UPDATE: Due to high traffic on PlayStation Store, you may encounter error messages or issues. We advise you to check back a little later and try again.
Note: In order to download two games at no cost, you must redeem them from the “Welcome Back” category. The individual titles are still available for purchase outside of the “Welcome Back Program”
If at any point you can’t find the ‘Welcome Back Free Game 1 or 2’ products, the list of available titles or a game you’ve selected, go to your XMB>PlayStation Network>Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotions to complete the process.
We’re so excited to welcome you back to PlayStation Network. With the PlayStation Store back online, we’ve been getting all caught up this week, having launched an abundance of amazing content for download on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable devices across games, movies, themes and DLC. Today, we’re excited to launch the Welcome Back program to thank you for your loyalty, and below, we’ve got what you need in order to get access to the included content. So, here’s a list of questions about the program. If you don’t see your question below, mention it in the comments and we’ll do our best to provide an answer. Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we restored the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services – your support has meant a lot to us and is greatly appreciated.
Q: What’s in the Welcome Back Program?
A: To start, all PSN members who had signed up before the outage (April 20, 2011) will be able to select two games for the PS3 system and two games for the PSP system.
For PS3 owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section in the PlayStation Store, and select 2 titles from the following list:
- Dead Nation
- inFAMOUS
- LittleBigPlanet
- Super Stardust HD
- Wipeout HD + Fury
For PSP owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section of PlayStation Store on your PSP system and select 2 titles from the following list:
- LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
- ModNation Racers
- Pursuit Force
- Killzone Liberation
Select your first game from “Game 1”, then return to the Welcome Back page and go to “Game 2” to select your second game out of the remaining choices available. This goes for both PS3 and PSP.
In addition, we’re giving access to our premium subscription service, PlayStation Plus, which includes games, huge discounts, exciting exclusives and added features like online storage and automatic downloads, to all PSN members for 30 days at no charge, requiring no long term commitment. As with the games above, go to the PlayStation Store and under the ‘Welcome Back’ section, select ‘PlayStation Plus: 30 Days Free’, and you’ll be given access to all of the benefits of PlayStation Plus. Note that this will not auto-renew and simply expires 30 days after activation.
Current Plus subscribers receive an extra 60 days added to their existing subscription at no charge. For current Plus subscribers, no action is needed as the 60 days are automatically added to your subscription.
PlayStation Network users will also get 100 virtual items in PlayStation Home as a show of appreciation for your patience while Home was inaccessible. Additional content is coming soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.
A selection of “On Us” movie rentals are currently available to PlayStation Network customers this weekend only, where Video Service is available.
Finally, current Music Unlimited Premium subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of premium subscription plus days lost due to the outage.
Q: When will I have access to the Welcome Back Program?
A: The content offered as part of the Welcome Back Program is available for download today and will be available through July 3.
Q: I have both PS3 and PSP. Does this mean I will get 4 games all together?
A: Yes, as long as you were a PSN member before April 20, 2011, you’ll be able to receive up to 4 games based on the titles listed above; 2 on each platform.
Q: Are there any limitations to the PS3 and PSP games we are receiving as part of the Welcome Back Program?
A: These games are yours to keep.
Q: How long do I have to get into the PlayStation Store and receive my content for Welcome Back?
A: Access to the Welcome Back content will be expiring on July 3. Once this date has passed, the Welcome Back section in the PlayStation Store will be removed.
Q: When does the 30 days of my PlayStation Plus access expire?
A: Your PlayStation Plus 30-day access will expire 30 days from the date you activated it in PlayStation Store.
Q: When will (insert game here) be published?
A: Look forward to posts over the coming days that will show what content will be available at that point, or coming soon. We’re planning frequent store publishes offering lots of new content for everyone to enjoy.
Q: I’m getting 30 days of access to PlayStation Plus; can you refresh my memory on what I get with this service?
A: From the time you activate your 30 days of PlayStation Plus, you’ll be able to download games and game related content, purchase select store items at a discount, and have access to the exclusive features of Plus. You’ll also be able to get early access to any Plus exclusive Demos and priority Beta invitations that might be scheduled during your 30 days.
Q: Do I get to keep the games in PlayStation Plus forever?
A: Content that is free in PlayStation Plus will not be available after your PlayStation Plus time has expired. However, if you decide to join PlayStation Plus, you’ll have access to all of the content you downloaded during your 30 day access for as long as you are a subscriber.
