PlayStation Network

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"PSN" redirects here. For other uses, see PSN (disambiguation).

PlayStation Network

Developer Sony Interactive Entertainment

Type Online service

Launch date November 11, 2006; 13 years ago

 PlayStation 3 (2006–present)
Platform(s)
 PlayStation Portable (2008–2016)

 PlayStation Vita (2011–present)

 PlayStation 4 (2013–present)

 Internet browser (2013–present)

 PlayStation App (2013–present)

Status Active

Members 103 million active monthly (as of December, 2019)[1]

Website www.playstationnetwork.com

PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided

by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was
originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to
encompass smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players and high-definition televisions.
As of April 2016, over 110 million users have been documented, with 103 million of
them active monthly as of December 2019.[1]
PlayStation Network's services are dedicated to an online marketplace (PlayStation
Store), a premium subscription service for enhanced gaming and social features
(PlayStation Plus), movie streaming, rentals and purchases (PlayStation Video),
 music streaming (PlayStation Music, powered by Spotify) and a cloud
gaming service (PlayStation Now). The service is available in 73 territories.[2]

Contents

 1History
 2User information
o 2.1Online ID
o 2.2Trophies
 3PlayStation Plus
o 3.1Monthly games
 4PlayStation Store
 5PlayStation Blog
 6Original programming
 7See also
 8References
 9External links

History[edit]
Launched in the year 2000, Sony's second home console, the PlayStation 2, had
rudimentary online features in select games via its online network. It required
a network adaptor, which was available as an add-on for original models and
integrated into the hardware on slimline models. However, Sony provided no
unified service for the system, so support for network features was specific to each
game and third-party server, and there was no interoperability of cross-game
presence. Five years later during the development stage for its third home console,
the PlayStation 3, Sony expressed their intent to build upon the functionality of its
predecessor by creating a new interconnected service that keeps users constantly
in touch with a "PlayStation World" network.[3] In March 2006, Sony officially
introduced its unified online service, tentatively named "PlayStation Network
Platform".[4] A list of supporting features was announced at the Tokyo Game
Show later the same year.[5]
Sony launched an optional premium subscription service on top of the free PSN
service in June 2010. Known as PlayStation Plus, the system provides access to
exclusive content, complimentary games, regular store discounts, and early access
to forthcoming games.
Following a security intrusion, the PlayStation Network had a
temporary suspension of operation which began on April 20, 2011 and affected 77
million registered accounts.[6] Lasting 23 days, this outage was the longest amount
of time the PSN had been offline since its inception in 2006.[7] Sony reported that
user data had been obtained during the intrusion.[8] In June 2011, Sony launched a
"Welcome Back" program following the outage, allowing all PSN subscribers who
joined prior to April 20 to download two free PlayStation 3 titles and two free
PlayStation Portable games. Users also received 30 free days of PlayStation Plus,
while users who were already subscribed before the outage got 60 free
days.[9] After the disruption, Sony changed the PlayStation Network's license
agreement to legally bar users from filing lawsuits and joining class action lawsuits
without first trying to resolve issues with an arbitrator.[10]
In July 2012, Sony Computer Entertainment announced that they had acquired
video game streaming service Gaikai for $380 million. The acquisition was later
strengthened when Sony acquired the assets of Gaikai's market rival OnLive. At
the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2014, Sony announced that Gaikai's
technology would be used to power PlayStation Now; a new cloud-based gaming
service that allows people to play PlayStation games on a variety of devices.
During 2014, Sony rolled out the service in North America on PlayStation 3 and
PlayStation 4 in beta form as a means for users to test performance and pricing
structures.[11]
On December 25, 2014, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live suffered network
disruption after a denial-of-service attack.[12] Both services were flooded with
millions of inauthentic connection requests, making it hard for genuine users to
establish a connection. Functionality was restored on December 26, with some
users experiencing difficulties in the days that followed.[13] On January 1, 2015,
Sony announced that users would be compensated for the downtime with a 5-day
extension to PlayStation Plus memberships.[14]
Formerly the gaming provision of the much broader Sony Entertainment Network,
the PlayStation Network became Sony's premier entertainment service in 2015,
unifying games, music, television and video. While synonymous with gaming, Sony
said the PlayStation Network had evolved to become a "comprehensive digital
entertainment brand".[15] The SEN name is still used in some places.

