If you thought you were avoiding the ever watchful eye by going with Sony's PlayStation 4 over Microsoft's Xbox One, prepare to be disappointed. Sony has updated its software usage terms for the PlayStation Network, informing gamers that it has the ability to monitor your activity.
Thankfully, the company is saying that it has no intention of doing so, but the wording is a bit odd to say the least. However, Sony may track your PSN habits, monitor or delete messages, and pass on your information to third parties, but only in the name of "security."
According to the new terms, under Section 14 entitled "Are We monitoring PSN?":
"Yes but we can't monitor all PSN activity and we make no commitment to do so. However, we reserve the right in our sole discretion to monitor and record any or all of your PSN activity and to remove any of your UGM at our sole discretion, without further notice to you."
"Your use of PSN and our community features may be recorded and collected by us or sent to us by other users as described in 13.1. Any information collected in this way, for example, your UGM, the content of your voice and text communications, video of your gameplay, the time and location of your activities, and your name, your PSN Online ID and IP address, may be used by us or our affiliated companies to enforce these Terms and the SEN Terms of Service, to comply with the law, to protect our rights and those of our licensors and users, and to protect the personal safety of our employees and users."
"This information may be passed to the police or other appropriate authorities. By accepting these Software Usage Terms, you expressly consent to this."
The new update comes with Sony readying itself for the final push for the next-gen PlayStation 4, set to release in the U.S. later this week, November 15.
Under the hood, the PlayStation 4 boasts Supercharged PC architecture, X86 CPU, Enhanced PC GPU, and 8GB Unified Memory according to the official specs.
It will support the same PlayStation Plus service as the Vita and PlayStation 3. However, a Plus subscription will be required for online multiplayer games, but not for additional media services like Netflix. Sony has also updated the Dual Shock controllers with a touch screen and improved shoulder triggers, and bundles the console with a headset.
Day one games available for the system include Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, Need for Speed: Rivals, and more. It will retail for $399.
The company has some last minute games to announce, but won't be doing so until the console gets a bit of its own "midnight madness." The night before it launches, at 11pm EST, GameTrailers TV is hosing a PS4 All Access event, with Sony set to take center stage with some world premieres for titles that have not yet been formally announced in a blaze of last minute hype for the console finally releases. So it's got that going for it, which is nice.
Be sure to keep checking back with Gamenguide for more of the latest updates.