Q: Do I get to keep any games or content I purchased with the PlayStation Plus discount?
A: Yes. Any content you purchase at a discount is yours to keep, regardless of your subscription status.
Q: Aside from the games and discounts; does PlayStation Plus offer anything else?
A: Yes! PlayStation Plus includes the Online Storage for Game Saves feature, allowing you to backup treasured game saves or access them from another PS3 system as long as you are a subscriber. In addition, you get the Automatic Download feature, which automatically updates your 10 most recently played games while the system is in stand-by mode so you don’t have to wait for updates before playing your games.
Q: What content will be in PlayStation Plus when I activate my 30 days?
A: PlayStation Plus content and discounts are regularly updated throughout the month. For up-to-date information on content within PlayStation Plus, please visit the Plus homepage.
Q: Where can I find the Welcome Back content in Home?
A: The 100 virtual items can be found in the kiosk in Home’s Central Plaza along with two personal spaces – Dragon’s Lair and the Mansion Garage. A new game – Ooblag’s Alien Casino – will be released soon (June 2011). This game will be free-to-play. As an added bonus, players that access the Ooblag Alien Casino space will be rewarded an active item version of the Ooblag game that can be played in your personal space(s).
Q: How do I access the content in the Welcome Back Program?
A: Follow the steps below to access the content in the Welcome Back Program:
1. Log on to PlayStation®Store
2. Click on the “Welcome Back” tab in the upper left menu
3. Select “Welcome Back Free PS3™ Game 1”
4. Within the category, click on the “Welcome Back Free PS3™ Game 1” product and “Get Now”
5. Select your free PS3™ game*, and “Download”*
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with “Welcome Back Free PS3™ Game 2”
7. Go to the XMB™ to play your free games.
Q: I clicked on one of the Welcome Back Free PS3/PSP Game 1/2 selections, clicked “Get Now”, but no games showed up. Now that option is no longer selectable in the Store. Where is my game?
A: This is an issue we’re working on resolving, however for the time being, you can still get to that content by going to the XMB and under the PlayStation Network column, go to Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotion. You should be able to access the content in the option you selected here.
Q: Why am I getting errors saying I can’t access the Store?
A: Due to the surge of people going to the Store, you may experience some blocks in accessing certain areas of the store. Give it another try, or wait for a small period of time to avoid the rush.
Remember, if you didn’t see your question answered above, drop us a line below and we’ll do our best to answer it. Welcome Back!
@2322 I agree though it would have been tough as most of the good JRPGs are third party like NISA or Atlus (I own a lot of their games…NISA is my favorite publisher actually) and Sony would need permission and to most likely pay for the titles and that would cost A LOT considering the number of PSN members….but still I wish their were some cool JRPG titles or even themes or avatars,,,,and why is my avatar still a prinny….I switched to demon Flonne(I’m a dude I just like the Disgaea chars)
@wggh
have you installed the game on the same account on which youve bought it?
otherwise you will have to download it again and install it on the account on which youve bought it this time
uummm where exactly do we get our free movie rentals at???
@MokeyMokey
Sure, I downloaded the game and installed it on the same account…Did you faced this issue or something, I dont know what to do… do i need to delete and download the game again or i have a problem that i am ignoring
Don’t really feel ‘welcomed back’.
There are way too many pages for me to go through to check if this has been addressed already, so if has been then I apologize in advance.
It states that to get your Playstation Plus trial, you:
1. Log on to PlayStation®Store
2. Click on the “Welcome Back” tab in the upper left menu
3. Select “PlayStation®Plus 30 Days Free”
I have done these things, but number three does not appear and it says ‘no content has been found’. I have already gotten my games, but I never saw an option to the Playstation Plus and it isn’t just because of server overload because I’ve been checking all day and night.
When I downloaded my first PlayStation Plus game (Sonic the hedgehog 2) It said said it’ll only be avible until my Play station Plus membership is active. So even after the 30 days I won’t be able to enjoy the games I downloaded. I wonder why?
Why do people believe that they only have one day to download? You have 30……
Yeah everyone you have until July to get the welcome back package.
Tryed 2 get the 100 free homes items says i got them all but half of the stuff is not in my inventory ???? can anyone help ???? thanks…
I have a problem redeeming a game for the “Welcome Back” program. I got onto the store (which was an issue itself with the errors), and I went to the Welcome Back page, then to Game 1 (for PS3), and tried click the Get Now button. Every time I did, I got an error, and did NOT get the purchase confirmation screen. I decided to back out and try it again later, however when I did the option for Game 1 disappeared, and now I have to way of getting it back.
