Why I haven't unsubscribed from Sony's PlayStation Network
Following the nightmare that was the global security breach in Sony's PlayStation Network, many PlayStation 3 owners gave up. Some even started selling off their games and consoles. But I'm not giving up. Here's why.
To be completely honest, the biggest reason might simply be that I don't care.
To clarify, that doesn't mean that I don't care that my personal information (along with sensitive data about millions of other PSN members) being leaked. Of course, that bothered me. It also bothered me when I had to take the time to call one of the suggested credit unions saying that I might be at risk for identity theft, and it also bothered me when I had to think of a new password for accessing the PlayStation Network. (Now Sony is even offering a free identity theft protection service.)
However, those are the only major inconveniences I've suffered. (At least so far...) Well, that's not entirely true. I have signed up for a Music Unlimited by Qriocity subscription, mainly for the purpose of its beautiful interface and playlists that I planned to use at a few house parties in April. Given the long duration that the PSN was down, I didn't get to use that fun feature. At least I'm getting a refund for it.
As for all the other freebies that Sony is giving to PSN members as a Welcome Back (but really "We're Sorry, Don't Stop Spending Your Money With Us") present, I couldn't care much about those either. I don't actually do much gaming on my PS3, and none of the five options soon-to-be available appealed to me. I'll probably just download them for the sake of getting something for free. I am waiting for what free movies are offered when the PlayStation Store goes back online, but based on most of Crackle's offerings, I can't imagine any of them being that entertaining or appealing.
Nonetheless, for the time being, I'll stick with Sony. I don't want to go through the process of selling my PS3, which could end up being awhile if there are many more used copies on the market now. I use it for streaming Netflix almost everyday, I still like Music Unlimited, and there are a few games I do like to play that are only available on PS3. It would be too much of an effort (and probably more costly) to sell the PS3 and then go pick up another console from another maker.
Companies this large face security risks all the time, and Sony isn't alone. It's just they're going to be picked apart until a scandal erupts somewhere else.
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