User information[edit]
Signing up to the PlayStation Network is free. Two types of accounts can be
created: Master accounts and Sub accounts.[16] A master account allows full access
to all settings, including parental controls. Sub accounts can subsequently be
created (e.g. for children) with desired restrictions set by the master account
holder.[17] A sub account holder has the option to upgrade their account once they
reach 18 years of age.[18] Sony encourage registrants to use a unique email and
strong password not associated with other online services.[19][20]
Online ID[edit]
An Online ID is one's username on the PlayStation Network. It can range from 3 to
16 characters in length and consist of letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores.
A user's Online ID is central to your PSN profile and is displayed when playing
online games and using other network features. In April 2019, Sony enabled users
to change their online PSN ID.[21]
Users have the option to disclose their real name aside their Online ID, add a
personal description, exhibit a profile picture or avatar, and list all spoken
languages. Profiles also include a summary of a player's Trophy level and recent
activity. Profiles can be viewed via the user interface or online through the
PlayStation website.
A Portable ID is a small infographic intended for use as a forum signature. The
graphic showcases a user's trophy level and number of trophies awarded. Each
user is able to log into their PSN account using a web browser to access and
customize their Portable ID, and are then given a unique URL which they can cut &
paste to display their ID elsewhere on the internet.[22] Several third-party websites
offer similar graphics (commonly referred to as "trophy cards") as both free and
paid services which either update automatically or are updated manually by the
user.[23]
Trophies[edit]
Trophies are in-game awards presented to gamers for hitting specific targets or
reaching certain milestones (e.g. completing a difficult level or defeating a certain
number of enemies). There are four different types of trophy awarded. A bronze,
silver, or gold trophy is contingent upon the difficulty of the accomplishment, with
each reward contributing to a level system attached to a player's profile. A platinum
trophy is awarded to the player once they unlock all other trophies in the base
game; smaller sized games, however, generally do not have a platinum trophy. In
addition, each trophy is graded by popularity—common, rare, very rare, and ultra
rare—based on the percentage of people who have unlocked it. Developers can
choose to make various trophies hidden so that its value and description are not
revealed until after the user has obtained it.[24]

PlayStation Plus[edit]
PlayStation Plus

Developer Sony Interactive Entertainment

Type Premium online service

Launch date June 29, 2010

Last updated July 2, 2019

 Platform(s) PlayStation 3

PlayStation 4

PlayStation Vita

Members 41.5 million (as of March 31, 2020)

Website www.playstationplus.com

PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) is a paid PlayStation Network subscription service that
provides users with access to premium features. These extras include early access
to upcoming games, beta trials, regular store discounts, and the ability to have
system software updates and game patches download automatically to the
console. As part of the subscription, members are given two PlayStation 4 games
every month and 100 GB of internet storage space for saved game files.
PlayStation 4 online multiplayer requires a subscription to PlayStation Plus, free-to-
play games excluded.[25] Users may choose a monthly, quarterly or annual
subscription.[26]
Monthly games[edit]
Membership includes access to a rolling selection of games. New titles are made
available every month, while older games are withdrawn from the collection.
Members can keep all games in the collection as long as they are a member of
PlayStation Plus. If their membership lapses, these games will become
inaccessible. Once membership is renewed, the games will become unlocked
again. In 2014, PlayStation Plus provided more than US$1,300 worth of games in
the Instant Game Collection.[27] In late June 2020, it was announced that PS Plus
will expand its capacity of accessible games from two to three for its 10th
anniversary.[28]

PlayStation Store[edit]
Main article: PlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is a digital media shop that offers a range of downloadable
content both for purchase and available free of charge. This includes full
games, free-to-play games, add-ons, demos, music, movies and background
themes. The store is updated with new releases each Tuesday in North America
and each Wednesday in PAL regions. The store accepts physical
currency, PayPal transfers and network cards.[29]
PlayStation Network Cards are a form of electronic money that can be used with
the PlayStation Store.[30] Each card, or ticket, contains an alphanumeric code which
can be entered on the PlayStation Network to deposit credit in a virtual wallet.
Sony devised the payment method for people without access to a credit card, and
PlayStation owners who would like to send or receive such cards as gifts.[31] The
tickets are available via online retailers, convenience stores, electronic kiosks and
post office ATMs.
Sony introduced cross-buy in 2012, whereby a game available for multiple
PlayStation devices needs only to be purchased once. Players who download the
PlayStation 3 version of a game can also transfer to the PlayStation Vita or
PlayStation 4 version, at no extra cost, and vice versa. Users have immediate
access to supported titles in their digital game library, even when they upgrade to
the newest system.[32]

PlayStation Blog[edit]
Main article: PlayStation Blog

The PlayStation Blog is an online PlayStation focused gaming blog which is part of
the PlayStation Network. Launched in June 2007, regular content includes game
announcements, developer interviews and store updates.[33] A sub-site of the blog
called PlayStation.Blog Share was launched in March 2010 and allows PSN users
to submit ideas to the PlayStation team about anything PlayStation-related as well
as vote on the ideas of other submissions.[34][35]

Original programming[edit]
Beginning in the spring of 2015, PlayStation Network begin to produce and
distribute their own original content. The first original scripted program, Powers,
premiered on March 10, 2015 and ran for two full seasons.[36] The series was
cancelled on August 3, 2016.[37]
In June 2017, it was announced that Sony was launching the Emerging
Filmmakers Program where members of the public can submit pitches for potential
television series to be aired on PlayStation Network. Submissions were due on
August 1, 2017 and five of the ideas would be turned into pilot episodes that will be
voted on by the PlayStation community.[38]

See also