PSN update: Sony to dish out two free games to those affected by downtime

With the PlayStation Network still offline and PlayStation 3 owners getting increasingly irritated by the lack of online gaming, Sony is at least looking to compensate players for the downtime.

Sony has previously confirmed that all users of the service will receive a one month complimentary pass to the PlayStation Plus subscription users and U.S-based players will be give free identity theft protection for one year. It was rumoured that Europeans would also get a similar deal, but that now looks less likely as Sony Europe confirmed that users based in Europe will get to choose two free games from a list of four - those games have yet to be named.

On the official PlayStation blog, Nick Caplin, head of communications at SCEE, wrote, "We will be offering PSN users the opportunity to select two PS3 games from a list of five, as well as offering PSP users the opportunity to choose two games from a list of four. We will let you know exactly what games are available very soon." Sony America hasn't confirmed yet whether users in the U.S. will also get free games.

The PlayStation Network has now been down since 18 April while Sony works on securing the servers and catching the perpetrators.

COD Black Ops PS3 Package Offered For May: Along With PSN?

Sony has been through the mill recently with their PlayStation Network suffering the effects of a massive security breach. As we recently reported on a PSN Restoration Update our own Debbie Turner asked, have we lost trust in Sony, and are we disappointed at the lack of information about its return?

As Sony hits a low point what can there be on the horizon in order to get them back on top? Well a rumor has surfaced through sources for Kotaku, claiming that there is the possibility of a new bundle being introduced around the same time as PSN is to return, and this is before the E3 event.

According to PlayStation Lifestyle, the Call of Duty: Black Ops package will hit the shelves by the end of this month. Priced at $299.99 it falls perfectly into place with the PS3 version games latest down-loadable content, Escalation.

Could this bundle give a glimmer of hope to Sony’s faltering reputation? One things for certain the company will take all the chances it gets to bring itself back from these dark times. Any light will be greatly accepted at the end of their current dark tunnel.

Obviously at the moment these claims are just rumor, but with the possibility of theNetwork being returned to normal by the end of the month we wont have long to wait to see what the future holds for Sony. We will be keeping a track on anymore updates so watch this space.

Let us know if the PSN downtime and security breach can be forgotten with the introduction of a shiny new games package?

Rebug PSN exploit known for years

A well-placed source within Sony has told Eurogamer that a PlayStation 3 security exploit used to steal content from the PlayStation Store was known about within the company "for years" prior to the recent PSN outage, although the two events were not linked.

"The security flaw that allowed the Rebug content exploit was known for years," the source explained. It was "unaddressed based on the belief that the PS3 system itself was unhackable".

Rebug is a custom firmware for PlayStation 3 that uses a series of system software patches to re-enable functionality that should only be available to debug versions of the console, including access to the so-called 'sp-int' developer network, used to road-test online functionality during a game's production.

The developer network allows legitimate developers to use placeholder credit card details to purchase content from the consumer-facing PlayStation Store for testing purposes, but hackers used it to steal content, effectively defrauding Sony and content creators.

The source suggested that the exploit was not considered an issue for as long as the PlayStation 3's firmware itself could not be tampered with.

The release of PSJailbreak last year changed that, but despite knowledge of the issue it was not addressed by Sony's engineers until the emergence of the Rebug firmware many months later.

While damaging, it's important to note that this security hole was completely separate from the breach that caused Sony to suspend the PlayStation Network in late April this year.

However, it is understood the Rebug exploit will also be fixed by the current maintenance work, which sees PSN's security infrastructure being rebuilt from the ground up, and which remains ongoing.

Enough of the games....I want my PSN NOW

If you haven't been under a rock for the past few weeks then you should know complete clown shoeness that's been going on with our network down. As an avid gamer, I would like for it to return but I also know that I would like for it to be as secure as it can possibly be when I get back on.  I will be providing the latest news on our beloved Psn developments also, upcoming releases and E3 coverage. Stay tuned.