Konami to PS3 gamers - buy an HDTV!

A FAQ on the official Konami website has addressed some of the problems gamers are having with Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PES 2008), the latest game in the popular soccer series.

The issues seem to mainly affect the PlayStation 3 version of the game, and include problems with online play, gameplay freezes, and "stuttering." Konami's proposed solutions to some of the problems begs the question...why was this game ever released?

The Konami FAQ advises users that in the case of PS3 gameplay "stuttering" that the problem is caused by users not playing the game in high definition. The solution is that users who can should switch to an HDTV. Wow, really?

Konami also admits, "We have uncovered issues which affect [the] online gameplay quality of PES 2008. We are working at full strength to find a solution as quickly as possible. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience." Other issues included the PS3 freezing when playing in Master League mode, and freezing when a match is started. Konami says these problems can be bypassed by deactivating the autosave function, and not installing the game on the hard disc.

A spokesperson for Konami confirmed that the company was working "all out" on getting a patch released to fix these gameplay issues, but said that it did not yet have a date for when this would be likely.

Seeing as how every single problem listed here seems to be inherent to the PS3's specific implementation, how could Konami not have been aware of these issues prior to release? And if they were aware of the issues, why didn't they delay the game's release on the PS3? When this kind of poor quality control results in consumers purchasing what is essentially an unfinished product, I believe it is tantamount to fraud.

via Gamespot

Xbox Live Hacked - MS Investigating

Reports have been scattered (and largely ignored) around the net for sometime that Xbox Live users were having their credit card information stolen and used to rack up massive amounts of Gamer Points (the virtual currency used to purchase items from Xbox Live). This forum post on Xbox.com is just one example.

Now it seems Microsoft is finally acknowledging the incidents as fact.

"Recently, there have been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place on the Xbox Live network," a Microsoft representative said in a statement provided to CNET News.com. "Security is a top priority for Xbox Live, and we are actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft."

You can read the full story on Cnet.

Kevin Finisterre, a security researcher, was playing Halo when some opponents threatened to hack his account. The following day his girlfriend's Xbox Live account was disabled. After making SEVEN calls (is this their idea of quick response) to Microsoft customer support (MSCS), he finally got them to investigate the incident for fraud.

Transcripts of Finisterre's conversations with MSCS as well as a list of clans that have been stealing account information is freely available on his site.

Griefers in online games are an unfortunate evil that can never be fully avoided, but this takes things to a whole new devious and illegal level.

Let's hope Microsoft is successful in catching and prosecuting these offenders.

We'll update you when we hear from Microsoft on the results of their investigations.