Full online system reboot could take until end of May -

With PSN now being down for close to three weeks, PS3 gamers have had to do without online multiplayer, trophy syncing, and many other elements that gamers have taken for granted over the course of the current generation. While Sony provided an update on the situation on Friday – full story and details here – the company remains mum on when PSN will go back online. Thanks to Sony’s continued commitment and advancements made to the service, a launch this week seems likely, but it has yet to be confirmed.
Today, a Sony spokesperson told the WallStreetJournal some new information regarding the situation and how long it may take before Sony gets the entire online service up and running once again. According to the Sony’s spokesman, a full system reboot would take until possibly the end of the month. However, they declined to comment on when the system can be expected to go live again, possibly indicating that the wait may be longer than many are expecting or hoping.

To make amends for this issue, Sony is offering a ‘Welcome Back’ program which will offer a variety of payback methods to customers. Detailed by Sony of Europe, Sony will be offering free PS3 and PSP games to customers from a catalogue of pre-selected titles – find all the details and full story here.
As the hours and days go by, gamers are looking for answers from Sony regarding this issue. As of now, it is known that Sony is testing the system and making sure it is up to par before they’ll launch the service again.

As Sony struggles to get PSN back up, new details emerge

With the PlayStation Network expected to be back up within a matter of days, Sony's statements to a US House subcommittee seem to point the finger on responsibility back at hacktivist group Anonymous, which initially denied involvement.
PlayStation chief Kazuo Hirai told Congress in a letter that the company was a victim of a sophisticated attack. As part of the hack, a file was planted on the company's servers named "Anonymous" with the words "We Are Legion." He said the company understood the full scope of the attack by April 25, but could not rule out the compromising of credit card data.
The statement seems somewhat at odds with the company's public statements, which up until at least April 29 seemed to suggest that credit card data had not been touched. Regardless of that fact, Hirai said that Sony had not received any reports of fraud that was believed to be connected to the PSN hack.
Sony's hack is one of several being investigated by the feds, US Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed to Reuters Wednesday.
"I am of course aware of the criticism Sony has received for the time taken to disclose information to our customers," Hirai wrote. "I hope you can appreciate the extraordinary nature of the events the company was facing -- brought on by a criminal hacker whose activity was neither immediately nor easily ascertainable."Sony apparently feared releasing incomplete information on the attack, so it waited until April 26 -- a week after the actual hack -- to admit a data breach. If it would have been released earlier, it may have led to "confusion and [cause consumers] to take unnecessary actions," it argued.
The identity of those responsible is apparently now known to Sony, and the company told Congress that it was working with law enforcement and the FBI.
Either way, frustrated gamers should not have much longer to wait for PSN to come back up. In a blog post Wednesday, Senior director of coporate communications Patrick Seybold wrote that the company was working "around the clock," and would share details soon on how service would return.
"We will continue to keep you posted as we work to restore our network and provide you with both the entertainment and the security you deserve," he wrote.

Sony PS3 Firmware Update 3.61 Coming Soon

The Japanese PlayStation Blog has confirmed that Sony will be releasing PS3 firmware 3.61 when they restore the PSN. But will the update contain any new features?
Three days ago Sony released a comprehensive update to their timeframe for bringing the PSN back up and running at full speed – with many services resuming by the end of the week.
Now we’re getting official (translated) confirmation that, as part of Sony’s updated security, users should expect to download a new firmware – designated 3.61.Sony had previously hinted at the possibility of a new firmware as part of their on-going FAQ blitz – with one community rep even teasing the possibility of new features.
However, the May 1 press release laid-out a pretty specific function for the update – which we now know is designated 3.61.

PS3 will have a forced system software update that will require all registered PlayStation Network users to change their account passwords before being able to sign into the service.

According to an updated timeline featured on the Japanese PlayStation Blog, firmware 3.61 will arrive “soon” – meaning that the aforementioned “forced system software” will coincide with the restoration of PSN services and feature the “required” password change.