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!
how do you access XMB
@3152, I am using a Ps3
Yeah I tried downloading my free games and I chose infamous and selected download and it gave me error 80710D36 and both of my free games are gone now. So Sony if you could look into this and restore the games that would be great because it looks like this is happening to a lot of people.
How do your change your estate on playstation home.
If it gives you the error follow the steps given by Sony and if Infamous doesn’t show up don’t know what to tell you.
hi kristi can you pls. see why i keep getting a message saying the playstation store is not available. it been going on all day
hey kristie any info on why we cant get in on the store?
@3152 – 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.
@ 3154 – 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.
@3163 it could be the large amount of people trying to log in is causing issues like it is for everyone else.
Sony my ps3 keeps giving message saying an error has occured (80710D36) please help I’ve been really patient and still am but I really want to get my games thanks!
unfortunatly enough for me I made a new account after the network started working again so i cant access Welcome Back enough even though i can validate my ownership of an account prior to 4/20
@3167 join the rest of the crowd the store is getting slammed.
@ mdavido (3165)
Thanks.
That is what I wanted to make sure of, I figured because it was paid for it is yours to keep, but I wanted to make sure first.
Thanks for the free games and services! You guys deserve more credit than you get for all the hard work to satisfy ungrateful gamers.
@3168 ok thanks I will try later
@3159 – Your XMB is your main screen where you choose to play games, watch videos, play music, change settings, etc….
Do your homework people…
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD + Fury
Dead Nation – All games that they have been “giving away” as promos for a long time now. Those of us who have BEEN supporting things like Qore or Plus are S.O.L.
LittleBigPlanet – 2 1/2 yrs. old, 5 million copies sold… Meaning most of us own it. So I guess it’d be cool if ya just got a PS3. Oh ! If ya just got a PS3 (AKA, made a purchase when Sony needed ya the most) you’re S.O.L. ! The game is, however, jammed packed with DLC. Much of which is discounted via PS+, which is also FREE for a whole month ! Not to mention LBP2 is more appealing if ya got the first one free.
Infamous – Another 2 yr. old game… With a sequel droppin in a matter of days !
There are tons of deals via PS Plus for PSP content, but if you you only own a PSP you gets no Plus !
Throw in a week of being left in the dark ’till the U.S. Senate stepped in and forced Sony to inform us we’re all at the risk of identity theft, nothing but empty promises in regards to delayed restorations on our services and the very decision to release this so called “apology” globally….
And some of you are actually thanking them !
Hi I have a question. will the playstation give me a discount for the COD escalation map pack?
Get Dead Nation, people. Best game they’re offering!
So i downloaded wipeout the original then the exp pack and It shows in the saved game data content but there is no place on the XMB to execute the game. Hmm… Should I try reloading??
So the people who own all those games get nothing? I mean I don’t have inFamous or LBP through PSN but i own them both on disc, and the rest bought through PSN.
@3177 – You got it ! Welcome Back to wiping spit out of your face for being a early supporter of Sony’s content.
I find it funny when people say they have been patient waiting for the content and the errors.. it’s the second day people! That’s not being patient!
So I went to the XMB>PlayStation Network>Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List but I do not see SCEA Promotions as one of the choices. In fact, it says that No Content Was Found. I tried going to the PS Store to get my stuff from there, but when I went to the Welcome Back button, all it had on there was the ability to grab a free Theme. Not what I was looking for in the slightest. Could I get some knowledge as to why this happened? Would really love to be able to play inFAMOUS at least.
where do you go to play the free game
For some reason i can get the PS+ i got my 4 free games but it won’t let get the PS+, it keeps saying “you cannot access this on your acount”, for what can someone plz help me a gamer or a employee?
@3178 – Pretty much, all this teaches me is to wait for Sony to get hacked and we get free stuff, so don’t buy things, got it.
So glad i already downloaded all my stuff and ps+ now its for ps home that i need to get
@Majinonifox1 : yes it will probably say that … u just keep going back and forth until it finally works. and if the game doesn’t want to download when u press it then go to downloads list and it should be there and keep going back and forth until it works… right now I’m playing my free Dead Nation game! ;D
although Infamous is 7 GB and my Internet modem is messed up so it takes a while and by a while 1GB in like 2 hours instead of when i could do that in like 30 mins. So 2,000Gb downloaded 5000 to go *sighs* Dead nation passes time tho almoost beat the game and got it this morning. :D
I keep seeing the posts where people are talking aobut the free games and how it’s Sony’s fault. Well let’s say Sony went to Sucker Punch and pitched the welcome back package to them to see if they would work with them for something they could give for free. Sucker Punch givess them a few game names and let’s them pick from the list. Now keeping in mind giving away a free game would cost them money which do you think they would come up with for that list? An older game or a newer game they know they can make money off of?
I went into the PSN store and went into the Welcome Back category. When I looked in it all there is is Plus +30 Days, Free PS3 game 1, Free PSP Game 1, and Free PSP Game 2. What happened to my free PS3 game 2? I looked and restarted my PS3 and internet. My Free PS3 game 2 is not there. Did I just get scammed into 1 free game?
Go to Acc. Management……..Then the Next management, Service list and download them from there. Keep trying every 10 sec if u get error code.
Actually 5 cuz theres prob less traffic than yesterday
So this is how u do it. Account Management<Transaction Management<Services List<SCEA Promotion and you should see the stuff left there from the PSP+PS3 games to PS+ and the Theme thingy
This should help the people who r stuck yw.
it doesnt work it only works for free ps plus thats it you cant get 2 free games or it says error or not avalble at this time and its gone so its a scam and it gives you a error when you try to go in to psn store u have press it like 5 times for it to work this a fail at trying have custerms be happy
can we download and keep the 3 movies forever?
@ Maxx… : go to account management , then services list (if it is nothing could be found just keep on going back and forth until it shows a bunch of options) then click the first one then it should say your missing game 2 there, click that and then click again and should pop up the games.
Thank you, I now got it. You’re a Life saver man haha. @dA_dRuNkEn_OnE
it just fails cause a bunch of people are trying to download at the same time so lots of traffic and wont let you do anything PSN is trying their best … i mean common free games is really hurting their wallets right now~
Its the servers you just have to be patient. Took me like 15 mins straight just to get all my stuff. Cuz of the errors but keep w8ting 10 seconds then or longer cuz the Server might be even back up bigger now. I did this the moment it came out so it makes it easier.
yw
Ima try the ps+ now and do same thign cuz yesterday i had no success at all :p I need those 100 items and does any1 kno when that free movie weekend is?
@3194 from the blog itself:”A selection of “On Us” movie rentals are currently available to PlayStation Network customers this weekend only, where Video Service is available” Since those are the only free movies I would have to say no.
didnt let me get infamous lol
shet its TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! ********************************* Gotta start watching those three movies.
My sister and I share the same PS3, and we both have PSN accounts. Does that mean we’ll be able to get four free PS3 games total? Or just two?
where do you go to play the games
If you have had ps+ since launch and downloaded but didn’t play the infamous trial, re-download it if it isn’t currently installed and play the 1 hour and it will show up as a choice for the welcome back package.
Someone from Sony please add this to the main post so others can find out how to fix this issue.