Full PSN Services Including PlayStation Store to Return This Week

[PS3 News]

Sony's Social Media Manager Jeff Rubenstein has confirmed today via press release (below) that full PSN services, including PlayStation Store, are set to return this week.

This press release just hit the wire - PlayStation Store and related services (like voucher redemption) back this week:

SONY AND SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE FULL RESTORATION OF PLAYSTATION NETWORK SERVICES

Tokyo, May 31, 2011 - Sony Corporation and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced today that Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) will fully restore all PlayStation Network services in the Americas, Europe/PAL territories and Asia, excluding Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea by the end of this week.

The company will also resume Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity™ for PlayStation 3 (PS3), PSP (PlayStation Portable), VAIO and other PCs. Details for Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea as well as the remaining services on Qriocity will be announced as they become available.

The company implemented considerable security enhancements to the network infrastructure, as well as conducted testing of the payment process and commerce functions. The first phase of PlayStation Network and Qriocity restoration began on May 15 in the Americas and Europe/PAL territories, followed by Japan and Asian countries and regions on May 28, when the company brought partial services back online.

With this partial restoration users were able to access to some of the services such as online game play, account management, friend lists and chat functionality were restored. The full restoration of PlayStation Network as well as part of services to become available on Qriocity will include:

- Full functionality on PlayStation Store
- In-game commerce
- Ability to redeem vouchers and codes
- Full functionality on Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3, PSP, VAIO and
other PCs
- Full functionality on Media Go

Customers will be able to purchase and download games and video content from the PlayStation®Store on PS3 or PSP. In addition, consumers will have full access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity through PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PC's. Service restoration of Video on Demand powered by Qriocity™ and Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for a variety of network-enabled Sony devices will be announced later.

"We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love," said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. "We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time."

The company will be offering customers a "Welcome Back" package of services and premium content to all registered PlayStation Network* and Qriocity account services. The details of this program will continue to be detailed regionally.

* Only available for those countries with access to PlayStation®Store.

We will update the PlayStation Blog when the PlayStation Store is once again open for business.


More PlayStation 3 News...

[10fwd]

i'll believe it when i see it

[PS3 News]

Heh indeed.. I wonder if when it fully goes back up how long it will remain though, saw this earlier today saying more trouble may be coming:

gamingbolt.com/hacking-group-its-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-sony-promises-more-hacks-soon
gamercrypt.com/content.php?407-Sony-has-now-got-the-attention-of-2-more-yet-less-restrained-hacker-groups

[Chivafighter]

Well i remember reading before that they will have everything ready by the 31st of may. At least the made the announcement on the 31st haha. But hopefully this week we can all enjoy the free games, whether you like the games or not.

[GrandpaHomer]

He he - it was obvious from the same beginning that they're heavilly struggling to put it all back together and that they'll leave going back to the very last minute just before E3 - and for two very good reasons. To use every extra minute available to work on "increasing security" (not so hard IMO to increase from defacto zero though, isn't it?) and to minimize time given to hackers to bring it down again till or during E3.

Knowing the Sony's approach and their "highly experienced security experts" (most likely the same ones that have designed the "secure" way of changing password via web) they hired to do the job they'd be lucky if it will even survive till end of E3 and then we could be looking at another couple of weeks of limited service.

[errorsys]

This announcement will be valid next week, too. And the week after next week...

[silencephaze]

about time! hope playstation store is finally up so i can download those freebies!