It has been six days since Sony was forced to shut down of the Playstation Network, but for PSN members, it probably feels like a lifetime. The popular online gaming service was hit hard by hackers last week, forcing the video game giant to shut down their service. Since then, news has been less than grand.
From talks that the server won’t be fully online for another two to nine months to the hackers possibly obtaining the personal information of over 77 million users, it doesn’t look like PSN members will be fragging any of their friends anytime soon. But before PSN members start to panic and request being put on suicide watch, your friends at Geeks of Doom have compiled a list of five activities to do while the network undergoes a much needed renovation.
Read a Book/Comic- Just because the PSN is down doesn’t mean that you can’t have some fun offline. Do what the folks did a thousands of years ago when they couldn’t pick up a controller and kick the tuckus in another state: read. All you have to do is head on over to your local library or bookstore and you can have thousands of books at your disposal. You can pick up the new Tina Fey book or perhaps start on A Game of Thrones like you have always wanted to. Why stop at just books? You can pick up a newspaper, magazine, or even peruse the comic book scene and pick up the latest from fan favorites like Geoff Johns or Brian Bendis. Just go out and expand that brain of yours.
Watch some good TV- Sure, the Playstation will be used a lot less, but that doesn’t mean the TV has to be. There are some pretty good shows out right now that you can catch up on your DVR. I personally enjoy watching Justified and the exploits of the modern day cowboy Raylan Givens, but there are some many good TV shows out there. Modern Family, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones – the list goes on and on (and I am not even counting reality shows). So go on and establish your role as a couch potato.
Hang out with friends- Yes, I know how fun it is to beat and trash talk your friends over a game of NBA 2K11, but trust me when I say this: Nothing beats getting a chance to see your buddy’s face contort into a mask of anguish when you talk about their mother while shoot a three over them. It is the sweetest thing. If you are not a fan of verbally humiliating your hetero-life mate, you can always just simply hang out with them.
Spend time with your significant other- You see that carbon-based life form that sits right next to you when you are prestige yet again on Call of Duty? That is your significant other. Yes, in the beginning, they seemed to care more when you took out those other online players with one single headshot, but let’s be serious for a second here: Do you honestly think they like to watch you play games all day long? Do yourself a favor and take this time out to thank the special person in your life by taking them out to a dinner and a movie, or maybe just spend time and have a conversation with them. Your future, possibly married self, will thank you for taking this extra step.
Enjoy life- Above all else, whether you like it or not, there is more to life than video games. There is a whole world out there for you to experience. Go on out and take a walk in the park. Have dinner outdoors. Life blows by so quickly so we really do need to cherish every moment of it. Unlike a video game, we don’t have a set amount of continues at our disposal. We only have one chance to make the most out of this life.
What say you, readers? What other activities can PSN members look forward to now their online gaming is put on hold?
