So you know all of those UMDs collecting dust on your shelf next to your uni-nubbed PSP? If you have any that aren’t a copy of Spiderman 2, they might be worth holding onto for a little while longer as they could be the source of a discount in the near future. Sony wisely opted to forgo UMDs in the Vita, leaving a backwards compatibility issue for PSP loyalists that have amassed a library of the obsolete plastic-encased discs.  In order to make good with these customers, Sony stated in a FAQ translated by Andriasang that they’re considering offering a discount for UMD owners to download their titles.

Further down the FAQ, Sony came forward with some unclear information about the backwards compatibility of some of the Game Archives, which is the Japanese catch-all label for PSOne Classics, Neo Geo games, and other classic game downloads. It sounded like they were somewhat pessimistic about the possibility of those games being compatible with the Vita, but once again, nothing is official. We’ll keep you updated if we hear anything official.

In what is undoubtedly an effort to empty stock/capitalize on those that don’t know about the Vita/finally get holdouts, Sony has announced the newest PSP bundle. For $159.99 you get a black PSP-3000, 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, Madden NFL 12, and Need for Speed Shift. Now, the games do come on UMD, so it is unclear whether or not you would be able to access these on the Vita as Sony hasn’t unveiled away to redeem UMD games for digital copies yet. The bundle will be available on August 30th at retail. If you really really really want a PSP, this seems like a pretty good deal. However, if you can wait until early next year, picking up a Vita seems like the smarter option.

Remember the cool feature of being able to download comics on your PSP? Well, unfortunately, that is coming to an end. Well, technically you will be able to still download any of the over 4,000 comics available, but the PlayStation Blog has reported that today’s update will be the final. I only have to imagine that it is in part due to the awkwardness of the small screen of the PSP compared to, say, an iPad, but I’m kind of bummed. I was looking forward to finally checking out the feature when I bought a Vita. Head over to the blog to see the final update.

Source PlayStation Blog

The “Welcome Back” program from Sony that we’ve previously reported on is now live in the U.S. It’s a bit bumpy out of the gate, kind of like the PlayStation Store has been, but just keep trying. The program is only available to those who were members of PlayStation Network before April 20. Bad news for everybody who bought their system while the network was down. You have 30 days to claim your free games, so be sure to get on it sooner rather than later. There are some free movies up for grabs as well, but those will only be available through the weekend, so be sure to get them now. For a full FAQ, click the title to see what Sony has to say.

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 and two games for the PSP systems.

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: None. 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. 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 100% 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).

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!

The first title to be re-released on the PS3 is Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, and you can see footage of it in action over at Kotaku. Only a Japanese release date of “Summer” was provided, but Sony said they would be announcing more titles soon.

Allow me a moment to speculate. The PSP is pretty much a dead system, we can all agree on that. And I can’t imagine this will account for much more than a rounding error (except in Japan) for Sony’s bottom line. But what if this compatibility were to come to something like, say, the NGP?

Now that is something worth getting excited about…

For those of us that didn’t want to drop anywhere from $150-$200 to buy a PSP for the sole purpose of playing two God of War games, we’re in luck! Maybe. An international gaming site called The Magic Box has posted what is supposedly a press release from Sony Computer Entertainment Taiwan that claims a “God of War Portable Collection” is on its way to the PlayStation 3. Now, of course this isn’t a confirmation of any sort, and it in no way means that it is coming to the States, but really, why wouldn’t it? We love God of War here.

For those that don’t know, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta are the two God of War PSP games that were released to much critical and fan acclaim. They give some added backstory to the God of War universe and also showcase what the PSP is (was) capable of.  It can be assumed that both games would receive a graphical overhaul as well as some control tweaks to take advantage of dual sticks. The release did not say if the collection would be a disc release or purely digital, and even though they are portable games, they are longer and of decent graphical quality, so consumers may not feel cheated throwing down $30 for a physical copy. I can only imagine that if this rumor is true, it will most likely be announced at E3 and possibly be a lead in for a tease of a new God of War game.

Source The Magic Box

There is still no solid information on when the PlayStation Network will be up and running again, even though it’s been almost three weeks since the attacks that caused Sony to say their online service would be down for one week.

So, does this mean that the PSN is the new vaporware?

Source: Venture Beat

• Cyber monitoring and surveillance of the Internet to detect exposure of an AllClear ID Plus customer’s personal information, including monitoring of criminal web sites and data recovered by law enforcement. If his/her personal information is found, the customer will be alerted by phone and/or email and will be provided advice and support regarding protective steps to take. The customer will also receive monthly identity status reports. Debix works with an alliance of cyber-crime experts from the government, academia and industry to provide these services.
• Priority access to licensed private investigators and identity restoration specialists. If an AllClear ID Plus customer receives an alert, or otherwise suspects that he/she may be the victim of identity theft, the customer can speak directly, on a priority basis, with an on-staff licensed private investigator, who will conduct a comprehensive inquiry. In the case of an identity theft, the customer can work with an identity restoration specialist to contact creditors and others, and take necessary steps to restore the customer’s identity.
• A $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user to provide additional protection in the event that an AllClear ID Plus customer becomes a victim of identity theft. This insurance would provide financial relief of up to $1 million for covered identity restoration costs, legal defense expenses, and lost wages that occur within 12 months after the stolen identity event.

So this is Sony’s first step to making amends. How many more do you think they will make after this one, if any?

Source: PlayStation.Blog