PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are coming back online in a phased restoration after the earlier reported data breach that has had the service offline for almost the entire past month. Kazuo Hirai made the announcement via video in a post at the PlayStation blog.
Highlights: Services should be restored regionally for PSN and Qriocity networks including access to video streaming sites, PlayStation Home, and other PSN social features. PlayStation Store and purchasing through Qriocity will return at a later point. All PSN and Qriocity customers must change their password on the PS3 it was activated on or with confirmed e-mail validation. Individuals will receive a “Welcome Back” package with details on regional websites and identity theft protection in regions where available.
In addition to changing your password, a mandatory update to the PS3 system software is required to bring the system up to version 3.61.
If using a PS3, your password can only be changed on your own PS3 (or a PS3 on which your PSN account was activated), as an added layer of security. If you have never downloaded any content using your account on the system, an email will be sent to the registered sign-in ID (email address) associated with your account when you first attempt to sign-in to PSN.
The restoration started earlier tonight in the New England area of the United States and is expected to take several hours to restore service to the entire country. You can check for an updated map to track progress.
The PlayStation Blog was returning Server Error 500 earlier as traffic likely greatly increased but seems to be back up as of publishing. While you’re waiting for restoration to reach your state, Sony recommends getting the mandatory update now in order to be ready for the restoration.