|| New Better 
Administrator
by During a press conference tonight in Tokyo, Sony detailed what it will
reward PlayStation Network users when the service is turned back on next
week after being shut down due to an illegal intrusion.
Sony announced its "Welcome Back" program worldwide, giving all existing
PlayStation Network users 30 days of PlayStation Plus for free. Current
PSN+ members will receive 30 days of additional service for free. It
will also provide "selected PlayStation entertainment content" for free
download. Details for each region will be announced at a later date.
Music Unlimited subscribers (in countries where the service is
available) will receive 30 days free service.
This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only
on our consumers, but our entire industry," said Kazuo Hirai, Executive
Deputy President, Sony Corporation. "These illegal attacks obviously
highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security. We take the
security of our consumers' information very seriously and are committed
to helping our consumers protect their personal data. In addition, the
organization has worked around the clock to bring these services back
online, and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of
security across our networks.
"Our global audience of PlayStation Network and Qriocity consumers was
disrupted. We have learned lessons along the way about the valued
relationship with our consumers, and to that end, we will be launching a
customer appreciation program for registered consumers as a way of
expressing our gratitude for their loyalty during this network downtime,
as we work even harder to restore and regain their trust in us and our
services."
Sony also said it is working with the FBI criminal investigation to
track down who hacked the network. The company re-confirmed it does not
believe credit card information was taken, but says customers should
keep an eye on their bank statements. Of the 78 million PSN users,
roughly 10 million had active credit cards on their account.
When the Network goes live next week, users must download a new system
firmware update and will ask users to create a new password. Sony will
also do a phased rollout by region for PSN services. Next week's initial
rollout includes:
- Restoration of Online game-play across the PlayStation 3 and PSP
systems. This includes titles requiring online verification and
downloaded games
- Access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3/PSP for existing
subscribers. Sony will have a phased rollout by region for PlayStation
Network next week. The services that will be available include:
- Access to account management and password reset
- Access to download un-expired Movie Rentals on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
- PlayStation Home
- Friends List
- Chat Functionality
