Xbox Live and Playstation Network users taken offline by an attack.

[hazelnut]

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/12/grinches-steal-christmas-for-xbox-live-playstation-network-users/

 

 

There's nothing like waking up early on Christmas morning, unwrapping your gifts after your parents finally get out of bed, getting the game you'd asked Santa for, and popping it into your console for some online gaming—only to find out you can't log on. That was the sad reality for gamers all around the world on Christmas Day as an apparent Distributed Denial of Service attack made logging into the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live difficult, if not impossible, for most users.

 

[Corona]

I'm so glad my interest in console gaming faded about the time PS2 came out.

[Andavari]

I've seen a few of YouTube videos about it.

 

My new PS4 was only able to connect once since the 24th Christmas Eve, nothing all day Christmas, and nothing this morning. One would think these multi-billion dollar companies could protect against the attacks since everyone using an XBOX is a paying subscriber to use online features, while PS3 has free online features, and PS4 which shocked me and pissed me off requires a payed subscription to play games online.

 

I wanted to play a game online to enjoy the limited-time Christmas theme it was going to have but I suspect that's going to be ruined and will probably completely miss out due to the attack -- but it did give me time to make up my mind if I want to pay Sony to play games online and the answer is hell no I won't do it.

[Andavari]

For those on a PS4 system that still can't log into PSN (PlayStation Network) after all the DDos attacks it had during Christmastime there's now a possible solution, an MTU Fix.

 

Basically all it's doing is manually changing the MTU network setting from the standard of 1500 to 1473 (a really simple and easy to do fix actually). After changing the setting you may still have to manually sign into PSN using your PSN password located in 'Settings > PSN' and then click Sign In, and input your email address and password.

 

The fix reportedly works for some people but not all, it worked for me and was the only way to restore PSN on my PS4 system.

 

Here's a step by step video by DomisLive, the instructions with screenshots are near the middle of the video starting at 3:02 (3 minutes 2 seconds):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9FbGAZZs-M

 

Unlike the video link above I had to actually manually sign into PSN, it wasn't automatic for me.

 

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Note: Even if you don't subscribe to PSN Plus it's still important to have the basic free PSN so you can get info on the games you're playing, etc.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Andavari

[rridgely]

PS Plus is pretty great if you have been subscribing since the start on PS3. I've got 40+ games from being a member. I agree its lame that you need it on ps4 for multiplayer but I honestly don't mind paying with all that you get for having the service. On the other hand I still pay for xbox live as well and that one always hurts a little since its pretty much just multiplayer. There are "free games" on the 360/x1 but they have been pretty lacking compared to playstation. 

 

Congrats on the PS4 Andavari. I like mine a lot. Which games have you got so far? 

[Andavari]

Got it with the GTA V bundle (already had GTA V on PS3 though) - I don't charish replaying it on PS4 since it takes too long to build the characters find all the junk in it, etc.

 

Bitch fest: I absolutely hate the PS4 OS they really dumbed it down to uselessness in my opinion to the point I'd no longer consider it a set-top-box like the PS3 which could play videos (Xvid/DivX), store Photos, store music (I could give two shits about the USB Music Player it has), etc. Also the controller with that silly lightbar eats through the battery in no time. Another issue the design on the front of the console doesn't accept slightly fatter USB sticks - it should've had a flat/flush face to plug USB sticks into. I had thought I could just pack up my PS3 but no, as for multimedia it does more than the dumbed down PS4.

 

GTA V on PS4 has many out-of-focus views that get really fuzzy and unsightly which never once happened on the PS3 and they seriously need to fix it with a patch right away it's making playing it an eyesore. What I'm really waiting for is the next MGS on PS4, I'll have to get the last PS3 version first and play it since the PS4 version is supposedly going to be part 2 of the game.

 

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That MTU Fix for the PS4 that I posted about earlier shouldn't be needed anymore, they've supposedly fully fixed PSN for PS4.

[rridgely]

MGS ground zeroes is on ps4 as well as ps3. I think it's actually on sale for less than $10 on psn right now. I have it but haven't played through it yet.

 

I agree the ps4 software looks like crap. It works better though for things like background downloads, auto updates, ect. My biggest gripe with ps4 right now is that the controller battery dies really fast. I have Xbox one and ps4 and I'm pretty sure I would pick the ps4 between them. I like the X1 controller better but that's about it

[rridgely]

I also still have my ps3 hooked up. I have way too many games I haven't finished on it yet. Plus the ps4 doesn't have HBO go yet.

[Andavari]

My PS3 will be my main console/set-top-box system for years to come!