Sony quietly testing revamped PlayStation Network

After suffering a series of online attacks, Sony is quietly testing a revamped PlayStation Network that will depart from its present “text-heavy" layout, a tech site reported. Reg Hardware said that the new PSN upgrade will likely feature a more image-driven layout similar to those of Steam and Microsoft’s Xbox Live. It added the revamped PSN promises a “live" search where results appear while users enter characters, instead of redirecting them to a text-entry page. Reg Hardware said it is possible Sony is hoping to regain customers’ trust it lost since April, when hackers attacked the PSN network and several of its sites. But it said Sony may also be trying to perfect its online store to prepare for the next generation of its PlayStation console, either PlayStation 4 or 3.5. The Reg Hardware report said Sony’s efforts now are on market-testing a new de-cluttered design. It cited sources who described the new look as “an aesthetic layout with logically marked sections and rolodex lists." Also, the movies section was rebuilt as an IMDB-style database, where selecting a film brings up key details on the right of the screen. Games may get a similar treatment. The new site may also feature a “Deals of the Week" section. — TJD, GMA News