PSN - Welcome Back!

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Now that PSN is live again, the good guys and girls at Sony have now released details of their Welcome Back packages which will go live shortly after the PS Store is back up and running [hopefully] at the end of the month.

Here's the details of the packages for those who don't know yet.

US:

Source: Details for PlayStation Network and Qriocity Customer Appreciation Program in North America – PlayStation Blog

Now that some PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been restored and you’re once again enjoying online gaming and entertainment, we’re happy to provide details about the “Welcome Back” appreciation program for customers in North America. We developed the program as an expression of our gratitude for your patience, support and continued loyalty during the service outage. From all of us at PlayStation, thank you and welcome back!

This package will be made available to all existing registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada), and will be made available shortly after we have fully restored the service. More specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the services go live.
All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation
  
• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
  
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
  
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
  
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
  
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
  
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

We’d like to thank all of our publishing and development partners who’ve contributed to the Welcome Back program, including Bigbig Studios, Codeglue, Digital Leisure, Guerilla Games, Heavy Water, Housemarque, Lockwood, Loot, Mass Media, Media Molecule, SCE Cambridge Studios, SCE Studio Liverpool, SCE San Diego Studios, and Sucker Punch Productions. We couldn’t have created such a compelling package without them!

As a reminder, you will be able to access the above content shortly after services are fully restored. We are doing everything we can to make that happen as soon as possible. Please visit the following sites for more information about the Welcome Back program in Europe and Latin America.
Thank you again for your support!

EU:

Source: Details Of The Welcome Back Programme For SCEE Users – PlayStation.Blog.Europe

Now that certain PSN services have been restored and you’re once again enjoying online gaming, it seems a good time to confirm what is being offered as part of the Welcome Back programme.

Once we restore PlayStation Store, which will be just a little while longer, you will have the opportunity to claim your Welcome Back gifts. Please note that the Welcome Back programme is only available for those countries with access to PlayStation Store*.

All existing PlayStation Network members will be able to access the following from PlayStation Store*:

Two PS3 games from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet
• Infamous*
• Wipeout HD/Fury
• Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
• Dead Nation*

For those with PSP accounts, you will also be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet PSP
• ModNation PSP
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation*
  
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PS Plus subscribers*
  
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will be given 60 days free subscription.
  
• For existing Music Unlimited subscribers, you will be given 30 days free subscription.
  
• We are working on a Welcome Back offer in PlayStation Home and will share that when it is confirmed.

I would like to thank all of the developers and publishers involved in this programme for their support in making this happen. We certainly couldn’t have done it without you.

You will be able to access this content once PlayStation Store comes back online and we are doing everything we can to make that happen as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support and keep checking back on the blog for more information.

*For eligibility for the welcome back programme consumers must be an account holder on 20 April 2011. Specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the services go live. All existing PSN registrants have 30 days from when the welcome back programme goes live to redeem their content.

*For the German market, InFamous and Dead Nation will be replace with Super Stardust HD and Hustle Kings in the selection of PS3 games.

*For the German market, Pursuit Force and Killzone Liberation will be replaced with Everybody’s Golf 2 and Buzz Junior Jungle Party in the selection of PSP games. Killzone Liberation will not offer online gameplay functionality.

*Access to the 30 days free PS Plus subscription is only available for those countries where PS Plus is offered. You will have access to the PS Plus content planned for May for 30 days. Access to the free games and exclusive features finishes at the end of the 30-day subscription period. Anything you buy with exclusive discounts, dynamic themes and premium avatars are yours to keep forever.

I'm unsure about other areas. Feel free to post a link, and I'll include them if necessary.

Some other information:

• If you've recently signed up to PSN after it went down, you won't be eligible for the "Welcome Back" package; it's "Welcome Back" for a reason.
  
• If you own both a PS3 and PSP system, and have used your account on both, you will be eligible for the "Welcome Back" package on both systems. Therefore, you'll get four new games. Cool, eh?
  
• PS Home content for EU hasn't been decided yet, but it looks like the US will be getting the better deal anyway.

So, which games will you be picking out when it goes live where you are?

I've already got LittleBigPlanet and Infamous, so it'll be Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty and Dead Nation for me I think, as I'm not too hot on racing games (unless someone can give it a good word for Wipeout HD/Fury).

As for PSP... ugh. Good games, but either ModNation PSP or Pursuit Force and Killzone Liberation. Still deciding, and I need a new memory card anyway so I have time. Recommendations?

I am a little disappointed with the selection as the average metacritic rating for these games is over 84%, so they're high quality games and most likely to be owned by everyone anyway. I've bumped into someone who owns four of the PS3 ones already, so his choice has already been made for him.

Not taking a dig. Free stuff is cool. But a wider variety might've been nice.