Just Add Water boss Stewart Gilray has described the hysteria surrounding the PlayStation Network hack as "a lot of wind and p**s".

The Gravity Crash developer slammed the press reaction to the security breach, which has seen some 77 million PSN accounts compromised.

"I have to say, the press yesterday ripped Sony a new one wider than the Channel Tunnel," Gilray told Eurogamer at the GameCityNights event in Nottingham last night.

"Yes, it's up to 77 million PSN IDs, or 35 million master accounts – the rest are sub accounts. It's bad. But to look at it laterally, you're now one of 35 million people who could get their details leaked out and used by somebody else.

"But when you look at things like Play.com for example, which had 1.4 million details ripped last year, you're one in 1.4 million. There's a much higher chance of your stuff being used from Play than there is of your stuff being used from the PlayStation hack.

"I'm not saying it's good. It's bad. But I don't think half the criticism they've got has been deserved. They have gone about it the right way."

Some developers have expressed concern that the hack, which has hit headlines across the globe this week, will have a damning effect on PSN game sales.

But Gilray, who is currently working on PSN games Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, said developers have little to worry about.

"To use a phrase my dad used to say, it's a lot of wind and p**s," he said.

"Dylan Cuthbert from Q-Games has said it will affect their business slightly, but their games launched a while ago. With anything digital, your biggest sales come from your first two weeks of publishing. After that it drops through the floor. Yeah, you'll get a steady flow, but it won't be as high as that first week.

"If this happened in the first week of a game coming out, then yeah, sure, fine, you're going to hurt pretty bad, especially when you're reliant on that first payment check after the first month. But after that it drops off pretty much.

"Right now we're not worried about it. I don't think there are many games released recently. I know the Telltale guys are meant to be doing Episode 2 of Back to the Future."

The PSN leak has seen the theft of personal data, including home addresses and passwords, on a massive scale.

Sony says it has found no evidence to suggest credit card data, which it insists was encrypted, has also been stolen, but it can't rule the possibility out.

A security expert this morning claimed that "low-level cyber criminals" are currently shopping around lists containing the credit card details of 2.2 million PSN members.

The claim is at this stage unsubstantiated, and conflicts with Sony's reassurance that credit card security codes were not held by PSN.

True or not, it is the threat of identity theft that has left some analysts predicting Sony could be in for a huge financial hit following the furore – and, potentially, a mass exodus from the service.

Gilray, however, is doubtful that PSN will suffer irrevocable damage.

"I can't see 35 million people unsubscribing from PSN. And games don't sell 35 million copies. They maybe sell between 15,000 and 100,000 copies depending on the size of it in the first six to 12 months. When a game does come out, people will still buy it.

"35 million accounts, or 77 million global accounts, you're not going to get all those not buying any more. You only sell to less than one per cent of the entire user base anyway. Unless, suddenly, 60 million people unsubscribe, which I really can't see, we should be fine.

"Yes, the confidence thing will hit a few people. But now Sony has said credit card information wasn't breached, and the security number wasn't breached at all, the worst that will happen is you'll get a few people who will unsubscribe and sell their consoles. Next you'll get people switching to PSN cards."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-29-psn-hysteria-a-lot-of-wind-and-p-s

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too fucking right, the only event that this is the biggest is the overblown bullshit twised misinformed FUD spread by supid fucking bloggers (not journaist), media outlets that don't know jack shit about gaming and dumbass fanboys to make people hate Sony as much as they do.

I pity the legit ps3 user that takes ANY of this bullshit with EVEN a grain of salt

The more people get hacked, the better it is for consumers!

Trend Micro said that they have evidence credit card details were up for sale by hackers.

The problem is the media has created a situation of mass panic, we know at this point that the cc data was not taken.

i'm not convinced that the cc data was even the target of these hackers.

the question that people have to ask themselves is why when Xbox Live was hacked in 2007, or Android, iPhone, Windows, etc - why peoples cc data was not taken then? why is it only Sony have been targeted??

the answer i keep coming back to is that cc details were never the intention of the hackers. we were simply led to think our details were at risk... which at this moment in time, we have no evidence that any cc data was taken, or even if that the cc data can be decrypted.

i think this is why Sony have taken so long to notify customers. they were concerned at first, but when they knew our cc data was not breached they decided to let the media run riot with a state of mass panic.

Why??? i think Sony in the last few days have decided to abuse this hack unlike Microsoft, or Apple or any other company, they've decided that this state of mass panic will give them goverment and consumer support to aggressively target any and every hacker who goes near a Sony product. even Annoymous seemed convinced that cc data was at risk.

my point is the reason they didnt notify customers straight away, is because they already knew no cc details were comprimised. now they will use this as a weapon to ligitimise whatever brutal, underhanded tactics they have in store for hackers.

Link?

As I said above, Trend Micro claim it was.

you know this is Crime at a VERY high level?

this is not some "I hacked this or that device" this is THEFT from 35million people.

They have to track those people down!

I guess being exploited is like winning the bizzaro lottery, with those kinds of odds.  I feel a little better.........but then after a little "shit and piss", I always feel better.

I agree with this thread.

Yes i am aware of that. but what crime has been commited - theft of what?? the names of 35 mil people, which is considered public anyway - its not illegal to know this information. it could be illegal in the way the hackers have obtained this data.

we have no evidence to suggest the hackers were after credit card details. since no cc data was taken. even if it was, the information of your cc details is encrypted, and its not complete - does this mean even if hackers had our cc details they could use that information, since it is not complete??

there has been no comment from the person or persons responsible to confirm they wanted credit card details. why have they targeted PSN's credit card details?? have they targeted PSN's credit card database??

i'm not convinced this group were after cc details. and i think Sony have known that for the last few days. and i think this is why they took so long to notify customers. i think they want to use the panic induced by the media to legitimise whatever brutal tactics they have in store for hackers in the future.

and i dont think identity fraud can be commited without a legal document like a passport or drivers license. your cc isnt considered a proof of identity.

there is hacked and then there is the ps3.  the level of access have to the ps3 is unprecidented at least in the realm of consoles.  this isn't all that relvant to your overall point but still ...

To be honest Sony should sue each hacker now since they are stealing details of everyone.