I went back on later and clicked on Game 2, and it went through, I backed up and selected my game, downloaded it, and then back out to the game selection screen. It said [1 remaining] or something like that at the bottum of the list, but it wouldn’t let me select another game, I just got errors.
Is there anything that can be done for me to get the other game? Thanks.
This Welcome back package isn’t really all that great. Like in the U.K. they get Ratchet and Clank. I think the we all should of gotten the same benefits and games. No matter what country you live in. Also the games from play station plus expire when the 30 days are over that’s basically like a scam. You gotta make the customers happy and a lot of people wanted to switch to Xbox during the hacking.
For the first time in 33 years of gaming, I’m ashamed to be numbered with other gamers. When I got into arguments in the ’70s, I was defending against critics who insisted that video games would lead to the kinds of things I’ve been seeing on this thread all night–inability to read and comprehend repeated instructions, maintenance of childish thoughts and attitudes, inability to establish an objective sense of scope–it’s all here.
The folks at Sony did a great job. Sure, there were a lot of errors and lag, but THAT’S ALL. The fact that their physical infrastructure didn’t melt into slag from the millions of users constantly bombarding it to get at this well-rounded package must be one of the greatest coups in computing history.
Why is Sony ignoring the issue that many people are having of inFamous not being in the list of available games?
There are rumors that this is tied to the previous full game trial.
Sony, please at least acknowledge this issue.
A bad situation is getting worse and worse.
question how long do i have to chose my games and the ps plus before the welcome back option is removed from the psstore cuz i dont want to use the psplus now i want to use it in july ?
I am EXTREMELY disappointed in Sony. So, what about those of us apparent morons who bought their PS3 DURING the outage? You know, those of us that supported Sony during a down time for the company and took a leap of faith? Those of us that also went through the outage?
I guess newer owners aren’t appreciated. I was very vocal in my support of Sony during these times, but now I’m starting to regret my purchase of a PS3. Nice way to appreciate a customer who joined you when times were hard, Sony.
I hate to say “XBox,” but I’m really feeling the ill will here.
Bet I don’t get a response from anyone, either.
so if someone decided not to get a 360 then they deserve more free stuff? are you kidding? if someone said they are going to go get a 360 because the network was down to me sounds like they dont deserve anything at all.
i went to my ps store yetserda night and i got the free welcome back pack and i got one psp game k but i did not get a ps3 game like u promise so where is because its not in my downloads at all. all i am asking to give me what u guys promise me thats all. Playstation company u guy are good at what u do but it would be nice to give me that ps3 game.
When I select the Welcome Back Program site on MediaGo, it loads for 7 decades, and then it just says. No content is available. I created my account in like February, so I should be able to get the games.
not cool psn the explamation should be more obvious i went and put the stuff in add to cart and they dissapeared along with the section i just got a stupid psn+ i want my free games please do something to fix this
I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DOWNLOAD UR GAME WHEN THE THE GAME 2 DOWNLOAD DISAPPEARS..
**** YOU HAVE TO GO TO YOUR ACCOUNT MANAGMENT THEN CLICK ON SERVICE LIST AND CLICK ON THE PROMOTION OFFER AFTER THAT CLICK ON GAME 2 IF THE GAME 2 DISAPPEARED AND CLICK THE BUTTON ON THAT PAGE.***
plus i am from canada ok
@2343
Did you come back from 70 years in the future to tell us?
omg thank you so much biajuan sorry psn were cool
THNXX.
yea what biajuan said has been posted on here many times
@Johnny_Toastburn Go buy a PC and stop being such a moron.
now i get my psp games and my ps3 games one quesion though i saw for the ps+ it said it will renew after it expires can i turn that off?
Heh, yeah you can turn it off…don’t put your credit card info in… LOL
@2352
Q: When does the 30 days of my PlayStation Plus access expire?
A: Your PlayStation Plus 30-day access will expire 30 days from the date you activated it in PlayStation Store.
