PSN Security - Transparency and Trophies

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Doing the right things

If you read the FAQ yesterday you most likely saw:

Q: What steps is Sony taking to protect my personal data in the future?
A: We’ve taken several immediate steps to add protections for your personal data. First, we temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services and, second, we are enhancing security and strengthening our network infrastructure. Moving forward, we are initiating several measures that will significantly enhance all aspects of PlayStation Network’s security and your personal data, including moving our network infrastructure and data center to a new, more secure location, which is already underway. We will provide additional information on these measures shortly.

This is actually unprecedented news. No one tells you how they are protecting your data. Not Microsoft, not Steam. The only thing this can be described as, is goodness.

A Note About Trophies

The thing about trophies is, they are kept on your local system and synced to the server. Even if somehow Sony screwed up and didn't have this data backed up, your PS3 does. Your trophies will be fine people.

But what's more important is this is still described as a data breach not vandalism. That means the person(s) in question just copied data and didn't trash the database. They likely had read only access through a partially privileged account, meaning they couldn't trash the database.

I full expect all profiles to be fine.

PSA on PSN Data Breach

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Your Info, For the World to See

So Sony admits that data has been taken from the PSN breach, including:

• Real Name
• User Name
• Password
• Address
• Phone Number

Other Possible Data Includes:

• E-mail
• Security Questions
• Credit Card info (but not your CCV)

This is a major breach of trust. And from the sounds of things it could affect all 75 million users.

It Never Should Have Happened

The problem is Sony relied on their leaf node security to protect users. In other words, they thought the PS3/other services were not hackable so no need to secure the inner data. This is huge. The PS3 hacks only worked because they failed to use proper security on the console, and now we find out they didn't encrypt the user data?

It is called AES-256. Same encryption the military uses. Can it be hacked? Sure; however, given all the computing power on the planet (which hackers don't have access to) and reasonably long salts, the sun will explode first.

What To Do

Unfortunately not much. Change your security questions, passwords, etc. Be wary of phishing. While the hackers did grab the data, be glad they did it in such a public way. Imagine if you will, instead of mucking up the works the hackers only took 1 or 2 accounts. They could have done this for months or years unnoticed.

On The Brighter Side

Look for PS3s at a deep discount on CraigsList this weekend. Sony will hopefully learn from this.

Microsoft should take note as well. Since consumers aren't told how their data is secured, Xbox Live could have the same thing happen. Be safe out there.

Oh and I should note, they finally have a plan to get the network up, but only expect part of it to be up within the next week.

PlayStation Move Will Only Cost Me $180, And I’m Buying All of It

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PlayStation Move, what can we say about this device yet to release? Well if you have been following the news lately there is a lot to be said. The accuracy of this device is arguably the best ever seen in a motion gaming solution. Tech demos like THIS have brought us a peek into the future of what Move will bring but E3 2010 has also shown us what is already in the works such as Socom 4. Some things change, some things stay the same. E3 2010 opened eyes about motion gaming and brought new thoughts on the Move as people realized that this is not just another gimmick, including us.

I once had doubts about motion gaming being accurate and about its relevance to gaming, until I saw it add to gaming I had to assume this would just be another broken promise from a gaming giant over-stretching itself to try and cover every aspect of gaming technology they could. I was wrong, and the proof is in the pudding as they say. Move brought the heat and now I’m here to tell you why I have no issue putting down the big bucks to jump in.

First off, yes PlayStation Move kind of sneakily becomes a Trojan horse for gamers, starting off with an initial investment of just $50, for those of us who already have the PlayStation Eye camera, and about double that for those who do not. This seems quite reasonable and initially I defended the PlayStation Move’s accusers who told me “It will cost about $180″, at first I did not believe this or see it this way at all. The reason is because it will only cost that much if you want the maximum experience. You can very easily jump in for $50 if you already have the PS Eye, using your DualShock 3 in place of the Navigation controller and all. If you do not already have a PS Eye you are really behind as it is and will get plenty of value from it, but it turns out many folks slept on this webcam and do not own one yet.

The full PlayStation Move experience (and when I say full I mean best) will require you to own two PS Move Motion controllers, one Navigation controller, a PS Eye, and you might as well grab the Sports Champions bundle for part of this if you are going all out because it’s about the same price if you don’t. Check out what we thought about Move after L.A. in this Life After E3 segment and that was eye opening to the before and after effect that Move’s perception had undergone.

