In a move that shocked the gaming community, no one was able to play their favourite games online this Christmas. Whether it was through the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live, no one was able to get pass their log-in screens and play video games, and many a gamer asked the same question: Why would anyone do this? Eventually, a group of alleged hackers claimed responsibility for these actions. Their answer to the gamers of the world: Why not?

To be more specific they actually stated that it was for "the lulz" according to their interview with The Daily Dot. Speaking with supposed hackers Vinnie Omari and Ryan Cleary -- both of whom are using aliases -- they revealed that they are part of an online hackers group calling themselves "The Lizard Squad." The group gained infamy earlier this year after claiming they were responsible for the attacks on Sony's PSN and Blizzard of "Diablo" fame. They have also issued a bomb threat to the President of Sony Online Entertainment John Smedley, forcing a flight cancellation and claimed to have taken down North Korea's Internet earlier this week. Just a month before Christmas, they claimed that they would disrupt Sony and Microsoft's online servers by the time the holidays rolled in, and they may have succeeded.

The point of their current attacks thus far has been to prove that Sony and Microsoft have mediocre security. "Microsoft and Sony are f**king retarded, literally monkeys behind computers," Omari said. "They would have better luck if they actually hired someone who knew what they were doing." Both Omari and Cleary feel no shame for ruining Christmas for the many subscribers to Sony and Microsoft's online networks and claim that their actions are for the greater good. They feel that both companies were given a fair warning a month prior to the attacks and that this will force them to reinforce their security for the near future.

As of right now, it is unknown if "The Lizard Squad" are the actual culprits as there is actually no solid proof that they were responsible according to Kotaku. However, given the timeline of the attacks, it's hard not to believe what they say. One thing's for sure, though, they've gotten under the skin of gamers everywhere and they definitely ruined the holidays for many people.

PSN DOWN & Xbox Live Hacked - GTA 5 Online Lizard Squad/Anonymous Hack PSN? - (GTA V Gameplay) (Credit: Youtube/ iCrazyTeddy)