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New York Gamers Nervous After PlayStation Network Hacking

By Ben Fractenberg | April 27, 2011 7:27pm | Updated on April 28, 2011 6:20am

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

GREENWICH VILLAGE — Word that Sony's PlayStation Network had been hacked had gamers across the city concerned their personal information had been stolen.

Sony admitted Tuesday on its PlayStation Blog that hackers had breached the security for the popular online game service and obtained users personal information, including name, birth date, address, PSN login, PSN password and billing history.

Sony said here was no evidence of user's credit card information being obtained, but the company could not rule it out.

"It's kind of scary," gamer Malik Williams, 46, said at a GameStop shop at 14th Street and University Place. "You can have your identity stolen."

Sony told Playstation 3 gamers their personal information on the PlayStation Network may have been stolen by hackers.
Sony told Playstation 3 gamers their personal information on the PlayStation Network may have been stolen by hackers.
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Cate Gillon/Getty Images

Williams said he plays online with his brother who lives in Pennsylvania and is not sure how much they will use the system now.

Edward Trinidad, 20, who works at the GameStop on Sixth Avenue at West 4th Street, was more cautious.

"I'm gonna cancel my credit card," Trinidad said, adding that he would now just use pre-paid cards on the PlayStation Network.

Sony took down the PlayStation Network on April 19, but did not disclose their reasons for doing so until Tuesday.

"We learned there was an intrusion on April 19th and subsequently shut the services down," senior director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold said in a statement on the PlayStation Blog. "We then brought in outside experts to help us learn how the intrusion occurred and to conduct an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident."

People use the online gaming service to download games, play games against each other, chat and livestream movies. Most games released for PlayStation 3 and XBOX consoles have online components in them.

Gamers can also have their high scores — called "Trophies" — and levels reached saved on the network.

"If your trophies go, a lot of people will get upset," said Dan Nastin, 28, who works at Video Games New York on East 6th Street. "That's your personal achievements."

Sony launched its PlayStation Network in November 2006, four years after Microsoft launched its popular XBOX Live service. Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer announced in January that the PlayStation Network had over 60 million registered users worldwide.