READ THE REST @ http://bit.ly/PlayStationMove

Source: [DualShockers]

It Only Does...

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Sony has been making a big deal with their "It only does everything campaign". Today I want to examine some of the PS3 won't do. So not only does it not do everything, it does less today than last week, last year, and since launch.

• PS2 - Nope. First there was full hardware based backwards compatibility. Sony removed that and said, well most games will play using software based backwards compatibility. Then Sony removed that feature. WTF? I mean they have the software, yes they would have to maintain it and fix bugs, but don't they have to do that anyways with the PS1 games they support via PSN?
• SACD - Think of this as a CD in DVD form to get much higher quality. Adoption is low, so Sony just killed PS3 support for it.
• Other OS - The most recent change to date.

Here's the thing. With the first change, backwards compatibility, consumers were informed that this feature was not present. In fact, I have a launch 60 GB for this reason. As for the other two, taking away features that a console had, this seems just plain wrong.

Sony sites security concerns. This is using fear, uncertainty and doubt to have consumers just accept the change. It is crap. The console has been hacked. You cannot undo that. It only took over 3 years to do it and hardware modification. I hear people say, well it is about pirated game. Bull.

The BluRay disc it self could be copied, why not disable the BluRay drives? Furthermore, someone could download a hack, so why not pull the web browser as well. Oh and what if someone finds an open port they can exploit, should Sony remove WiFi and Ethernet support?

I'm pissed off. I was hoping this was simply an Aprils Fools joke. Looks like I'm a fool for believing Sony wouldn't renege on their promises. They held out all of 222 days after having a rep say that. Now I know reps can be miss informed, but I would have expected a retraction much earlier.

Telling me, I can either use Other OS or play BluRay but not both is simply not acceptable.

Especially when your tag line is, "It only does everything."

24 Hrs Without PSN

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So by the comments you'd think Sony sent a representative to kill someone's grandmother.

"I hope Sony gets sued to absolute oblivion over this."

- slashdot.org (salty language, beware)

Really? Good ol' American entitlement there. Yes, some games were not playable for almost 24 hours. Oh the horror. You might have to talk with your parents or see the sun. And you should have seen how upset people were getting that they might be missing a trophy or two.

"I don’t even care if they offered me a slim to replace my old one. I want my trophies back and thats[sic] all I care about.
Far as I’m concerened[sic]: if they can’t get me my trophies back they’ve lost a customer for life, and I’m taking as many people with me as possible. It’s harsh, but I’m speaking the truth."

- psblog

Am I the only one who feels this is a slight over reaction? Being the first product to ever show a bug like this, I'm sure no one has ever had to cope in the past. Some people resorted to removing the internal battery, something I strongly recommend against.

The spectacle was fun to watch as I worked through the day. And then, the problem day passes and everyone is happy again, well almost.

Now I'll say, this is an inexcusable error by the PlayStation team, and this will definitely be a learning experience. Just think about the online sales? No PSN means no store. That said, the fan reactions are just as inexcusable. 24 hours without one game console. If that represents a life changing event, you probably should seek help.

The Ctrl-Alt-Delete comic is reproduced with permission from the author.

Is Your PS3 Borked Too?

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So, not playing too much PS3 right now. Like a vast majority, I'm getting an error on log in.

Since this appears to be related to internal time tracking and leap years, I'm going to diverge a little bit and discuss the strangeness of our calendar.

For example, everyone knows that every 4 years is a leap year. This is a LIE. In truth, the rule is more complex but not too much more. Here's how the rules work.

• If the year is evenly divisible by 400, it is a leap year
• If the year is evenly divisible by 100, it is not a leap year
• If the year is evenly divisible by 4, it is a leap year.
• It isn't a leap year.

Now I know the math inclined are going, but wait a minute, 400 is evenly divisible by 100, and 100 is evenly divisible by 4. Yes, that's true, but the first match wins of the rules.

Yes, this means that 2100 will not be a leap year. Look it up for your self, if you don't believe me.

So what the heck does this have to do with the PS3 issue? Well without trying to excuse Sony for this bug, I'm trying to show the day/time rules we live by are a little, well, insane.

