Okay Geek Farm
Sony: PSN services will return in a week, users will get free content for their troubles
Ricardo Trejo
Remember when you thought that hackers had gotten access to your credit cards and personal information and were selling them to the highest bidder across the black market due to the Playstation Network attack? Well, Sony’s CEO, Kaz Hirai, wants to let you to know that everything’s going to be alright. Not only that, but you’ll also be getting 1 whole free month of Playstation Plus for your troubles too! /sarcasm.
So What Happened?
After two whole weeks of back and forth investigating between gaming blogs, tweets, and behind the scene sources, Sony finally set the record straight in a press conference about the hack that took down the PSN.
Apparently, a “criminal-cyber attack” (a.k.a. hackers) against Sony’s San Diego data center was the culprit. There’s no news as to who was behind these actions but Kaz confided that a full investigation wa underway. Once it was discovered what had occured, Sony shut down the PSN and its services in hopes of stopping the criminals from causing any further damage. Since then they’ve engaged with multiple security firms to audit their current system and implent new defenses against such attacks.
The Return of PSN
As for when PSN and its many features will be brought back for gamers to return to their Call of Duty matches? We’ve heard that it’ll most likely come back online by the end of the week, coming in waves based on region, though there’s no word on when the PSN store will become available. Users will be treated to a mandatory firmware update which will force users to change their current passwords for extra security purposes.
Free Stuff
So what do you get for all this mess that Sony got you involved in? The company will be running a “Welcome Back” program, not that you wanted to leave in the first place, which will offer free stuff for those affected by the PSN blackout.
Central components of the “Welcome Back” program will include:
- Each territory will be offering selected PlayStation entertainment content for free download. Specific details of this content will be announced in each region soon.
- All existing PlayStation Network customers will be provided with 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service. Current members of PlayStation Plus will receive 30 days free service.
- Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity subscribers (in countries where the service is available) will receive 30 days free service.
Additional “Welcome Back” entertainment and service offerings will be rolled out over the coming weeks as the company returns the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services to the quality standard users have grown to enjoy and strive to exceed those exceptions.
We’re also hearing that Sony might be looking into reimbursing all of those that went ahead and replaced their credit cards in wake of the PSN attack. Though that information is a little sketchy at this point. If you did go ahead and switch up your credit cards then you might want to give Playstation a call or shoot them an email.
