PlayStation Network Update: PSN Outage Causes 200% Rise in PS3 Trade-In

Some PlayStation 3 owners will get PSN back up, at least partially, as Sony Corporation (ADR) (Public, NYSE:SNE) tests the waters with the new software. According to Platform Nation, certain individuals among Europe, Japan and the US will soon gain access to the Playstation Network in order to test it for mainstream revitalization.

The official PlaystationNL Twitter Account tweeted

This should and could be the first step into getting some online play for all PS3 users. Let us know if you’re one of the randomly selected persons to get PSN running.

The patience of PlayStation 3 owners is wearing thin as retailers are reporting a 200% increase in PlayStation 3 trade-ins, usually for Xbox 360 consoles, as well as sales slumps for PSN points cards and fewer multiplatform game sales for PS3.

“In the first week of downtime we did not really see any major change in sales or trades,” says one source, a store manager at a major UK retailer speaking on condition of anonymity. “However from the second week onwards we have seen an increase of over 200 per cent on PS3 consoles being traded in, split almost 50/50 between those trading for cash and those taking a 360 instead.”

Another UK source has reported that the independent retailer had seen a “massive increase” in the volume of PS3s traded in in recent weeks, and has pegged the biggest trade-in demographic as “the hardcore online shooter crowd”, who are logically the group most likely to defect when their online gaming is wiped.

Belgian-based Gameswap spokesman Tom Mestdagh went on record to state, “At the end of each month people come to sell their consoles. People that need money (to pay bills). What’s different this time around is that that they are bringing in PS3s together with all their games and they don’t want money, they want an Xbox 360. In every case it is because of Black Ops and or Modern Warfare 2.

Game purchases have also been markedly affected by the PSN outage. Sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops went from 44% for the PS3 in the first two weeks of the game’s release to 24% of sales of Black Ops last week. Similar trends have struck games like FIFA 12.

However, it’s all about online gaming. “All we’ve seen is an incredible amount of disgruntled people annoyed that they can’t play online,” stated Mestdagh, and gamers have actually “stopped complaining about the fact that Microsoft charges for Xbox Live. It used to be a big problem for most of our PS3 customers.”

You get what you pay for.

PSN outage update: ‘Final stages of internal testing’ and details on Sony offering ID theft protection

It looks like PlayStation fans can see light at the end of this very long outage tunnel. The PlayStation blog had an updated post today, and according to the folks there, the team is in the “final stages of internal testing of the new system.” Quite frankly, they should put a countdown clock or something because this is momentous news.

But what’s even more important is that Sony is offering free ID theft protection for a year. It’s through a company called Debix, and you’ll have until June 18 to sign up. Here’s the details from the PlayStation Blog. Also if you wanted more information on the company, here’s Debix’s website as well as an article that involves them published in Forbes. Lastly, Debix has a page for Sony customers here.

So do you think they’ll make “the end of the week” schedule? Anyone taking bets? I figure it’ll be up by Friday. What do you think?

Upcoming....

As this grows, I plan on posting MANY game reviews and also reviews on movies and albums. Stay Tuned

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PSN Update: Still Offline, News Round-Up 9 May

Sony is still working to make the PlayStation Network secure, before restoring the service online

PSN is nearing a live date according to Sony, but the firm has been reluctant to announce specific deadlines after itmissed its first restoration target last week in light of a previously undiscovered SOE breach.

Reports claim the PSN Store has seen some online activity, presumably as a result of testing, rather than consumer transactions given that there's currently no way to access the e-commerce site via a PC.

Sony is rumoured to be considering offering a reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible for the hack, which it would do in association with the FBI and other involved agencies.

Meanwhile, the stolen details of 2,500 sweepstakes contestants from 2001 were reportedly published online last week, forcing Sony to have the website taken down.

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