You Can Now Change Your PSN Username, Some Games Are Effected

PSN players rejoice, you can finally change your gamertag on PSN. The process of changing your name is pretty simple. However, it should be noted that some consequences can happen because of the name change for certain games.

To change your username, here's how you do it

On PS4:

• Step 1: From your PS4 go to [Settings].
• Step 2: Select [Account Management] > [Account Information] > [Profile] > [Online ID].
• Step 3: Enter an Online ID of your choice or choose from one of the suggestions.
• Step 4: Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the change.

The potential issues range from trophy progress being halted to losing save data, access to content or currency purchased in games, and even parts of a game not functioning. Sony says that only a small batch of games have been affected by the biggest issues so far, which you can read here. Some of the titles majorly affected by username changes include Little Big Planet 3, Everybody's Golf, Persona 5 and Resident Evil 7 just to name a few.

Sony Revises Refund Policy For PSN

Sony has revised their PSN refund policies. According to Sony's new refund policy, a preorder can be refunded before release as long as the user hasn't started streaming or downloading it. It is unclear if this also means preloads. The exception to that rule is that customers can also refund purchases in the case of faulty games up to 14 days after the purchase or preorder date.

Looks Like Changing Your PSN ID Could Be Costly

PS4 firmware beta 6.10 Invites have started to go out, and with it plenty of changes are coming to the system including the option to change your PSN handle. However, players receiving the invite have begun to report a laundry list of issues associated with the name change in a disclaimer attached to the invite. 

According to forum users on Reset Era, players receiving the invite are being warned to be aware of the “software’s restrictions,” noting that players might experience some issues with the name change. 

Among the issues reported in the disclaimer, games and apps may not function properly. Players may lose access to paid-for virtual currency and DLC. Saved game data may be lost, which includes leaderboard status, progress made in-game, and trophy data. And your former PSN handle may remain visible to both you and other players even after you change it. This “simple” ID change could prove to be costly.

According to forum users, players can revert their name back to their original ID once during the preview period, with this rule applying to multiple accounts. If there are any issues associated with the change, you can also revert back to your original ID free of charge. However the disclaimer also warns that reverting back to your original ID may not solve all the problems.

PSN Name Changes Coming In Early 2019

After many years of players begging to have this ability, Sony has finally announced that users will be able to change their PSN Online ID starting in early 2019.

The first change is free, and subsequent changes will cost $4.99 for PlayStation Plus subscribers and $9.99 for non-members. The change can be made through the settings menu or your profile page on your PS4.

The company will start testing the feature soon with a beta through the PlayStation Preview Program and can be tested by select users who have previously participated in PS4 system software betas.

Some other details regarding the feature:

• When you change your ID you have a one-time chance to display your old ID alongside the new one.
• You can revert back to your old ID for free.
• This is only compatible with PS4 titles published after April 1, 2018 and "a large majority of the most-played PS4 games" before this time. Errors may occur for games and applications on the PS4, PS3, and Vita if you make the change. Sony will provide a list of compatible pre-April 1, 2018 titles when the feature launches. 

Sony To Focus On PSN & PS4 Games Until 2021

Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida announced the company's expectations for the PS4 and the overall Game & Network Services division from now until March 31, 2021. During this time, services and software are expected to drive revenue, not hardware sales. The company says PSN currently generates annual sales of a trillion yen with 80 million monthly active users, and that PS Plus paid subscriptions have been growing from year to year, sitting at 34.2 million at the end of fiscal year 2017. PS4 sales, which sit at 79 million units as of March 31, but still put the console on pace to surpass the PS3's 83 million units sold. In regards to other PS4 sectors, Kodera said that PSVR, while growing, is below market expectations, and TV streaming service PS Vue is facing stiff competition. Improvement is needed from both areas within a realistic outlook.

Sony Launches A Browser-Based PSN, My Playstation

Sony has launched a browser-based version of PSN and it's live now. You can access the site through your browser, smart phone, and tablet, and can search for friends, or send friend requests and messages, just like the app.

Sony Begins Testing For Next PS4 System Update

Sony has started beta testing for the next "major" PS4 system update, and you can also sign up for a chance to get an exclusive PSN avatar. There are no details as to what is included in the update. You can sign up here.

