redcat

I think the frustration for a lot of people comes from the fact that as consumers, we seem to get countless surcharges, late fees, hidden fees, etc. So when the companies don't hold up their ends of a contract by providing the service we paid for, we have a right to expect the same kind of "fine." And while some might argue that "it's not their fault", that's really no different than a consumer giving whatever reason they have for not making their payment on time (or whatever).

Why So Blu?

It's still down.

fujishig

I have a physical copy of infinity 2.0 on ps4 that I can't even load past the initial screen. It's not digital, why would it be affected?

Edited to add: I'll blame the ddos idiots primarily, but the console and game makers who make it so that the game is unplayable without an Internet connection or a connection to their services share some blame. And to think some were defending microsoft's initial position on this.

Guru Askew

Xbox Live is pretty straightforward. They aren't guilty of any of the stuff you describe.

Xbox Live is undoubtedly one of the most reliable online services ever so I don't think we're even close to the point where its reasonable to talk about stuff that is punitive in nature. This isn't happening every few weeks.

If they even had something in place to give people a 1-day extension that would be warranted but this is a case where everyone will probably get a free month which is 30x the reasonable compensation.

I personally don't think the one day is necessarily even warranted. There isn't a service of any kind that can reasonably expected to work 100% of the time.

RichC2

Have you tried loading the game while disconnected from your network altogether? ie - disable the wifi or unplug the Ethernet. Many games detect if you're online or not, and if you are try to call home. With a DDoS attack it has enough bandwidth to call home and start pulling info, but at such a slow rate of speed it can seemingly lock up your game.

Dan

One requires some level of knowledge on how to break into a server, database, etc. while the other can be done by enough people with a pre-existing easily attainable tool. All I'm saying, much like slop did earlier in the thread, is that these folks don't even qualify as hackers. They're the online equivalent of a teenager purposefully walking as slow as humanly possible through a crosswalk, then turning around right before they get to the end, so they can do it again... for lolz.

I agree that an anti-DDoS tool is required in this day and age, but I can't pretend that it's something very simple to implement. If it was, we'd have had it years ago.

fujishig

The caveat with this is timing though. It's happening around Christmas, when people get new games/systems and have more time to play. They absolutely should give at least a month if only to appease new users.

The anti ddos stuff is complicated by stuff like nats and compromised systems that they're running ddos' from. It's not as simple as blocking ips or even ranges, especially when they have access to hundreds if not thousands of compromised machines from all over the place.

Guru Askew

Even if you wanna give extra weight to Christmas I fail to see how it's worth 30 or 31 days in return. I could easily argue that asking for 3 days for missing Christmas is outrageous, but 30? Christ.

If we get a month it's to save face and/or because that's probably the lowest amount they can technically give.

discostu1337

Xbox Live is back up and running on the X1 for me. I guess they fixed it at like 5am EST. 360 and PS3 were fine yesterday evening. Not sure if PS4 works yet.

Gooter

PS4 still down for me.

OldBoy

i was up just before...

chuckd21

Well if the hackers are offended that everyone keeps calling the script kids hackers, HACK THE SCRIPT KIDDIES AND PROVE YOURSELVES.

OldBoy

now, we're fucked!

slop101

It has nothing to do with "security", and everything to do with how the internet as a whole is set up. When you bombard a server with enough bots, no one can get through. And while there's some measures they can take by allowing a greater number of "requests" so people can get in, if the attack is strong enough, it will deny service to most people.

Here's a Simpsons reference that explains it well...

redcat

We're just following the same logic that the corporations have put in place for us. You know - $25 if you're a day late with a credit card payment, or $15 if you go above a DSL cap limit that might have been realistic three years ago.

Guru Askew

Another way of looking at it: A DDOS attack is like sending a bunch of people to Walmart to stand in front of the doors and clog the aisles so nobody can shop. A proper hack would be like covertly sneaking into that same Walmart's locked cash/safe room and making off with a bunch of sensitive data and/or money. Obviously a huge difference.

RichC2

Hacks are usually synonymous with data theft/breach, like Sony losing a ton of Credit Card or Social Security numbers.

DDoS is an intentional eating up of bandwidth so others cannot access something, in some ways they're the polar opposite (hacking allows more access, ddos prevents all access), either way it's stupid and utterly pointless.

Music

Obviously.

musick

yes, you guys have done well to describe the differences between a network hack and DDoS attack
Do a Google "news" search for PSN or XBox Live and just look at all the lazy reporting .... 90% of the stories will use the term hack because they are either ignorant or too lazy to explain the difference or both

Music

hack is more familiar and sensational

musick

so is the term "virus" but it isn't what happened

DJariya

Xbox live has supposedly been restored. PSN, still nope.

dsa_shea

If their online numbers were the same as Xbox and PSN then they would also be the victims of attacks.

Solid Snake

what was the context of that image in the Simpsons? Cuz it's a good image for what you were using it for...

TheKing

It was a doctor explaining to Mr. Burns that he had so many diseases attacking him, that none of them could get through, which Burns took as to mean he was indestructible.

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