Hackers: We Brought Down Xbox, PlayStation Services

Thousands of people who got new Xboxes or PlayStations for Christmas were left frustrated yesterday as both networks suffered major disruptions. The problems began Christmas Eve and persisted through the next day, with Microsoft and Sony telling users they were aware of the issues and were doing their best to get them fixed, the BBC reports. Some suspected the problems may have been linked to Sony's release of The Interview, but a hacking group calling itself the Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility, reports TechCrunch.

The same group said it took down gaming networks in August following tweets denouncing the bombing of ISIS targets. The group, which also took responsibility for bringing Xbox and PlayStation networks down earlier this month, asked for retweets of its messages yesterday in return for ending the problem, CNN reports. The problems may have been made worse by the number of people with new devices or games trying to hook up to networks, or possibly even by Sony's decision to release The Interview on Xbox Video as well as other sources, the Guardian reports. (More Sony Playstation stories.)