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!
Sony has the slowest servers ever. It took all night just to download Infamous and I have a 15Mb/s connection that works very well.
pshh evry1 who made their account after april 20th doesn’t really deserve it cuz I mean they didn’t have an online acc so they didn’t suffer. And thats just like a free giveaway
So Sony giving out free stuff because a free service isn’t a free giveaway?
do u KNOW WHEN ESCALATION MAP pack 2 is coming to playstation store??????
HUGE PROBLEM getting “Free PS3 game 2.” When I chose to “get now” I backed out from THAT screen to check my HD space but when I returned to download second free game I could not choose a game. It was like I already downloaded a game in which I didn’t. Has ANYONE experienced this? If so, let me know, if not, PLEASE DO NOT EXIT FROM SCREEN. Just download you game and know the limits of your system first. Thank you……
I already have it :p@4412
4412-June 10th
so when I clicked on the Welcome Back sign that said 30 days free, it keeps saying that this content cannot be accessed on your account. On my Services List, it doesn’t list Playstation Plus so that means I don’t have it. How can I get my 30 day free subscription?
@SubZeroLux
SubZeroLux, you never presented that you registered on PSN in your initial post, nor any post until #4370. All you presented was that you should have instantly be included in the receipt of the Welcome Back package because you bought a PS3 before the cutoff date. Don’t insult my intelligence and belittle your character by doing so. Surely someone as smart as you would be above insulting someone’s intelligence. Or is that just your ego talking?
If Sony takes the network down to prevent further intrusion before you can register, then I think it’s fair that you don’t get the welcome back package. You keep twisting what I’m saying and you’re trying to justify a reason for Sony to give everyone who was not registered before April 20th, 2011 access to a welcome *back* package.
@4410 I’m not really sure what you mean about not suffering. I got my PS3 on april 28th and had to wait almost a month to even have an account because the “service wasn’t available.” Just seems a little unfair to have set a date limit like that since I doubt that anyone went out and bought a PS3 or PSP just to get a couple free games.
Can someone tell me is the newest PSP model?
oops “what is the newest model”
Uhm, how about me?
I bought my first Ps3 on April 23rd, and I had no PSN account before, because I was in L.A. (I live in Mexico) to visit an aunt
I have no internet on my aunt’s house and I wasn’t able to check what happened to the PSN, I hope I can still get the games
Once again, Sony didn’t think something through- how is Sony going to ‘welcome back’ the people who already own all the free games they’re giving away? Because really, isn’t that all we care about in this list of free stuff? Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great thing to do….for people who don’t buy a lot of games. They should’ve also given us the option to take the dollar equivalent of four of those games to spend how we want in the PS Store.
Currently, the newest (and currently available) is the PSP-3000 (integrated mic version). If you’re looking for the most recent designed (like a God of War designed model), then I’m not quite sure which one it would be.
I tried to DL the free PS3 games but it didn’t download the first one (and Infamous (my choice wasn’t available)) and i DL’d the second one. Anyone else having these glitches? Any help from the community or moderators would be great!
hmm, once again sony fails, why do they only offer games pretty much most users already have all of? looks like we get crapped on when new users get free stuff
@Chacuano: It does not matter if you had a PS3 before the outage. If you did not have a PSN account before April 20th, 2011, you do not qualify for the Welcome Back package.
4422-Ok thanks. Was thinking about getting one since we got the 4 PSP games from the welcome back package. Is the PSP good? Any defaults?
ya its was glitching up so when i went to go get it i dont have it but it says i do playstation network plz help me
If you download the Wipeout HD + Fury does that count as two or does it count as just one? Because I have downloaded it and now I can’t find the Free PS3 Game 2 icon at all.
4428-The Wipeout HD + Fury is one game download. You should still have the 2nd option
Trying to reach Sony which is impossible. Look, I downloaded one of the welcome back downloads for the playstation 3 but I never got the second one. It’s not even in my downloads list. I also tried downloading the first welcome back download for psp and it never went through but the second one did.
thanks you playstation … but the avatars so bad not good … but W.B PSN
What is it going to take for Sony to get things right and no one seems to answer their phones for customer service issues. What did Sony fire their entire staff until things went back online? I cannot even put in a help ticket or anything what kind of service am I receiving when I cannot even get at least the basics available. Who do I talk to for assistant? God! Is God doing Sony’s customers service. Maybe if I pray he will answer my call and help me with an issue dealing with Sony.
I don’t know about any of you guys, but I got hundreds maybe thousands of dollars in downloadable content I’ve paid for and if Sony sees my download activity they be, ” Lets help this fool quick before he may jumps ship” because I got an Xbox baby and I am not afraid to use it. Don’t believe me add me my gamertag on Xbox “tokencollecter” and I have already started a small growing collection with them. All I want is some customer service during regular office hours like advertise. Look I got playstation plus and I don’t mind paying for Live. Don’t push me cause I can leave. You guys may not care but Sony does.
