh, and please, it would look a lot better if you stood by your points and replied to the comments that had an issue with the article rather than just clarifying your murky title.

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De-Ting
Joined: Nov 2006

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
No, he'd be smart not to respond to you and let you wallow in your anger.

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Greywolfe1982
Joined: Jan 2008

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
Yes, it is rather frustrating to see a "journalist" post crap like this.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
I would respond but I have no clue what you're objecting to.

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Greywolfe1982
Joined: Jan 2008

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
I'm objecting to the fact that you say Sony had security flaws, but it's fine because breaches are going to happen anyway.

I might as well post my credit card number here, because I'm sure that if somebody wants to get it from Amazon they'll get it anyways.

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Greywolfe1982
Joined: Jan 2008

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Forgot to mention ('tis grand we can thumb up/down comments, but an edit would be nice), please read and respond to the issue I mentioned above about the MW2 glitches.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Yes, comment editing would be much appreciated by all. To answer your MW2 points: whether it was Infinity Ward who was hacked or whatever, Xbox Live was affected by MW2 hacks. The same goes for the Javelin glitch. Whether it was a glitch or not, it was used to cheat. Thus: Xbox Live is neither cheat-free nor hack-free.

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NathanSix
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
OK gotcha your calling out MS, my bad. So why are you calling out Microsoft for PSNs outage? You see how insane that sounds. Have you read up on the Sony hacks, Sony is guilty of multiple security nono's. Security incompetence certainly not befitting a huge multinational billion dollar corporation.

Obvious weaknesses, carelessness, and negligence plague Sonys security policy, they were hacked several times after being hacked, they are saving cash at the expense of their customers security.

Yet you choose to go on a rant against the old whipping horse for folks trying to fit in on the internet, Microsoft, brilliant, just brilliant. Its always safe to beat up on Microsoft I guess.

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SweetHat
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
While addressing Mr. Bischoff you said "please stop fanning the juvenile flames of fanboyism and go do something else"

I suggest you live up to your word.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
It's easy to jump at headlines. I guess that's what N4G is known for. My rant's require actual reading.

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sliverstorm
Joined: Jun 2007

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Two new members in under 6 hours... I would call this manifesto a massive success.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
We'll never see them again..... :-( even after I hung out and responded to them in the comments.

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sliverstorm
Joined: Jun 2007

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
Two new members in under 6 hours... I would call this manifesto a massive success.

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gunseedam
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
granted xbox live isnt perfect all games and systems have there hacks and always will but i dont see all these points as valid you dont have to use a credit card and you can remove it there not the only ones even steam the most trusted online digital distribution store stores its customers credit numbers but i do agree of course microsoft is happy this didnt happen to them it was a total disaster and a huge damage to sonys reputation

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De-Ting
Joined: Nov 2006

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Run-on sentences don't help any argument.

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SweetHat
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
2nd that motion

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gunseedam
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 13th, 2011 at 10:56 pm
dont even know what that means

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SweetHat
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jun 14th, 2011 at 7:43 am
It means go back to grade school English. Doing a little bit of editing and getting your punctuation correct is a requirement here. Not only will your arguments be written well, they will also be easy to read, understand, and talk about.

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OniAkuma2126
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 14th, 2011 at 8:41 am
@ sweethat.....Might want to go back yourself and double check on how to properly use a comma.

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gunseedam
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 15th, 2011 at 12:33 am
I thought this website was about games not grammar. That has nothing to do with this argument. Read the facts not the way there written

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OniAkuma2126
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 15th, 2011 at 10:31 am
Grammar knocking is just a way to momentarily feel smarter than someone else for a moment. My response to SweetHat was a joke. I dont really give 2 special education kid's craps about grammar but when dey srt 2 trayl offf lyke dis its prety badd lol

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Klandathu
Joined: Apr 2008

Posted: Jun 14th, 2011 at 2:12 am
This entire thread is easily the highlight of my morning.

I have felt the pangs of MS' credit card removal system in the past though. It was painful. Had my ID stolen a couple of years ago and they completely cleared my checking account. While I was busy trying to get the whole thing fixed, I forgot I had the card (which was cancelled right away) tied to my XBL account. They tried to run it through to renew it, and suspended my Live account in the process. MS tried to get me to pay a $20 fee to re-activate my account, on TOP of the actual subscription fee. I called them three times and chewed out a supervisor before they waived the fee and gave me a free month.

I was extremely happy when I found out you can now just go to their website and delete a card by just clicking the delete button. Saves you 20 minutes on the phone.

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OniAkuma2126
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Jun 14th, 2011 at 8:49 am
Alot of anger in this rant. Xbox Live is a means to connect to various gaming servers that allow us to play games like Street Fighter, Call of Duty, Battlefield...etc. By saying that Xbox live is not hackproof and calling out various game servers as the reasons its a clear show of how ignorant you are to how this whole system works. When Microsoft gets a red flag that a system has been hacked and running mods...that system is then banned. Thus showing that Xbox live has a 0 tolerance for hackers. There are ways around this that wont show up on the Micrsoft side of things (( The servers )) but will allow someone to hack and or mess around with various game mechanics on a particular video game server (( EA servers...Capcom Servers and so on. )). In short its not Xbox Live services you shouldnt trust. Its the individual servers for the very video games you play. You generalize one company for the faults of many companies and its frankly ridiculous.

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SKX
Joined: Oct 2008

Posted: Jun 14th, 2011 at 10:45 am
I dont get this, yes people have hacked Call of Duty, but that did not effect the entire xbox live. When Psn went down, it had no functions . I don't recall a time since launch that the 360 went completely down so you can assume that Microsoft is doing a good job and is earning that 60ty dollars a year. I own both systems and I see it how it is. You get what you pay for and I find Microsoft offers a hassle free experience. Turn it on and a way you go. Psn on the other hand crashes and updating a game .
It can be a frustrating thing when it keeps disconnecting with the 800 error.

You said yourself "if a hacker wants in, they'll get in.". I agree and people are going to do it. But to this date on live, it has not effected the majority of players. So, I give props to Microsoft for running a smooth online community.

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UghRochester
Joined: Jun 2006

Posted: Jun 14th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
This is hilarious. I'm just sitting back and watching it.

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Yossarian29
Joined: Jul 2008

Posted: Jun 21st, 2011 at 10:45 am
Maybe I can cut the tension with some Rodney Dangerfield jokes..... GEEZ you'd think it was a chicken sexing contest in here with all the ruffled feathers....yeesh. So the Playing Station network has gone down a couple times in the last several months. My wife should be taking notes! All right! But seriously, folks, I can relate to these, uh, fanboys here. The exception being: I notice when I get no respect! Tip your waitresses!

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