12 Controversial Video Game Scandals That Rocked The Industry

You can't beat a good scandal, be it celebrity-related, Hollywood-centric, or something else entirely. When it comes to gaming though, thousands of developers being holed up in swelteringly hot offices doesn't lend itself toowell to anything other than bloody brilliant video games.

That said, the industry is no stranger to courting controversy regardless, and being that gaming is one of the most lucrative and visually stunning mediums of all time, when the media get their hooks in, they'll run with any angle simply for the sake of popularity.

Any gamer born before the 2000s will remember growing up in a world dominated by headlines about how gaming is the "downfall of the youth", how they "glorify violence" or how "they teach children how to kill." Have a quick gander back on any news report of the era and you'll be amazed by just how ridiculously uninformed everything truly was.

Although, then again, just look at Donald Trump's success and you'll see how we've not changed all that much... To that end, video games may not be the first port of call when it comes to controversy, but that doesn't mean there aren't some tall tales to tell.

12. Hackers Take Down PlayStation Network, Exposing 77 Million Users' Private Data

It comes to something when one of the world's biggest companies messes up so badly, they literally just have to hold up their hands and give away free products to get back in the public's good graces.

Such was the case back in 2011, when "an illegal and unauthorised person" gained access to around 77 million users' PSN accounts, including everything from names to addresses, even credit cards and financial information. Sony responded by assuring people their bank balances weren't at risk, but took the PSN offline for over a week as they attempted to rectify the issue and bolster security protocols.

Sadly, the damage was done. People were absolutely furious about such a breach of sensitive information, however, all Sony could do was offer a 'Welcome Back' program that gave free games to users, acknowledging a categorical failing on their part.

They promptly introduced insurance for PSN accounts and required every single user to create a new password as they'd rebuilt the PSN infrastructure entirely. The downside? Altogether, this entire debacle had cost them 171 million dollars.

Ouch.