Reuters

NEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - Sony Corp laid off employees in a unit responsible for network security two weeks before a massive data breach, according to a lawsuit filed this week.

Sony also spent lavishly on security to protect its own corporate information, while failing to do the same for its customers' data, the proposed class action lawsuit alleges.

Class action filed this week.Sony has been under fire since April, after hackers accessed personal information on 77 million PlayStation Network and Qriocity accounts, 90 percent of which are users in North America or Europe.

The company said at the time credit card information may have been stolen, sparking lawsuits and casting a shadow over its plans to combine

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 - "Preparing"

Luna Lovegood introduces us to Harry's final adventure as Harry and his allies prepare for the ultimate showdown against Voldermort.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME 3D - "Teaser Trailer"

Zelda has been crowned (no pun intended) the best game ever.  It might have just gotten better with the introduction of Ocarina of Time 3D.

STREET FIGHTER IV: ARCADE EDITION - "Launch Trailer"

The Arcade Edition of Street Fighter IV adds more fighting, more twists, and more turns in your favorite colossal combat free-for-all.

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE: INSECT ARMAGEDDON- "Mech Trailer"

Who will save us from the Insect Armageddon? The Earth

Quoth the muggle, "Pottermore." Harry Potter is going digital, but he's bypassing the gaming world for the literary one.

Despite early reports - and an alleged leaked memo - that indicated Pottermore would be an online game with real world prizes, author J.K. Rowling announced a different sort of experience Thursday morning with the formal unveiling of the site.

Pottermore will be the digital home to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other characters from the hit book and film series - and the only place you'll be able to buy an eBook
version of the tomes, but it will offer plenty of extras for readers.

And while it won't be a Potterized "World of Warcraft," it will have some gaming elements.

Described as a series of

Harry Potter - Warner Bros./EA

For the past few weeks, the Web has been buzzing about J. K. Rowling's mysterious Pottermore project. And while details won't be officially unveiled until Thursday, all signs are pointing to it being an online game revolving around the Harry Potter universe.

A leaked memo has revealed Pottermore to be a persistent world that blends World of Warcraft with real world treasure hunts. Users will dig up
clues, which will let them find prizes in the real world.

The memo says Thursday's announcement, which will come via YouTube, will
discuss the project's partners and focus on what people can find - particularly
quills and wands hidden around the U.S. and U.K.

As often happens with leaks of major

A gamer enjoys "Dead Island" at E3 2011 - Getty Images

While there's no end to the people who steadfastly maintain that things were better in the '80s and '90s, there's one fact they can't
dispute: It's safer these days.

Violent crime in the U.S. has dropped precipitously since 1991; robberies and murders are the lowest since the mid-1970s. And the BBC says video games could be partially responsible for the improvements.

While the news outlet admits that the reasons for lower crime rates are something no one will ever agree on, it points to a recent study from a Texas researcher that the immersive qualities of games are keeping people glued to their couches.

In other words, argues Dr. Michael Ward of the University of Texas, even if you

DALI! - SOLUTION: Viewed from the proper perspective, we see that this is a playful portrait of movie star Mae West.

Click here to return to the original illusion >>

PURPLE NURPLE: This purple swirl seems to move eerily, but it's actually a static image.  As with other illusions of this type, the motion seems greatest in your peripheral vision.

COUNT THE INVISIBLE BEARS: This fellow may appear to be all alone, but he's on the run from wild animals.  Can you guess how many creatures are hidden in the landscape?

Click here for a solution >>

DESKTOP DELUSION: This simple sketch seems somehow to jump off the page.  It's drawn in forced perspective, giving it the appearance of a

Sony has somethings up its sleeve.

In late April, there wasn't a company in the world -- inside or outside of the video game industry -- that wanted to be Sony.

By the end of December, though, there are likely to be several willing to switch places.

While there's no denying that 2011 will not go down as the PlayStation's greatest year, Sony actually seems poised to bounce back significantly from its hacker problems (and the accompanying PR disaster) by the time we're singing Auld Lang Syne.

The PlayStation 3 has one of the strongest console game lineups of the holiday season. The Nintendo Wii is a non-contender, with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword as the sole heavy hitter this holiday. Microsoft's a stronger competitor,

Fear these Games!

Now that vampires and werewolves have gone all GQ, what's left to scare us? Video games, that's what, and with the frightful F.E.A.R. 3 terrorizing store shelves this week, we decided to brave the darkness of the recent past by shedding some light on a dozen of our favorite scary games. Join us...if you dare.