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!
Dear Susan Pinaco,
Could you ask your Sony associates to add The cross game chatting functionalty and Change your online ID functionality. This would be amazing. Please can you reply to this. :)
I Mean Panico not Pincao sorry Susan !
Hi, I only own a PSP, and I would like to know how to activate my PS +, Can I do it using Media Go?
I cannot see anything in the store.
Are the store or network down again in some areas? keep getting error messages and being signed out of the network. ???
@4034 you can’t, we psp users don’t get the plus since it’s only for ps3
ERROR 80028E01 ERROR
this was weird i just go t aighned out for no reason my internet is fine whats goin on?
Store still seems to be locking up a lot with errors. probably going to take a couple weeks before it’s not overloaded i guess.
Could be a possible overload of people trying to get in.
@4038 – yeah, that keeps happening to me too. my internet connection is fine.
I went to obtain the free PS+ and i got that then i went to get my two free games.. The error code keeps coming up so i back out of the store i go back in and get one of my games at the beginning of getting my second game the error code comes up. I click out of the store then go back in and it doesnt have the “get second game” icon there anymore… I only got to get 1 game. How can i get my second free game? Is it gone forever? I got InFamous. Help!
little big planet and dead nation for me!!!!thanks sony keep up the good work
@4040 – yeah, it’s the weekend and i guess they don’t have enough servers or something to handle the major overload.
i forgot,killzone liberation and pursuit force on my psp too!!!!
Make Everything On The PlayStation Store “Free!!!” ,And Put Some New Features On PS3 Menus ….Nothing Has Changed ,You Guys Lied
just got back into the network. woo-hoo! thank you Sony.
They Need To Make Most Cool “Avatars” Free!!! …There’s Only Crappy Ass “Avatars” We Could Download
Since there has only been one post by Sony Corp and alot of questions I have emailed Sony about why psp users were not advised of the ps+ not working for them. Yeah if you go to the plus page it will say for ps3 but at the same time we see the plus for discounts on minis and it’s kinda of frustrating. I think they could do a program for both systems.
NO ONE HAS ANSWER ME WHAT DO WE GET?
@4046 they can’t. What I’m thinking is the devolpers had a hand in what games were allowed to be free as well.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT DO WE GET THE PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE PS3 ON 420 AND GOT SCREWED JUST LIKE THE REST BUT WORSE YOU GO OUT VUY THE SYSTEM GET HOME AND BOOM NET DOWN FOR OVER 3 WEEKS WE GET NOTHING? BUT EVERYONE ELSE GETS SOMETHING THIS IS RIDICULOUS SONY
@4052 maybe it’s because we had more to loose then anyone who got the ps3 or psp after the hack. You guys don’t have to worry about possible stolen credit card info or other personal data being taken. I know your frustrated about the whole mess and I would advise you to contact sony directly about it and just not on the blogs.
THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IM ASKIN ABOUT THIS YEA I GET NO ANSWER AT ALL FROM SONY WHAT HAPPEN YOU GUYS GET HACKED AGAIN OR SOMETHING IT WOYLD BE NICE TO GET A ANSWER AROUND HERE A LIL BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE GOES ALONG WAY I DID GO OUT AND SPENT OVER 700 DOLLARS IN ONE DAY ON SONY PRODUCTS I THINK I DESERVE A ANSWER AT LEAST
So I bought a ps3 on the 21st. Waited patiently through the whole outage with everyone else. And Sony you’re telling. Me I’m SOL?
I UNDERSTAND YOU HAD MORE TO LOSE BUT WE SUFFER JUST AS MUCH FOR AS LONG AS EVERYONE ELSE AT THE END NOTHING WAS STOLER ACCORDING TO SONY SO REALLY YOU DIDNT LOSE MORE
@4054 Have you considered the fact that sony is getting slamed right now with error message questions, unhappy customers trying to find out how to get their games when they can read this blog, and other things? Email or call them. just go to us. playstation.com and their is a contact us link it says they are open on sundays.
THATS WHAT IM SAYIN WHAT DO WE GET SONY WE WANT A ANSWER IM NOT ALONE ON THIS MANY PS3 OWNERS WHO GOT IT ON THOSE DAYS WANT TO KNOW WHAT ABOUT US?
Have you considered the fact that because you couldn’t create an account sony has no way to see when you bought your system or make it so you could receive something?
I HAVE A RECEIPT VERY SIMPLE I CAN GIVE THEM THE NUMBER AND THEY CAN CALL THE STORE IS NOT THAT HARD MY FRIEND SONY AGAIN IS JUST TRYIN TO LET IT GO BY LIKE AT FIRST WHEN THEY TRY TO HIDE THE FACT THAT THEY GOT HACKED
SO AGAIN IM ASKIN AND IM NOT ASKIN YOU THERE MY FRIEND SO MIND YOUR BUSSINES IM ASKIN SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR SONY WHO CAN GIVE ME A ANSWER WHAT DO WE GET?
