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!
TOO MUCH TRAFFIC SONY
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.
its at the top
For all you people who are having troubles getting your 2 free games…
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.
^Do that
Thank you Sony!
I did the poops
READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/READ/
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.
I got Killzone Liberation from doing this. If you get an error message then just keep trying, you WILL eventually get your game……
gone fishing!
dumb people dumb
can anyone help plz i donwloade a game did scea thing is not there n i dont know wat 2 do
Im done trying to help the simple minded.
Thank you sony for the free games, again im very grateful.
ya im bored see you retarts
Hi Sony i have a quick question, Where is the playstation home kiosk to get the free items?
I guess there’s no Welcome Back for PS3 owners who bought a system or didn’t create an account before the crash. It’s not like we could access the site either. If this is the type of “welcome” I can expect from Sony, then I’ll be more than happy to take my business elsewhere. Very poory run. A Welcome to PSN would have been nice even if it was only one game or something.
It says that the Welcome back content cannot be accessed on my account, even though ive had an account for well longer than required. Is it because i have never logged in on my current ps3 since the outage? how do i fix this?
I am very upset right now because I just got on a vacation to Europe, without bringing my PS3, for 30 days. ( I’ll be back July 1st). Does that mean that I will not be able to get the 2 free games and 30 days of free Playstation plus? ( Basically the whole Welcome Back package)? Please respond. (:
ok i got the welcome back package free games 1. and i accidently went back and now i am ripped off because i cannot select free games 1 anymore. only 2. so i got only 1 of the 2 free games. what do i do?
One question: Is the download version of Infamous only in english or can i play it e.g. in german?
I have a question.
I’ve had my eye on the Steel Rain Map Pack for Killzone 3. Its free with playstation plus, will i be able to keep that dlc after the 30 day free trial or should i just buy it?
@3072 If they gave away games for people just signing up now, everyone would just create alt accounts and get all of the free content. Go get a crapbox and see how much free “welcome” content you get there… After you pay $60 just to get live.
I signed in yesterday and downloaded one PS3 game I clicked on another and received an error mesage. Then when I go to teh welcome back screen I no longer have the oprion for game 2 under PS3. I did not get teh opportunity to download game 2. What can I do?
Please answer on comment 3074. I don’t know what to do!
@NRC-Nicolas5150 That’s really messed up! You should contact Sony and demand to be included into the Welcome Back program. The whole point of this is to make consumers happy and continue business with Sony after not being able use half of what the console does for over a month. If they don’t give you access to the same stuff we are getting, then they are asking to lose customers. I hope you get included!
On a separate note, I am blown away by the utter lack of common sense shown by people in these comments. I think any network infrastructure would be stressed with millions of people trying to access their servers and download massive amounts of data, all at the same time. You all know that saying patience is a virtue? Sony has stated that this offer will be available for 30 days. If you want smooth sailing through downloading all the Welcome Back stuff, just wait a few days or do it at night when there’s less people trying to connect to the servers. By the way, don’t even bother trying to get any Home items from that 1,000 item free list. You won’t get anywhere until there’s less people on the network.
Escalation will be out for ps3 this Friday the 10th!!!!!!
Anyone else drooling yet????
@sigurdTX
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.
“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.”
I call B.S. ! Clicking on ‘Account Management’ results in another error code ! Is this a “I should calm the f**k down till millions of others get their s**t” thing…? How the hell is my account got anything else to due with the store traffic ?
sigurdTX the awnser to your prob is at top of page ,sony posted yesterday
Hopefully you guys will see my question way back here on page 60+.
I picked up a PS3 near the beginning of the psn shutdown. I was very confused at first when setting up the ps3, but then found via google the information about what was happening, and then eventually found out that there was a good faith gesture of 2 psn games and a month of the psn premium service. I thought, oh well, it doesn’t work now but at least when it does work I’ll have a couple of free games to go with my new system. I made an account, and waited, using the ps3 as nothing more than a glorified blu ray player for much of the past month. Now I find that because I bought the ps3 during the outage, I’m not eligible for the apology package?
