106w ago - Sony's Social Media Manager Jeff Rubenstein has posted up a PSN FAQ today to cover some common questions now that PlayStation Network is restored.

To quote: Now that PlayStation Network is once again operational, a great many of you are once again enjoying playing games online.

Of course, that's only part of the Network's offerings - and you've got some questions about how the downtime affected planned releases and online events. Here are answers to some of the more pressing queries:

Q: So what exactly is working right now?
A: Sign-in for PlayStation Network and Qriocity (including the resetting of passwords), online gameplay for PS3 and PSP, playback of rental video content on PS3 (if within rental period), Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity on PS3 (for current subscribers), access to services such as Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and MLB.tv, "Friends" category on PS3 (including Friends List, Chat Functionality, Trophy Comparison, etc), in-game leaderboards, and PlayStation Home.

Q: I'm having trouble changing my password/I forgot which email I used on my account/I used a fake email to set up my account.
A: Click here for a set of tips on resetting your password. If you've gone through the process and are waiting for an email from us, please...

106w ago - Following the release of PS3 Firmware 3.61 and the PSN restoration announcement from Kazuo Hirai, Sony's Senoir Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media Patrick Seybold tells PSN users to 'play on' confirming that PlayStation Network restoration officially begins now.

To quote: Thank you for your patience and encouragement over the last few weeks. As covered in the post from earlier today, you can now update the firmware on your PS3 and change your password. Kazuo Hirai just announced that we have begun the phased restoration by region of some of the services, starting with online multiplayer functionality.

Please note that these services will take a bit of time to be turned on and rolled out to the whole country. The process has begun and some states are being turned on now, so please be patient as we reach your city and state. Well be updating the map below as service comes online in individual states.

It will take several hours to restore PSN throughout the entire country, so please keep checking back for the latest updates. In the meantime, nows a great time to get your PS3s firmware updated and change your password, both of which are required...

107w ago - As a follow-up to yesterday's PSN updates, Sony's Senior Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media Patrick Seybold has posted another brief PlayStation Network update as follows:

As you may know, we've begun the process of restoring the service through internal testing of the new system. We're still working to confirm the security of the network infrastructure, as well as working with a variety of outside entities to confirm with them of the security of the system. Verifying the system security is vital for the process of restoration. Additional comprehensive system checks and testing are still required, and we must complete that process before bringing the systems online.

As you've heard us say, our utmost priorities are the security of the network and ensuring your data is safe. We won't restore the services until we can test the system's strength in these respects.

When we held the press conference in Japan last week, based on what we knew, we expected to have the services online within a week. We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of...