We Might Be Able To Change Are PSN Names In 2018

During this year's PSX keynote, A hint about when players will be able to change their PlayStation Network names was given. When asked by Kinda Funny's Greg Miller during a post-conference panel (around the 2 hours and 13 minutes into the video) about when players could expect to be able to change their names on the service, Layden had a witty response: "The elves back the North Pole have been working on that for quite some time," Layden said. He began talking about the intricacy of such a task before being cut off by someone in the crowd. "Let me put it this way: I hope we'll see events occur that you don't have to ask me that question next PSX." All I can say is it’s about damn time. Thoughts ?

PSN Is Getting Two-Factor Authentication

Sony is now implementing 2-factor authentication, which will help safeguard user accounts. This is 5 years after the PlayStation Network outage that latest for more than 3 week. This resulted in user data being exposed and cost the company $170 million. When using this form of login, users need to provide a code separate from a password that is generated on demand. This can be delivered via text message or using a special smartphone or desktop application. For example, Blizzard uses this for its games. Sony has not said a specific date for rolling out this 2 factor authentication feature. What do you think of Sony doing this ? I think its better late then never for Sony to implement this. It’s good knowing that Sony is taking security more seriously. 

Insomniac Announces Song Of The Deep

Insomniac has announced there newest game called Song of the Deep. The game is an undersea exploration game modeled after games like Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Song of the Deep finds a girl named Merryn on a quest to find the whereabouts of her missing father. In oder to track him down, she sets out from her home in the western Irish seaside of County Clare. Song of the Deep will feature combat against undersea creatures  as well as puzzle solving. The game also puts a big focus on acquiring upgrades that will open up passages to other areas in the world. Insomniac will be be getting distribution and publishing help from GameStop. When the game releases in the spring, it will be available on PSN, Xbox Live, and Steam, while physical copies of the game will be available exclusively through GameStop. Seems like an interesting game coming from Insomniac. Not to mention that they're taking the indie approach. I'll definitely gave a game from Insomniac a try. What do you think of Song Of The Deep ?

UPDATE - 4/19/16 - Song of The Depp now has a release date of July 12, 2016 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.  

Sony Sending PS Plus Extensions To Players Due To PSN Outage

On January 4, the PlayStation Network went down on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita. Now Sony is sending out a voucher code for PlayStation Plus for an extra day. The voucher code will add a day onto the end of your current subscription. Your PS Plus account had to be active on January 4 to qualify for the extension. You also have to make sure you redeem your code before March 31. The gesture is nice but I feel like Sony should maybe do a little more like a $5 coupon for the PS Store. What do you think ? 

PS4 Users Make Website To Help Improve PSN, Betterpsn.com

A group of PlayStation fans have set up a campaign called Better PSN to help bring Sony's attention to the improvements that fans want to see. After starting out as a thread on NeoGAF, a new website, betterpsn.com, has gone online to coordinate the efforts. This primarily involves tweeting with a hashtag, #BetterPSN, to Sony executives like Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes. The website also allows users to make suggestions for new features or improvements they'd like to see, as well as vote on those submitted by others. Currently, the most popular ideas include the ability to change your online status, better profile pages, continuous trophy syncing, and enhanced friends lists and much more. It remains to be seen what Sony's response to this new campaign will be. The last major PS4 update came in March, adding new PSN features like Share Play and verified accounts. Do you believe in #BetterPSN ?

Resident Evil HD Remastered Has The Biggest Opening Day Ever For PSN

Capcom reports that the HD version  of Resident Evil which released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC, is its fastest selling digital title in North America and Europe. The game also broke the PlayStation Network record for opening day sales for  a digital game.

Get Nostalgic With The PS1 Theme For PS4

Sony has released a free PS4 theme that reminds us of the original PS1 console. The theme even goes so far as to change the console's start up music to the iconic sound that we all know and love. You can currently download the theme on the PSN store for PS4, PS3 and PS Vita.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Comes To PSN Later This Month

Konami's action game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be released on the PlayStation Network on December 16. This is notable because it’s the first game in the series that has been made available digitally. The game will cost  $20 on PlayStation Network and will take up 30 GB of your hard drive space. Is release is likely to get people up to speed from the next entry in the Metal Gear Solid series Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which will be released sometime in 2015.