THANK YOU SONY!!!!
@Is it that simple? Do you even realize how much work and push they had to put into this project? Sure it would be easy just to give everyone a free product but your not looking at the big picture here. The Sony heads are the ones who made the choice. They had to make a call and there is nothing you or I can do to change that.
@4061 Sony isn’t going to reply on here call or email them.
OH THERE IS I WILL SIMPLY NEVER BUY ANY SONY PRODUCT AGAIN AND I WILL ENCOURAGE MANY NOT TO SINCE THEY CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THERE CUSTOMERS YOU SHOULD NOT RUN A BUSSINES IF YOU CANT HANDLE IT IF IS TO BIG THEN LET SOMEONE ELSE RUN IT SINCE YOU CANT SEE I LOOK AT SOLUTIONS IM NOT ASKIN FOR MUCH IM ASKIN FOR WHAT EVERYONE ELSE GOT I SUFFER JUST AS MUCH AND THERE IS PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAD THERE CREDIT CARD ON RECORD WHO ONLY USED PLYSTATION NETWORK CARDS SO THEY HAD NOTHING TO LOSE THEY STILL GOT THE FREE STUFF CAUSE THE NET WAS DOWN OVER 3 WEEKS SO I SUFFER JUST AS MUCH WHY SHOULD I GET NOTHING IS NOT MY FAULT THEY GOT HACKED AND THAT I COULD NOT MAKE A ACCT PROTECT YOUR SERVICES NEXT TIME AND DPNT HAVE A FIREWALL THATS OVER 10 YEARS OLD THEN YOU WOULD NOT BE IN THIS MESS A CORP LIKE SONY SHOULD OF KNOWN BETTER
That would be your choice to do. Part of the problem is you think like a consumer, Sony looks at the bottom line, cash. Sure they could have created a program for all the customers who were not able to join after the hack but then again think of all the research and added money they would have to put into man hours to verify the information. At that point they would make a loss. And yes some customers didn’t have credit cards on file but they did pay money into the network.
i just downloaded the dead nation game and my option for psn plus subscription and my 2e game are gone i just see a blank page
The coolest part is on psn home, everybody gets a two free personal spaces as dragon’s lair and manison garage, plus other 100 free virtal items which is pretty neat. I do love Sony company alot since they do make excellent ps3 systems and doing the best they can to keep psn network alot more tight secured. However, still wish Sony could increase more than 8 chartacters as people could use more than 8 chartacters when changing passwords as for extra security, of course. Sony does NOT want another security breach like they did on April this year and they never had one in their entire life before.
I understand exactly how you feel because I also had to wait until it was back online before i could finally make an account becasue I was finally able to get online with my system. I also waited for the store to open and was looking forward to the package. I have emailed them mutliple times but to response. I think it is dserving for all of those who had to wait on either the network or for those who had to wait weeks for the store to open. I also am starting to think that Sony is unfair. I have always thought sony was awesome, which has lead me to own all 3 consoles and even the PSP. Maybe it is best to go over to an xbox.
bigbaddoom31 is right, there is nothing we can do the decision was made, like he suggests call or email, thats the best option, maybe something might happen you never know
Thank you AbruptedWotas. What bothers me is he said they could call the store and ask if he bought the system. They would have to go through their records and may not release that information. Second of all what’s not to say someone has a friend at the store who would lie for them. I’m not accusing anyone of fraud but it’s something people need to think about.
Shinra_Soldier7,
get a xbox360, but keep your ps3, have the best of both worlds. they both have awesome exclusives ,live is better, i love them both:)
The store is only functioning because Sony didn’t wanted to be laughed out of E3. I’d be willing to bet after E3 the store comes down again for “maintenance” It’s standing on one leg with all the volume of people wanting their free stuff as is.
Thanks for the offer, but you don’t owe me any free games or services over Playstation Network. The year of identity theft protection was already far more than enough for me.
@4073 or maybe people are just waiting to try again.
bigbaddoom31,
I just think like what you say call or email is the best way to be heard..unhappy people got nothing flood their email, and call center…thats how you get heard
I was jsut able to actually get online because we have had issues with connection because of our provider and I could finally play online for the first time about 2 weeks ago. All im saying is that some had to wait for either the network or the store to open. At least give those who made an account before the store was restored a counsolation package or something for like one game for each system or something.
WOW I CAN LOG IN I COULDENT B4 TY SONY
@bigbaddoom
I don’t get what you mean? Waiting to try what again? to download?
What I think would help them out is to add a section marked welcome back package or create an email account just for those questions.
@4079 to download yes.