Hacking group known as the Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility

Two online video game services suffered connection outages on Christmas, and a hacking group is taking credit. Microsoft's XBox Live and Sony's PlayStation Network crashed Wednesday evening, with issues continuing Thursday.

The timing is particularly inopportune for users who may have just received new gaming systems over the holidays. "We are aware that some users are experiencing difficulty logging into the PSN," read a message on Sony's support site.

"We will update this article with any changes that occur in regards to this issue. Thank you for your patience." An XBox Live status message also addressed the problem: "Having a tough time signing in? Dont worry! Were working to fix this right away!"

Hacking group Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility on its Twitter page. "10,00 [retweets] and we will stop smacking Xbox and PSN offline," read one tweet encouraging people to spread the word about the hackers.

Sony Pictures was the victim of a devastating cyberattack last month, which led to a litany of leaked emails and documents from studio execs..

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