UPDATED: Welcome Back Program Available Now – Details Inside

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UPDATED: Welcome Back Program Available Now – Details Inside

UPDATE: Due to high traffic on PlayStation Store, you may encounter error messages or issues. We advise you to check back a little later and try again.

Note: In order to download two games at no cost, you must redeem them from the “Welcome Back” category. The individual titles are still available for purchase outside of the “Welcome Back Program”

If at any point you can’t find the ‘Welcome Back Free Game 1 or 2’ products, the list of available titles or a game you’ve selected, go to your XMB>PlayStation Network>Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotions to complete the process.

We’re so excited to welcome you back to PlayStation Network. With the PlayStation Store back online, we’ve been getting all caught up this week, having launched an abundance of amazing content for download on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable devices across games, movies, themes and DLC. Today, we’re excited to launch the Welcome Back program to thank you for your loyalty, and below, we’ve got what you need in order to get access to the included content. So, here’s a list of questions about the program. If you don’t see your question below, mention it in the comments and we’ll do our best to provide an answer. Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we restored the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services – your support has meant a lot to us and is greatly appreciated.

Welcome Back

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 system and two games for the PSP system.

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: 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 system as long as you are a subscriber. 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 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).

Q: How do I access the content in the Welcome Back Program?
A: Follow the steps below to access the content in the Welcome Back Program:
1. Log on to PlayStation®Store
2. Click on the “Welcome Back” tab in the upper left menu
3. Select “Welcome Back Free PS3™ Game 1”
4. Within the category, click on the “Welcome Back Free PS3™ Game 1” product and “Get Now”
5. Select your free PS3™ game*, and “Download”*
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with “Welcome Back Free PS3™ Game 2”
7. Go to the XMB™ to play your free games.

Q: I clicked on one of the Welcome Back Free PS3/PSP Game 1/2 selections, clicked “Get Now”, but no games showed up. Now that option is no longer selectable in the Store. Where is my game?
A: This is an issue we’re working on resolving, however for the time being, you can still get to that content by going to the XMB and under the PlayStation Network column, go to Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotion. You should be able to access the content in the option you selected here.

Q: Why am I getting errors saying I can’t access the Store?
A: Due to the surge of people going to the Store, you may experience some blocks in accessing certain areas of the store. Give it another try, or wait for a small period of time to avoid the rush.

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!

Comments are closed.

5,171 Comments

  • Please Help Me!! i have only download one game when i want to download the second game… i cant go tot the welcome back program for the PS3 free game page What should i do? the page itself is missing

  • Non-PlayStation®Plus subscribers will receive 30 days free of PlayStation®Plus…
    to all PSN members for 30 days at no charge…
    Over a week 30 days free of PlayStation®Plus still doesn’t show up my PSP what should i do?

  • Ok I’ve done the whole “service list thing” and the problem still persists, infamous is still not showing up for me only the four other games please help

  • ok infamous is downloading at like 1 MB every hour, how can i get it to speed up?

  • I’ve downloaded the Wipeout game through the welcome back list. It says when I click on it in the download list that it is downloading, then installing, and activating. It is nowhere to be found in the game list! I have wipeout hd in the saved data utility but no way to select and PLAY the game! HELP!! PLEASE!!

  • @ Lilrangel

    You need to download the Wipeout Demo as well in order to play it.

  • Thanks Vashnik i forgot all about calling them in the midst of me moving(such a hassle). i will have to see if i can get in contact with them. Thanks for your rational thought process that i have seem to have lost in the moving truck :)

  • i successfully downloaded the first game but the second never downloaded. what do i do?

  • Q. I have a PSP and I went to Account Management> Transaction Management> and Services List. But i text shows up saying “No content was found” I also I tried going into the PSN and clicking on the Welcome Back tab but nothing showed up. Can u help me out?

  • Has anyone realized that none of these bugs were occuring until the welcome back program? I need a hacker or a sony assistant to help me get inFAMOUS to download. /:(

  • RADA RADARADA RADA RADARADA RADA RADA!

  • inFAMOUS downloaded fine on my second attempt (my first attempt was on June 8th and it just froze at 36% and the second on June 9th). Just keep trying. By now the traffic of downloading the free games has decreased quite a bit. Just keep trying until you get 100% of the game.

  • Anybody know what do you have to do to redeem your free stuff for home? I have tried go on the psn store and nothing is showing up. I also tried going into home directly but I can’t seem to find the 100 free items we were supposed to get and nothing is showing up in estates for free.

