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Notorious hacking groups may be retreating from games, but the damage is already done.
Network breaches have put a big dent in consumer confidence results of an MCV survey show have shown.
And the biggest blow? Over a half of download-loving gamers say their faith in games publishers has plummeted.
We surveyed 633 UK gamers who use digital services like PSN, iTunes and Steam or shop online.
– 34 per cent said they doubt publishers’ ability to protect their personal data. n Another 20 per cent said don’t trust download services at all.
– Only 46 per cent said they still trust publishers.
– A third say they have deleted their accounts in response to the attacks.
While the hacks are designed to prove weaknesses in games sites security via web pranks, few see the funny side.
In the last three months a string of network breaches have hit games download services, forums and customer databases in months of digital terrorism also targeting Sony Pictures, AT&T, Citibank and even the NHS.
While the PlayStation Network breach was the most high-profile case in games, sites owned by Nintendo, Codemasters, EA, Bethesda, Epic Games, Square Enix, Sega, Sony Online Entertainment, and BioWare were hacked too.
Compromised data included PlayStation Store customer details and player account content from free-to-play game Battlefield Heroes. EVE and Minecraft were briefly taken offline. For other sites, usernames and passwords were stolen and posted online.
It is thought that millions of consumers have been impacted by the hacks – many unknowingly.
A third of respondents said that they are unaware of the actions to take if their data has been lost or stolen.
Over half (54 per cent) added they are unhappy with the level of communication they receive from publishers about what to do.
