SONY Continues To Apologize But PlayStation Network Still Dark

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer apologized to users of its PlayStation Network and other online services, breaking his silence on the biggest Internet security break-in ever.

Stringer's comments, which did not specify when services would resume, come after criticism of his leadership since Sony revealed hackers had compromised the data of more than 100 million accounts used for accessing games and music over the Internet.

"As a company we - and I - apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by this attack," Stringer said on Sony's U.S. PlayStation blog late on Thursday.

They've been apologizing for weeks now but still no PlayStation Network.

And as most companies do when charged with being as anal as Sony, they dragged out the old "possibly credit card information" as a way to stir the masses against hackers.

The kerfuffle over Sony's refusing to allow the PS3 to be jailbroken or the operating system to be altered IN ANY MANNER is the root cause of the heretofore puny attacks on the system, but the mid-April foray was Omaha Beach in comparison.

At first, Sony said that no credit card info was compromised, but to instill some sympathy in its plight changed the tune to "perhaps", and "we aren't really certain". This changed the event from something of a hooray against Sony to HOW DARE THOSE HACKERS GO AFTER OUR MONEY!

(To those leery of releasing credit card information while online shopping in any manner, here's a hint; establish a debit card for such occasions and keep the bare minimum in it. This way, at the first indication of any intrusion just shut the thing down.)

The hackers...not crackers, mind you...were sooner or later bound and determined to pay back Sony for taking away their ability to write their own games and play them on the PS3. Imagine Ford Motor Company taking back your newly purchased car because you installed a different radio, or tires, or somehow had the effrontery to personalize the thing. Sony basically says that you NEVER really own a PS3, THEY DO. 

And that sucks. Not to condone the recent actions, but Sony had it coming and should have been better prepared.