  • Same thing is happening for me. I go onto the store on my psp and there is no welcome back pack??! I’ve had my account for a few years so its not like i haven’t had it long enough. Have they taken it down already. Was supposed to be up for 30 days or something

  • Hi,

    I downloaded one game and while downloading the second one the playstation memory size was full so I returned back to delete some content in order to download the second one but unfortunately when I returned back to playstation store as to download the 2nd one I didn’t find the welcome back games’ link as it was disabled, so appreciate your support by re-availing the link again on my account

    Thanks

  • Something apparently went wrong then I tried to get my two free PS3 games, I only got one game. I choose one of the games inFAMOUS. Nothing happened so I went back to check if I missed anything, clicked on the “Welcome back” icon again and noticed the Get Now button and clicked it. I then choose inFAMOUS again and this time it worked, I looked through the other options trying to figure out which I should choose. In the end it came down to two of them and I decided to check how much they would cost if I bought them normally too see which was more expensive. This was apparently a mistake to do, because the “Welcome back” for the free games is now gone and I can’t claim my second game. Only the PlaystationPlus button is left.

    I checked in my Account Management and Transaction History, and there I could read a transaction for The “Welcome back”-thingy and one for inFAMOUS. So I guess if you don’t choose both games at once you won’t get them. How nice of them to warn me about that, I mean could it really be that hard to include the text “YOU MUST SELECT BOTH GAMES NOW OR YOU’LL WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN HERE” or something like that?

  • I added my choices for the 2 free games to my cart, but I didn’t get a chance to download them. Now today it tells me that they have expired! I wasn’t aware that there was an expiration, is that right or is there a way around this? I had one of my choices partially downloaded yesterday and tried to finish it today but get the message that it expired 6/11/2011. Please help! Thank you.

  • Ahh, I just found this on the European version of this forum:

    Try this:
    1. On your PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable navigate to the PlayStation Network icon on the XMB
    2. Log into your PlayStation Network account and choose Account Management > Transaction Management > Services List
    3. Choose “PlayStation Network Promotions” from the list of services displayed
    4. Select either “PS3 Free Games” or “PSP Free Games” and then choose “Select Content”

    This way you can find the promotion if you failed to choose your games the first time you used the “Welcome back” offer. :)

  • I attempted to download Little Big Planet. I selected the PS3 version, but the version showing is PSP ( I assume that because it insists that I download it to a PSP. I don’t have one.). When I go back, I don’t get the option to download the PS3 version of the game.

    Right now I have Infamous, and Little Big Planet (for the PSP). I want Infamous and LBP for the PS3 only. How do I get the PS3 version of the game? So far, the store has only given me the option of one PS3 game.

    Gweezel

  • Two free games after a month’s wait; PlayStation, you’re awesome.

  • Ive heard that the PS plus has to be used by June 13th is this correct .Please let me know if this is correct I read on the blog that it has to be signed up for by July 3rd but others have told me June 13th ? Thanks

  • Ep1c_No5c0p3z_HD

    I downloaded NHL Gamecenter with my PS+ free subscription. Do I lose it? ANy answers would be appreciated. (BTW my name is meant to be a joke. Don’t troll plz.)

  • deathitself_1109

    Weird thing, I just downloaded Infamous and it appeared under my games, but when I downloaded Wipe-out, it wasn’t there!

  • Thank you zebornic your suggestion worked!! My games are there and downloading now.

  • Hacked PSN accounts are still being posted on P2P sites…nice of you guys to take down my link, but whatever you guys are doing is not working. I think I’m done with PS3…Xbox doesn’t have this problem.

  • I was able to download my first free game, but when I tried to download the second it said that it expired. I thought that I had until July to get my games, I tried to do it back to back! Help me get my second game – Please…

  • @ Kristi Fernandez OR Morgan Haro

    is there any way to have other choices or maybe add-ons for different games like fallout new Vegas instead of the 2 free game DL, also i activated the free 30 day plus pass and the add ons are still full price.

  • I have done this but when i go to services list there is no SCEA Promtions for me to click on. I see both Welcome Back Free Game.But no SCEA Promotions to complete the process.

    UPDATE: Due to high traffic on PlayStation Store, you may encounter error messages or issues. We advise you to check back a little later and try again.

    Note: In order to download two games at no cost, you must redeem them from the “Welcome Back” category. The individual titles are still available for purchase outside of the “Welcome Back Program”

    If at any point you can’t find the ‘Welcome Back Free Game 1 or 2’ products, the list of available titles or a game you’ve selected, go to your XMB>PlayStation Network>Account Management>Transaction Management>Services List>SCEA Promotions to complete the process.

  • The issue I’m having is when I click on the “Welcome Back” no games pop up, the only thing that pops up is a free “Theme”, I was able to download the 3 free movies, but no games. I also went to the XMB and looked for the SCEA promotion and it doesn’t appear. Kind of frustrated that I can’t dwonload them. I’ve been a psp beta tester from the beginning and just wondering whats up.