@ sigurdTX
The package will end on July 3… So I’m sure you will have time to get the free games seeing as you will be back on July 1. Just to reassure you here it is..
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.
i hope i get a discount on escalation for being a plus subscriber for free lol.
YO!!!
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.
my store is coming up with error message and i learnt the system had been hacked again can someone tell mewhat is going on? i was able to access the store last night but not today
just keep trying and follow instructions sony gave at top of page READ CARFULLY
Get errors? just back up and try again.there is network congestion
when i go to download the content on my psp i cant find anywhere where you can find it?
@BUTTKICKERS
THANKS YOU SO MUCH. YOU MADE ME SMILE, lol im so happy now. :)
Thank you Sony for the welcome back package. Haven’t downloaded free games yet due to high volume traffic, but will do it at a later date since we have 30 days! Also to all of those people complaining it is not Sony’s fault there is high traffic on the PSN it is all the people trying at the same time trying to download everything. I tried to buy a couple of things, but couldn’t then I signed out of Home and signed back in and got the error message and just kept trying back and forth out of the item and finally the error message went away and was able to buy it. You just have to keep trying, but if you are smart wait a few days when traffic dies down!! You will eventually get it just be patient as I have said in previous posts PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE so have a little!!
If you have a Sub-Account before the PSN outage, you can use that one to get 2 additional PS3 games. I just did that on mine to get LBP & Dead Nation in addition to InFamous & Wipeout!
I’m glad you’re back up and running and all….but WOW, keep getting multiple errors when selecting anything. You guys still have a long way to go to get back functionality like it was before you guys got hacked…
@3086 If you really think about it anyone who had a ps3/psp at the time of the hack had the risk of information being released or taken advatage of. Anyone who bougtht a psp/ps3 after the hack didn’t run the risk. So it’s logical Sony would be making it up to the people who had the greatest risk in this. Oh sure you couldn’t buy games online or do mulit stuff but you could still play single player games. Sure you didn’t have access but at least you didn’t have to worry about some hacker using your credit card to do who knows what.
@3092 did you have an account before 04/20/2011?
I purchased my PS3 on april 23rd, unknowing of the psn outage and was very disappointed that I was unable to use the features I originally purchased for this system. I am attempting to download the welcome back content, and I read that this is only available to PS3 owners prior to April 20, I still have the receipt). Is there a possibility I can be included in this offer? I’m frustrated that I was unable to use my PS3 fully when I purchased it, and I have made an entire switch from the Xbox platform due to discrepancies in their product, and the better PS3 system. I have stayed glued to the PSN blog in anticipation of playing online, using netflix, and various other PSN features, now to be let down due to the fact I cannot be offered the welcome back offer due to not buying a ps3 before the PSN outage.
Would you please get back to me on this topic?
Thank you.
im keep geting an error code?!?! for the store
@3099 I doubt it because as you said you bought your system on the 23rd.
@3100 joing the club. It’s the weekend and everyone wants their updates, free stuff, and whatever else.
sorry that should have been join the club
@3099 Unfortunately you can’t take part in the free offers. You had to have a PSN ID before the April 20th outage. You didn’t have an account therefore you are not able to have access the free content. Even though you bought your system on the 23rd, you did not/could not become a PSN user until after the network was restored. It sucks for you but Sony made it clear only those who were PSN users before April 20th would have access to this content.
How do you go to XMB on your PS3
@3104 I know people have said it’s unfair that they aren’t getting anything and they were a part of the outage but in a way I think it’s fair. Plus calling it a welcome back package is really the smart thing since they were welcomeing back the people who were counted as customers.
Wwoiooooooooo
I got my PS3 a week after the outage and was unable to make an account until a week and a half after that. I asked support a while ago whether I would be allowed to partake in the welcome back plan since the outage affected me plenty as well, and two separate representatives said yes. And now it appears that the package is only available to those who had accounts before. I find this very unfair. Can somebody help me out here?
how do i get PS3 games 1 and 2 i tryed downloading them earlier but gave me an error code so now the Game 1 and Game 2 arnt there and now im without 2 games does this work??
XMB>PlayStation Network>Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotions to complete the process