Let me jump right into the fanboy waters and get this out the way. When hackers breached Sony PS3?s PSN online infrastructure they put up a clear notice. Although Sony may not be Microsoft, or Apple, their claims about having the most secure console gaming environment were once true. No device is perfect and Sony’s arrogance as well indifference is why PSN was attacked. For those of you trying to get a handle on what has been going on with your PS3’s online gaming and why there is a hoopla around security stems from a challenge. You see if Sony and some of the blind fanboys did not stoke the flame, I doubt the PS3 would have been attacked. It was a malicious attack which was cowardly, mean and disrespectful. No company, entity, or person should suffer from something like this. At the same time could Sony have stemmed the tide of something like this happening? Sure, by supporting their community.
Let’s start with the PSP. This will lend context and a time line for those that know how to use Google. The hacking community that is the target of Sony’s discontent are the same that made the PSP viable at a time when Sony was floundering in support of the portable system. Hackers turned the PSP into a treasure trove of homebrew that was not just about gaming. In many ways they were the ones to usher in the very idea of applications and myriad of types that can be created. This community went out of their way to support gamers who enjoyed the system and thought it should be a success. How did Sony reward or use the enthusiasm of this audience? They tried to thwart and ignore them. It’s not that Sony didn’t see what they were doing, they didn’t think they mattered. This is the community that Geohot who cracked the PS3 via exploit came from. Sony missed the point for years that gamers wanted to make the platform better by being active. Sony could have took that inspiration and work ethic and made it work from them. Look at what Microsoft did with their indie game channel? A success or not, the issue is Microsoft made a home for these aspiring coders/developers. I have no doubt that had Sony taken a more strategic and proactive stance to bring these hackers into a solid support system for their products and services, the PS3 and PSP would be more prosperous. They would have lead the way in content and changed for the better how to improve services for all Sony customers. Take a look at the Android and iPhone app market place. How much have customers, developers and the platforms themselves grown mobile? Look how late Sony was to the party this generation. They were a step behind their competitors and the audience. In a very real analogy, its why they can’t compete with Apple. They have lost touch. Microsoft has had to deal with hacking threats for their windows platform for years. Well all know how shaky they can be on the PC side. Yet on the gaming side the Xbox 360 has shown a new Microsoft that is reverberating through their company and divisions. They are looking at synergy.
Sony is emulating the old Microsoft by discombobulating their strengths and assets. To mask this they have focused on the games which one would say they are supposed to do. Except this generation has proved you have to do more than give gamers games. You have to make the experience of your console an amplifier of games by adding variety. Sony has this with Home and other options. Again the issue is not what they have, but what they can do to make everything work for gamers completely. Why go after a pro active community that has added value to your platforms? These hackers wanted to send Sony a clear message that the company does not get it. They want to see you succeed Sony.
Sony took a kid to court because of his genius, not because he did something so vile that could not have been turned around in your favor. The lawsuit in itself against Geohot was fueled by trying to make an example out of his ingenuity. Now I know what the terms of use are for the PS3, but I also know that Sony is not looking at the entire landscape of how these hackers where helping Sony stay relevant. These hackers love Sony because they are not Apple and certainly are not Microsoft. Sony didn’t look at their unique position. Rather they went after him to show this community that no matter what, they will care when they are ready. That was the message. What the community did was let Sony know what an enemy really looks like. By exposing and pulling down Sony’s pants in front of everyone. Affecting over 70 million accounts. The hackers did this to embarrass Sony, and remind them that they are just like everyone else. If you’re not attentive to your products and services then you’ll be shown in the mirror all your warts.
Many can and have argued that this malicious attack did not serve the gaming universe overall well. To a large degree I agree. From watching over the years Sony’s approach to both handheld and PS3 markets, I thought something inevitable was going to happen. In many respects Microsoft is vindicated by not having the Xbox 360 open for user generated content. Not because they couldn’t, but because Microsoft is aware of how many don’t like their success and what they represent. Microsoft has been very strategic in their approach and at the same time fighting back publishers and developers. How does Microsoft feel about Sony’s PSN woes? They don’t think it’s something to gloat, let alone something to market the Xbox 360 brand behind. They have gone through this and know that it is a very hard thing to deal with. What this attack has done for Sony is get them to be serious about your information. They have issued a mandate to make sure that an attack like this never happens or can be monitored to stop immediately. With over 70 million people have been affected, it’s safe to say that the culprits in this attack have given the Sony the resolve to make sure they protect us gamers. In part 2, I’ll touch on what the future of PSN should be concerning online security.
No comments:
Post a Comment