Sony Corp. and Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that the company “will fully restore all PlayStation®Network services in the Americas, Europe/PAL territories and Asia, excluding Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea by the end of this week.” This comes on the heels of the “first phase of PlayStation Network and Qriocity restoration” which began May 15, 2011 and allowed users to “access to some of the services such as online game play, account management, friend lists and chat functionality.”

The release also notes:

The full restoration of PlayStation Network as well as part of services to become available on Qriocity will include:

•        Full functionality on PlayStation®Store

•        In-game commerce

•        Ability to redeem vouchers and codes

•        Full functionality on Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PCs

•        Full functionality on Media Go

Customers can now purchase and download games and video content from the PlayStation®Store on PS3 or PSP.  In addition, consumers will have full access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity through PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PC’s.  Service restoration of Video on Demand powered by Qriocity™ and Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for a variety of network-enabled Sony devices will be announced later.

The company will be offering customers a “Welcome Back” package of services and premium content to all registered PlayStation Network* and Qriocity account services. The details of this program will continue to be detailed regionally.

So, some good news for Sony and gamers as we head into E3.

The “regular” edition of Gears of War 3 will sell for $59.99US. But if you want something more, you can definitely go that way with a Limited Edition ($79.99) and Epic Edition ($149.99).

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Via Square Enix, IO Interactive announced today the fifth addition to the Hitman series, “Hitman Absolution.”

On display at the upcoming E3, the game will showcase “IO Interactive’s new proprietary Glacier 2™ technology” and introduce a story that “follows Agent 47™, a cold-blooded assassin, who takes on his most dangerous contract to date. Betrayed by those he once trusted — and now hunted by the police — he suddenly finds himself at the center of a dark conspiracy and must embark on a personal journey through a corrupt and twisted world.”

Sounds like just the setup for a good Hitman game.

In case you missed it yesterday, Nintendo has announced that the company is “dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii system to $149.99“ beginning May 15, 2011. Not only that, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort have been swapped out for Mario Kart Wii and a Wii Wheel accessory.

To coincide with this price drop, Nintendo will also be launching “Nintendo Selects.” Four games are included in this initial group: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers and Wii Sports. And the price: $19.99US.

My own $0.02 on “Nintendo Selects” is that it’s missing Mario Strikers Charged.

Expect a few more “visual previews” in the next few weeks in the lead-up to E3. This time we have a gallery of screens, concept art, and level sketches for the upcoming SSX. Plus, we have articles with text, too!

REVIEWS:
WWE All-Stars (PS3)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Reviews/ps3/wwe-all-stars.htm

Rift (PC)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Reviews/PC%20Games/rift.htm

Ridge Racer 3 (3DS)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Reviews/3ds/ridge-racer-3d.htm

Pilotwings Resort (3DS)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Reviews/3ds/pilotwings-resort.htm

PREVIEWS:
SSX (360, PS3)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Previews/multi-platform/ssx.htm

Prototype 2 (360, PC, PS3)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Previews/multi-platform/prototype-2.htm

Max Payne 3 (360, PC, PS3)
http://www.armchairempire.com/Previews/multi-platform/max-payne-3.htm

An official release from Sony indicates that Playstation Network and Qriocity should be back up and running “this week” and also “announced both a series of immediate steps to enhance security across the network and a new customer appreciation program to thank its customers for their patience and loyalty.” All of this in the wake of the shutdown of the network after a “criminal cyber-attack on the company’s data-center located in San Diego, California, U.S.A.”

Right at the end of the release, it’s stated that “SNEI will continue to reinforce and verify security for transactions before resuming the PlayStation®Store and other Qriocity operations, scheduled for this month.” If I read that and understand it correctly, PSN is up but you won’t be able to buy anything until later this month.

Read on for more details on the roll-out of the service. Or just wait for the notification from Sony via email! (more…)