It does seem likely that this is a leap year bug. Understandable? Yes, given the date/time rules we have, but excusable? Not on your life.

This is one of the specific cases that should be tested for. And while some people claim, "this is the first even non-leap year since the launch" well that's true. The launch was on November 11, 2006. If you're trying to say that Sony wasn't testing the hardware February of 2006, you're just plain nuts. I guess it is just a game of wait and see right now.

Reality. Worst game ever.

MAG Review by Hitman0769 and Hayabusaman

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MAG Review by Hitman0769 and Hayabusaman

*This review contains 3 parts: In-Depth Editorial Review, Itemized Breakdown Review, and Review Scores Summary.*

In-Depth Editorial Review:

People said it couldn’t be done, it wouldn’t ever release, but January 26, 2010 Zipper Interactive released MAG the 256 person online Squad-Based Tactical First Person Shooter. MAG’s overall size is pure madness! It’s backed by the best possible scenario a dedicated server system of structured servers that make intelligent decisions relaying info to each player’s fixed bandwidth. The weapon fire is accurate, power balance and damage play out 100 times better than Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 in every way. You will find none of the common balance issues, gameplay glitches, camping problems, spawn killing issues, etc. that plague some of today’s more popular shooters. (I will break down how the detail of the game stacks up side by side to Modern Warfare 2 a couple times in this review since it is a recent release which sold over 11 million copies in its first week, and many gamers can relate on the online tendencies of the game.)

The major difference in the game is that it hosts battles up to 128vs128 (on squads of 8). While some people have misunderstood this to mean it is actually 8 players online, that is not the case. Others have expected small maps stuffed full of players. Thankfully the game is neither of these and instead the maps are massive and game modes have you interacting and working together with the other 8-man squads on your team constantly. Whether one squad is providing cover fire, destroying Anti-Air cannons, the other squad might be rushing a gate and need cover fire from that squad. The leaders of squads, platoons, etc can jump in and out of exclusive leadership chats with the press of a quick and convenient controller macro. And there is also proximity chat with all your teammates. Quick and precise communication is key as every microsecond counts!


MAG provides a full function clan system allowing larger groups of players with more control disbursed through multiple leaders. The in-game integration of PSN features like sending a message, adding friends, sending clan invites, and party invites are completely integrated into the score board and player profile links and make using these features during the heat of battle easier then ever. One problem found in the game causing pains is the fact that you cannot join any faction but the original one you started the game with (Example: Raven, SVER, Valor). This splits up everyone in your clan that doesn’t want to start over and conform to one team. However, a simple solution : the game is good enough to make 3 PlayStation Network accounts allowing you to have a character on each team and giving your clan members the choice of which team they would like to be. This is optional solution for more advanced gamers and many would argue this takes too much time for them, however the game is so addicting and satisfying to play that it really only adds to the experience playing as all 3 PMC’s (Private Military Companies).

What is MW2’s clan system? Oh yeah! You change your clan tag by typing in whatever you want Johnny on the spot, and people you recruit have to ask you who your members are since there is no list. Two thumbs DOWN!!!

MAG actually offers you a ride to your destination; whether it is APC driven with cannon or the .50 cal at least you are getting a ride. Also if you get rid of the enemy’s anti-air defense you can ride in with the dual .50 cal chopper into enemy territory. Both the APC and Chopper are also used as mobile spawn points so you can choose where to spawn to help your teammates out. There is even parachute deployment in the game, which works out great for snipers getting to those hard to reach places!


Tactically speaking, this game makes sense. Take Acquisition mode for example, if you are going to get the vehicles you have to plant charges and take down gates, bunkers, and roadblocks to get to the destination that you are going to, and in the mean time these can be repaired by repair tools in the hands of enemies. The multiple squads have to coordinate and work together to achieve objectives and not always in an obvious order. A good squad leader must probe the weaknesses of the other team’s strategy and cannot simply win by running in and shooting or sitting around and camping like many other games. Furthermore, the ability to get shot from much farther away then most games puts the intensity level of your actions to maximum. Every move you make on the battlefield is crucial to your fate on it.