Um… NO, boondox30, what I said was that I bought a PS3 during the outage. What difference should it make when I bought the thing? I joined the so called “PS3 Family” during the outage… so why wouldn’t I (and lots of other folks who bought their PS3’s during the outage) be part of the North American Customer Appreciation Program? It’s no skin off Sony’s nose to allow us the same downloads. I *didn’t* consider jumping ship because the network was down…. I’m considering jumping ship because apparently Sony doesn’t appreciate my leap of faith in purchasing their product while a major selling point (the PSN) was down and I also went through about six weeks of no online service. If you’re going to be a snot and call me out, at least read carefully.
Again, if this is a Customer Appreciation Program, they’re doing a great job showing they don’t appreciate customers.
And it ain’t up to you to decide if I deserve anything, son.
@Wakener
Nicely said, english isn’t even my first language and i managed just fine with the help of the instructions (found them pretty clear), sure there were alot of errors and lag but i imagine there were millions of users online at the same time just trying to get all the free stuff, i just kept at it and a few hours later i was done, the most irritating part of it all as always, having to spend hours downloading….hours installing….hours installing game patches/updates/packs, i never understood that, on an xbox i just download and i’m ready to play the game, at most i’ll spend a couple of minutes on a patch after that…but that’s a whole other story.
why i can no longer see the Welcome nack package thingy i SELECTED “GET NOW” but then i accidently turn the ps3 off and went back to store couldnt find it?
its not sonys fault someone bought a ps3 when it was all over the news that the network was hacked, son.
Downloaded and installed almost every game PS3/PSP love my two accounts :) :) :)
Never played none of these games so I’m happy, who cares if they kind of old remember they’re free…I guess its suck for those who have or played the games before but they are also lots of peeps like me who never played these games so I guess we’re the happy ones :) looking forward to play infamous plus my girl don’t have to be pissed off at me all the time cause now she can play that Little Big thing…Thanks Sony!!!
Check the history of products and services you have downloaded (as a purchase or for free) from (PlayStation®Store), as well as information on past usage. Select (Account Management) under (PlayStation®Network), and then select (Transaction Management).
2356 – It’s not a “customer appreciation program”… it’s a “welcome back sorry you spent a month in the dark program” Since you bought the PS3 after the hack your personal information was never compromised. This and the outage is why we are getting games.
So… this isn’t entirely related to the Welcome Back, but in order for me to get some of the things listed on the Plus page I’d need funds in my wallet. When I go to add them, it continues to give me the ‘funds cannot be added’ when I know for a fact that it should work. :/
Wow, amazing how many people are complaining about this and that when Sony is offering this free welcome back package even tho they don’t have too.
Thanks Sony, appreciate the free games!
It’s because the store is being overloaded with everyone wanting the free games, I’m waiting to get mine.. :)
yes its a welcome back not a welcome for the first time
Even though I have all the games but WIpeoutHD + Fury already, but eh what the hell :)
YAY!!!!! EVERYBODY IS VERY HAPPY WITH SONY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
went to get Game 1 picked infamous tried to add to cart said to go back and do something else didn’t get infamous in cart or download list now the Game 1 List is gone
@2367
Check the history of products and services you have downloaded (as a purchase or for free) from (PlayStation®Store), as well as information on past usage. Select (Account Management) under (PlayStation®Network), and then select (Transaction Management).
@2367
If at any point you can’t find the ‘Welcome Back Free Game 1 or 2’ products, the list of available titles or a game you’ve selected, go to your XMB>PlayStation Network>Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotions to complete the process.
reading the instructions might help…a bit.
Man im Happy but one things for sure i hope this never happens again. and one Question why cant i play the games i Downloaded off of the Welcome back Pack isnt letting me play it… Man i got pissed when i tought u had to download both the game 1 and 2 lol i tought i wasn’t getting nothin when i saw them disappear.
Whens Escalation Map Pack coming out again? i want to get some Zombie kills on it already lol.
I got my 2 games ( InFamous & Deadnation) and also due to Psn+ I got a few other nice games also as “Burnout Paradise”. Thank you Sony. If you’ll keep doing a good job at this Psn+ thing I might reconsider buying a longer membership as it isn’t that expensive.
But there is 1 thing I did not find today. I read that Killzone 3 Map-Pack would be free with psn+. but it is nowhere to find in the psn-store. I hope you’ll fix this, because otherwise it would feel like you’d be cheating on people and taking away free stuff for this month. Reconsider your actions Sony!!
Anyway good job for now even if servers are overloaded people, you just have to be a bit patient in the store and ignore the warnings and it’ll work after a few tries.
well said @ post 2338
+ Wakener on June 4th, 2011 at 4:48 am