Is there any way to talk to someone working for the PS Store or even Sony to get some help with my issue? If anybody has the number please give that to me so I can resolve my issue.
@ 4409…..it doesnt help my internet is like at 5 somethin/MB/s and since like 5:30 EST, it has went from 0% to 69% in like 4 hrs time, which im not complainin too much but I say I will have the inFAMOUS game atleast in another 2 hrs from now as long as there is no interruptions
when i tryed 2 get the 2 free games it said error code and then took the featcher away so i never did get the free games like promise, the ain questoin y was there so many error codes at the start
4434-Not sure of the number to call but expect long periods of wait time when you do call.
@boondox30: Well the last I heard about the PSP-3000 model was the screen displayed a poor quality of colored pixels compaired to the PSP-2000 model (such as the Red God of War PSP). I can’t say that the model was improved or not (I never upgraded my PSP past 2000). But in general, the PSP is quite great. A friend of mine got one of the new PSP models and purchased Final Fantasy VII from the PlayStation Store (Dec 2009 if I remember correctly) and she loved being able to play “on the go”. While you might not have all the best games, you do get a few games on the PSP that are just as fun. It just really depends if you like portability and whether those games are appealing to you. I don’t like Sports games, so I won’t think the PSP is fun if all I have are Sports games to try out. I have Final Fantasy VII -Crisis Core- and Dissidia Final Fantasy -Duodicium- and I think its a blast. I originally started on a PSP-1000 and the only game I had was Star Wars Battlefront II and Dynasty Warriors (what version I don’t remember) and I loved it, still love it. Again, depends on the game you play will determine whether you like it or not.
@wowowowo1…I pre-ordered it just for the Time side of the poster..I’m gonna beat it in the couple hours it will only take then trade it in for BF3
Thank you 4437. I thought Sony had this whole PS Store fixed but I guess not.
4435-We have AT&T DSL. Only 3.0 MB/s but we moved and now get around 9.0 MB/s for the same price as the 3.0 at $15 a month so we can’t really complain about the speed. I don’t know about other people but with AT&T we get alot of network disconnects on PS Home.
@boondox30..That’s because it is still running through old telephone wires..Cable is the best besides going up to Fiber-Optic..
4442-Oh i know. We had cable internet but the company kept raising it so we say goodbye. Now that cable company is offereing $10 a month for 8.0 MB/s.
Hello, I need help i purchased both of the ps3 free game download things and for the first one i purchased i didn’t pick out a game for the second one i did pick a game now i just have to download it but anyways i don’t know how to get my other game. Some psn worker please help me!! or some random guy! just reply i will answer back. thanks!
Hello there I got a question and I would really appreciate it if I get an answer. On the welcome back package there is the option to download 2 games from a selection of 5 how ever I only downloaded a game for the ps3 and now that I’m trying to download the second one I only get the selection for the psp NOT the ps3. could somebody pls tell me why is this happening.
HELP, when i go into the PSN store and in to the Welcome Back Tab, i only see ( PS3 Game 2) (PSP Game 1) (PSP Game 2) (THEME) …. Where is my other FREE PS3 Game!! Help me please…
@boondox30..We got the Triple Play from Comcast which gave us the 15 meg. connection,TV and phone all for like 120 a month..But hey do what you have to do lol
there a rumor going around that blackops is making map pack 3 I think its true but not sure can some one enlighten me on that
i tried to get a game on it but it didn’t work and it won’t let me get one now
@ rincaster I’m having the same problem I was only able to download one game for the ps3
I was kicked off the PS network as soon as my download for my first free welcome back PS3 game. Now I am unable to use the free welcome back game offer, and I am unable to play or download my game. I have tried to re-download the game but it displays the error code 80710723. I have gone to playstation’s support center and have found nothing that helps me in this situation, I have gone into the service list and tried to download the game from there, but that didn’t work. Finally I called playstation’s costumer service. I went through all of the recorded messages to find out how to fix my problem, but nothing helped. So I waited for live support. I waited for 20 minutes with no answer, had to leave, and was unable to continue waiting on hold. I have tried everything I know to do and I have had no progress. Can anyone help me? Please.
I Cannot Get The PSP Free Game Help PSn!
iT SAY nO cONTENT wHERE fOUND!
An answer from the ps3 people would be nice
@boondox30 and Deathspear666: I’m not saying cable sucks or anything, just letting you know that Cable internet shares bandwidth with your other neighbors that have it. If everyone in your neighborhood uses Cable internet at the same time, the speed can drastically decrease. This is useful to know if you use Cable and experience slower speeds than usual.
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
read this it helps
Thanks sony, I never thought about playin little big planet, but now I have and I am actually impressed! oh and when will the map pack be coming out? us playstation customers are getting left out of the fun. please let us know with an update soon!