Itemized Breakdown Review

1. Graphics – The graphics in MAG are sharp and clear and provide the virtual perception of 100% visibility. Many people have expressed that Killzone 2 or other games have better graphics but the precision of clarity and realistic lighting in maps as used in MAG inspired by places like Russia and Alaska allows you to see all the way to the other size of the map, even though the characters are smaller down the horizon as they would be in real life you can actually still see them in this game. You do actually get to use the entire size of the maps in MAG and you can kill somebody from hundreds of meters away because of the clarity in the graphics. Score: 9.5/10

2. Sound/Music – The THX Theater Certified music and sound effects in MAG are top of the line. Nothing to complain about in this category. Score: 10/10

3. Gameplay – The only thing gamers might find tedious about MAG is a bit too much running in some of the smaller modes with no vehicles. Score: 9.8/10

4. Party/Invite System – The party/invite system works great!!! It is practically flawless, the first shooter in the past few years that works properly, right away, and robust and reliably. No party and joining glitches such as Modern Warfare 2’s problems. The success of the Party/Invite system can be attributed to dedicated server structure and the 5 betas which were used to work out bugs in the system. Score: 10/10

5. Dedicated Servers – This is a trend I would like to see much MUCH more games follow! The dedicated server system in Warhawk was good but ahead of its time. MAG takes the dedicated server structure a step further and the end result is a truly amazing FPS experience. Score: 10/10

6. List of Known Bugs (if any) – So far there is a small amount of cheaters in the MAG game. Because of the way the dedicated servers in MAG intelligently test your fire rate and reload rate and things like this at random to keep track of your bandwidth, the game will also be able to get rid of/ prevent people from cheating. One other inconvenience that will hopefully be changed soon is that to see the names in your teammates on other squads you need to be aiming at them very precisely. In the heat of battle asking a guy for help on proximity chat would be much easier if those teammates not on your squad had their names as large as your squad mate’s names and always displayed. Given the fact that Modern Warfare 2 has much more problems with cheaters and actual matchmaking bugs, I think this is not very bad as its MAG’s worst issue.

7. Compelling Reasons to Buy MAG (even if you already like a shooter you have) – 256 Players! Newest, biggest First Person shooter in gaming history! Gigantic state of the art maps with strategic value, live animation, and the sound of the battlefield are completely realistic. Tactical Shooting superior to many mindless killing and camping games out there! You actually get to ride in the helicopter without having to camp first and kill 20 people.

8. Replay Value – I personally can predict my replay value being greater then the previous 6 games I’ve purchased in this genre. Because of the amount of people involved in this epic proportion game, I don’t see it as a problem trying to play MAG with some one years from now. The gameplay can change at any given moment because of tactical approach, player skill set, circumstances of the battle, and more. Re-Spec feature allows players to completely re-tailor their character using the skill points they have earned throughout their career in the field various times as they earn Re-Spec points while playing. When players reach level 60 they can also use Veteran mode to roll over into one of the other three factions, carrying over their accomplishments, stats, and many other achievements with them. In addition optionally using three different characters will extend the playability to a whole new level by experiencing the different weapons sets and graphics of each different faction! Score: 9.5/10

Review Scores Summary:

Graphics - Score: 9.5/10
Sound/Music - Score: 10/10
Gameplay - Score: 9.8/10
Replay Value - Score: 9.5/10
Party/Invite System - Score: 10/10
Dedicated Servers - Score: 10/10
Overall - Score: 9.5/10

©Images Copyright to Sony Computer Entertainment and Zipper Interactive All trademarked properties belong to their respective owners.

5 More Games You Wish You Had

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Uncharted 3, Infamous 2, Starhawk, Killzone 3, Resistance 3!!!
(Plus Uncharted 2 DLC Details)
With 2009 an overwhelming success for the PlayStation 3’s exclusive lineup there was no doubt in my mind that we would soon be hearing about more and more amazing exclusives. With Uncharted 2 holding down the Game of the Year crown jewel of gaming awards last year, it’s no surprise that Naughty Dog is hard at work getting the new Uncharted 2 DLC released!