  • hi admins i’m really sorry but i live in Jordan and when i’m trying to click on “Welcome Back” i can’t find the promotion for free one month plus content ?! Why ?! .. and when i’m trying to go to the PlayStation home .. error .. “this content cannot be accessed on your account” what’s the matter of my account ?!!? please please please HELP ♥ Thanks :)

    note : i live in Jordan but i put in my information that i live in Kuwait because i didn’t find Jordan .. please Help .

  • I have the two free games, but when i try to use the playstation plus discounts, it just comes up with an error… how can i get the playstation plus discounts?

  • Oh yeah I live in England, so it should work…

  • You get to keep the discounted items and you don’t have to pay any extra after you no longer have playstation plus membership, Ep1c_No5c0p3z_HD, as far as i know…

  • basoola99, i agree (earlier comment)

  • I apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked, but (1 is limited to one acount per system and (2 do you need credit information to access this deal or can any account be used?

  • Every time i try to access the welcome back option it say’s that its not available on my account, do i still get my free games? Also did you have to have your account before it went down, because if so, i literally got my ps3 the day it crashed so i had to wait until it came back up to create my account.

  • i cant seem to get my one month free of playstation plus!!!!!!!!!!????????? please help.

  • I am not able to acess the “games” I downloaded, I followed all the steps. I read other posts I cant even find my games that were part of the welcome back package.I tried to re-do them and now I dont even have an offer to do so as in the system seems to think I have the downloads, whats up with that?
    Look I know how to follow instructions I am 40 years old and a serious gamer. I downloaded them, it says so I just cant have them?
    Some welcome back!!!!
    I could really use some help on this or at least a clue!

  • Guys, i have the promblem with the error code 80029780 to download DLC of Black Ops Escalation. I downloaded it but when i tried to give it to another PS3 it was deleted from my ps3 and my ps3 was de activated and the error code appeared. I restarted it 4 times and signed in and out. Please can Sony find a way to fix this beacause i purchased the DLC and i have 12£ left in my wallet! Please im begging you

  • Oh no! I made a misstep and lost one of the free game downloads. I must have checked out of it without selecting a game! What do I do?

  • i was able 2 get the first game but not able 2 get the 2nd game for ps3. the option is missing now

  • johnny_toastburn

    @xsistence21 . . . Like a lot of us, you’re out of luck. There has been some discussion that the so-called “Customer Appreciation” Program is more of an amends to people who got hacked. I would think that it would include those who joined on after the hack simply because *I*, for one, would appreciate new customers who joined me after my network security was shown to be so vulnerable, but SCEA seems to disagree and they can deal with the ill will from those who were affected by it that follows that stance.

    In any event, they certainly weren’t clear about that when they first announced the program that it would be limited in such a fashion, so folks like you and I were set up for a letdown. Had they said from the onset that they would be limiting the program to those who signed up before the hack, I would have been bummed, but I would have understood that the program is for those whose info was compromised and not been so enraged.

    On the positive side, the games that are on disc like LBP and Infamous will no doubt become dirt cheap because of the giveaway. I found a LBP: GOTY edition for under ten bucks already! :-)

  • thanks 4 ps3

  • Im having the same problem everybody else is having? downloaded the game but cant find it nothing there , tried the same thing everybody else tried all tha account mgt. BULL but Still nothing?? thanks for nothing!!!

  • I had my ps3 not too long before the server went down. I had my account when I first went through the process of turning it on for the first time. I received my first ps3 games on the day the server crashed and was unable to go online with friends. After hearing about the 2 free games being offered, I don’t see a “Welcome Back Free PS3 Game 1” or “Welcome Back Free PS3 Game 2” listed on the Welcome Back screen of the Playstation Store.

    What could I be doing wrong?
    When you first create a handle on the ps3 is it not valid unless you go online through the playstation website??

  • Need help. I’ve clicked on Game 1(ps3), went back and downloaded inFAMOUS. Then I clicked on Game 2 (ps3) but decided to download a game (preferably Dead Nation) the day after. Here’s my problem, every time I go to the Welcome Back page there is no option to download another ps3 game. Just Game 1 and 2 for psp titles plus a theme. I want Dead Nation but there is no tab to download it or any other ps3 games for my second choice. Hmm, dilemma, dilemma.

  • Oh, now that I read several posts above me, I’m not alone. C’mon PSN/Sony address this problem! It’s not much of a Welcome Back anymore.
    *Rage Fit*

  • How can I obtain the free PSP games and PSN+ 30days directly on the PSN Website enstead of XBM? I Don’t have Wi-Fi access currently!

  • I’m using the Media Go program as i can’t connect to the net with the psp. The welcome back section is empty and has a message that says’ no content was found.’ Any help here please.

  • It says that the welcome back thing cannt be opened on my account, why is that?

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