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Sony Announces PlayStation Network Services to Resume

May 15, 2011 12:48 am
Will Fairway
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The Sony PlayStation Network resumes play according to a statement released from the company. Sony Corporation announced that they will be rolling out a phased restoration, done region-by-region, of the PlayStation Network. The restoration, which will resume play on the Sony PlayStation Network, will be phased in on a country by country basis beginning in the Americas.

The first phase of the services will allow players to sign-in for PlayStation Network services, including the resetting of passwords. Then, restoration of online game-play across PS3 and PSP platforms will be back online, which will be followed shortly by the allowance of various playback rental video content. The final pieces to be restored will include Music Unlimited, which is powered by Qriocity, on PS3 and PC and access to 3rd party services such as Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and MLB.tv. The “friends” category on PS3, including the friends list, chat, and trophy comparison will go online followed finally by the restoration of the PlayStation Home.

As a result of the well documented attacks which shut the network done for an extended period, Sony has put into place new, increased security measures. The company’s data-center, located in San Diego, CA shut down the entire network back on April 20th and ever since then, the company has scrambled to plug security holes. SNEI has been working closely with various outside security firms and implemented new security measures that strengthen safeguards against unauthorized activities. Some of the enhancements include updating and adding advanced security technologies and inserting additional monitoring on the network with added levels of encryption and firewalls. A statement from SNEI assures consumers that a variety of other measures are in place, including an early-warning system for unusual activity patterns.

Kazuo Hirai, the Executive Deputy President of Sony Corporation said in a statement to the media, “I’d like to send my sincere regret for the inconvenience this incident has caused you, and want to thank you all for the kind patience you’ve shown as we worked through the restoration process.” He went on to add, “I can’t thank you enough for your patience and support during this time. We know even the most loyal customers have been frustrated by this process and are anxious to use their Sony products and services again.”

The restoration of the Sony PlayStation Network for the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle Easter are beginning now and consumers will be able to take pleasure in some of the online capabilities of the network and services it offers. Phased restoration in Japan and other Asian countries has yet to be announced, with the Sony stating that they expect to have all network services restored by the end of May, 2011.

Finally, Sony announced that customers will be offered a “Welcome Back” package of services and premium content to all registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity account holders. The details of this new Welcome Back program have not been announced but will be soon on a region by region basis.