Beginning with the***1/28/10---UPDATE NOT FREE $4.99*** Heroes pack users will be able to play in multiplayer matches as Nathan Hale (from Resistance 2), Chimera (Resistance 2), Zeke (from Infamous), Good Cole (Infamous), Evil Cole (Infamous), Sergeant Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko (Killzone 2) and Helghast Soldier (from Killzone 2). In addition to this free download pack expected to arrive in PlayStation Store on January 28th there is also a mysterious two more DLC packs being released which have not been completely detailed accurately yet but are expected to include more multiplayer maps and possibly Uncharted 1 playable characters as well as a new co-op mode.

As if this WASN’T ENOUGH to be excited about. Voice actor Nolan North, who has stated numerous times that he wants to work for Uncharted 3, is telling the media that ‘2010 will be a busy year’. Insiders speculate that Uncharted 3 has begun development, while nothing Naughty Dog says is quieting these rumors. On top of this Co-Lead Game Designer Neil Druckman has said Uncharted 3 will be graphically optimized significantly.

Next order of business, securing the future for PlayStation owners it seems a no brainier that rumors and press stirrings of Infamous 2 are erupting all over the place. When I called in Kotaku Blog Talk Radio to ask Amy Hennig about multiplayer in games she told me she fully expects more games such as Infamous to be given multiplayer segments. This seems also like a no brainier, but that does not lower the magnitude that we will possibly be seeing a multiplayer-enabled Infamous 2 in stores soon! Regardless of the multiplayer being added or not I think we can all agree Infamous 2 will be a PS3 Exclusive everyone will talk about.

Beyond these amazing franchises that made their debut on the PlayStation 3 and continue to grow stronger. We also have a major possibility that a certain crew who made Warhawk a household name again is working on possibly the most incredible online game of all time, the much rumored and anticipated Starhawk.

Another game that has come from other PlayStation systems to the PS3 and is advancing at a rapid rate now is Killzone. With Killzone 2 in January we saw room for improvement but a damn good game, some say the best! Guerilla Games has been rumored to be working hard on Killzone 3 and it should be no surprise. This is according to Official PlayStation Magazine rumors that I’d bet are leading us on to something true. While it seems the team has said Sony is not pressuring them for a 2010 release date, we can surely be excited for a new Killzone in either 2010 or 2011!

And how can I forget, perhaps the most official rumored exclusive of them all, Resistance 3. A billboard ‘showed up’ early in Louisiana recently showing off the new ad campaign of Resistance 3 already in effect. Perhaps this is the first out the gate for Sony’s next round of exclusives? As if our wallet's aren't being damaged enough by Heavy Rain, God of War 3, Final Fantasy 13, Gran Turismo 5, we now have a whole new lineup of some of gaming’s most incredible franchises that are making history on the PlayStation 3.

If even half of these rumors are true that means that gaming as we know it is about to advance in major ways. There are your new Five games you wish you had : Uncharted 3, Infamous 2, Starhawk, Killzone 3, and Resistance 3 about to take gaming by storm! Now all you need is a time machine and/or some type of Skeleton Key for Sony Beta Signup Forms!!!

-Hitman0769

*All registered copyrights belong to their respective owners, Pictures (C) to Sony Computer Entertainment

Edit: ***1/28/10--- UPDATE: Uncharted 2 DLC Heroes Pack NOT FREE $4.99***

WTF - XBox360 Hard Drive Upgrade

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In a time where hard drives are a commodity and storage space on the next generation consoles is limited, Microsoft has figured out how to cash in. Let's say you have a cheaper 20 GB Xbox 360 and you want 120 GB, be prepared to shell out $149.99. To put that in perspective, as of today for your desktop computer that would be 1.5 Terabytes (Seagate Barracuda ST315005N1A1AS-RK 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Retail, 3 year warranty) or for your laptop/PS3 you get 500 Gigabytes (Seagate Momentus ST905003N3A1AS-RK 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Retail, 5 year warranty) with 20 bucks to spare for dinner.

Why is Microsoft's hard drive less than half the size for the same price? Because they can. And god help any gamer who doesn't want to pay.

If they catch you using a non-Microsoft approved hard drive, well you're banned from XBox Live, Microsoft's online gaming network. They do this because to even support a bigger hard drive you have to mod your XBox360. Since it is modded, according to Microsoft you're obviously trying to pirate games. Rather than making it easy for gamers to upgrade the storage space, like on the PS3, the XBox360 isn't upgrade friendly. WTF!

