Sony hacked again. Should go open source

Sky reports that Sony got hacked and lost some of its customers data:

Sony has once again been targeted by a group of hackers who claim they gained access to details of one million customers.

By now, I think it is obvious that Sony’s security issues are architectural.  It is not a matter of firewall misconfiguration or missed out input validation check.  That would have been closed and forgotten months ago.  Repeated attacks and extensive downtimes of PlayStation Network indicate that the problems are much deeper and much harder to find and fix.

I think the best option for them now is to go open source.  If they open the protocols they use and server software they have – plenty of people will jump on it and create alternative servers and networks.  All that will be needed after that is a firmware update that would allow gamers to connect to those alternative networks.

On violent video games

Here’s a question that’s asked often: how violent are video games?  Well, of course, that depends on the video game.  Tetris, for example, is hardly violent at all, unless you play it at full volume at 3am with a bunch of drunken friends.  But more importantly than the game itself is actually you.  Yes, that’s right, the video games are only as violent as you, the player, make them.  Here is a recent example that I picked up via kottke blog:

This feat may sound impossible, but for Game Informer reader and hardcore Modern Warfare 2 player Glen McCracken, it’s only a matter of time. In two hours of playing, Glen has reached rank 5 without taking a life. Using pacifist means to earn points, Glen estimates it will take him roughly two months to be the first player to reach rank 70 with zero kills.

And it reminded me of another story I read some time ago.  That one was about a four year old kid playing Grand Theft Auto:

In all his time with Grand Theft Auto he never once encountered any of the controversy surrounding this notorious title. He didn’t beat any hookers with a baseball bat.  He didn’t deal drugs. He didn’t go on a murderous rampage. He certainly never once had a cup of hot coffee. He didn’t avoid these things because I told him he counldn’t try them. It just never occurred to him to commit these acts.

StarCraft II Launch Trailer

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgyL08nhtkw]

As much as I am excited about StarCraft II, chances are I won’t ever play it.  The game is released only for PC and Mac, and I am a PlayStation 3 man these days.  But whatever the case, this is a huge event in the gaming world.

Video games podcasts

I have to agree with OnThisIsland.com on this one:

Podcasts are not very popular in Cyprus. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that there is no puplic transport to provide someone with a great opportunity to use any means possible to shut everything and everyone out while you are using it. Unfortunately this means missing out on some great videogame related podcasts out there.

All I can do from my side is to point to more video games podcasts.  I’ve mentioned earlier that Miro is the best application for watching online video that I ever came across.  Not only it makes downloading, watching, and organizing podcasts easy, but also it provides an excellent resource to find more content – Miro Guide.  You can browse most popular podcasts, newest ones, HD videos, and more.  As part of it, of course, you can browse by category.  For example, Video Games category lists a number of excellent shows, and Total Rad Show, which was recommend by OnThisIsland and of which I am a big fan, is also in that list.

Xbox and women

As per this Slashot story:

A new site allows lonely Xbox 360 gamers to pay a prescribed fee for a few minutes of game time with one of the ‘PlayDates’, a girl who is paid to play video games. Gamers can choose to have a ‘flirty’ or ‘dirty’ experience with one of the PlayDates. Is this what we meant when we said we wanted ‘adult gaming’?

Now that gives a totally new perspective for interpreting this image:

For those of you who haven’t noticed, the kid is in fact holding an Xbox controller in his hands.