Yellow Light Of Doom vs Red Ring Of Death

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So, when the PS3 has a problem, you'll see the Yellow Light Of Doom. Similarly when the XBox360 has a problem you'll see the Red Ring Of Death. As for the Wii, I haven't heard what it does when it fails.

Both Microsoft and Sony have had problems with their next generation consoles. I keep seeing posts saying that every 60 GB PS3 has been put in for repair. The XBox360 isn't much better as I've had a co-worker go through 3 XBox360's due to the Red Ring Of Death.

So here's my anecdotal evidence. I have a 60 GB backwards compatible 1st generation PS3. I have 2 co-workers with the same model. None of them have shown the YLOD. I also have a 2nd gen 40 gig PS3, which performs like a champ. I've personally logged hundreds if not thousands of hours running my 60 GB PS3. While I've had online friends experience the YLOD, no reports from my co-workers.

On the other hand, the XBox360 hasn't been so lucky. Multiple co-workers have reported the RROD. As I said earlier, one co-worker has experienced this multiple times.

Furthermore, it is obvious that Sony has done something about the failing PS3s. While not 100% effective, the redesign seems to have quelled the uprising caused by failures.

The XBox360 on the other hand, shows no redesign. It may have happened and I'm not aware of it, but it seems like they would want to change the form factor as well to better address heat issues.

I don't know, it seems to me, while Microsoft has made strides to correct their design flaws externally (offering a repair program), Sony went and addressed the root cause (re-designing the hardware to prevent issues in the first place).

As for those with a broken disc reader on their PS3, it does suck that Sony isn't offering a repair program like Microsoft. And for anyone in that situation, I really feel for ya.

Adult Themes in Gaming Today

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So, while not everyone who reads this is from the USA, we all feel the influence of American society. I'm talking about sexual themes in games. Companies like Nintendo and Sony will all out kill games that don't conform to their acceptable view of the world, but it seems the envelope is growing.

What you have to understand about he US is, seeing a women's nipple is considered more harmful to a kid than watching someone killed. Don't believe me? For those in the US, how many times have you seen a nipple during prime time? How many times have you seen someone killed?

Violence is considered OK, while sex is not. But now it seems, for Sony/Microsoft at least, violence is a way to slip things past. Take for example Conan on the PS3, it was the first game to actually show bare breasts in HD (at least on a major console). Now let's look at the next few games, Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno and Heavy Rain. All include violence, all include nudity (or partial nudity).

Is this a bad trend? In my opinion, no. The US is far too sensitive about nudity, which is a big part of art. Some of the most famous and influential art is of the nude figure. And when you talk about art, video games are the new medium.

Still, count the number of M rated games and compare that with the number of AO games (for sexuality) and you'll see there's a long way to go.

PS3 Music Player Sucks

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Yes, this has taken a few days to get together, I've been busy with life. That said, here's my thoughts on the PS3 Music Player.

For those unaware, Sony is billing the PS3 as the media center for you home. Not an easy task as people want to show videos, pictures, play music, games and TV. And well, yes it does music, just not very well.

When the PS3 added music in game, I was excited. I put about 8 Gigabytes of music on my PS3 to play while gaming.

While only a fraction of my music collection, space on a 60G drive is precious so I had to make some hard choices. The results, not just disappointing, but appalling for a device that wants to be the media center of my house. Just going through the list of songs takes forever.

So let's talk about organization. As with any music player, you have play lists. This is where I hit my first major problem. You can only add 512 items to a play list. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Are you telling me that the PS3 doesn't have enough processor power to handle more than that? I call BS on this limit.

Second, as with most people I have an iPod. Unlike most people though, my iPod has complex smart play lists, some of which depend on the contents of other play lists. I do this to keep my music fresh and so that I don't neglect songs. The PS3 has static play lists only. Again, WTF!?! Did they not spend more than 1 week working on this and forget about it?

Here's the real kicker for me. Like I said most people have an iPod. How hard would it have been to add an iPod dock? Yes I understand, recently Sony and Apple have been competing for the same space with games. That said, the PS3's implementation of a music player is an embarrassment.

Give me a smart or dynamic play lists. Allow all my music to be on one play list. Oh and remember where I am and continue playback between system restarts if I configure things to work that way. Is that really too much to ask? Right now, instead of music my way, it is music Sony's way. Again, I call BS.