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Sony PlayStation Network staying shut until end of May

Sony's PlayStation Network could be out of action until the end of the month. Online services including Qriocity and Sony Online Entertainment won't be fully restarted until 31 May.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

Sony's PlayStation Network could be out of action until the end of the month. A Sony spokesman has told Bloomberg that online services including Qriocity and the PlayStation Network won't be fully restarted until 31 May -- when the services will have been offline for a whopping 41 days.

The plan is to reopen online services gradually. Sony's online gaming and entertainment services have been offline since 20 April, when they were closed in response to a massive breach of security.

Personal and financial details of more than 100 million users were stolen in what Sony has called a "very carefully planned, very professional, highly sophisticated criminal cyber attack". Sony also claims attacks by online protest group Anonymous allowed the thieves to carry out the cyber heist while the company was distracted.

Sony said last week that its sites would be up and running by now, but the company has admitted that in an official blog post that it was "unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers". Sony is "taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system", and "will update you with more information as soon as we have it".

Sony hasn't yet offered any more information on compensation for those affected. Subscribers to the online services will be given a month of free access, as well as free downloads. US users have been offered free identity theft cover, but there's been no word on compensation for UK and European users.

Can you wait until the end of the month to get back to your online gaming, or is the delay driving you nuts? Will you return to the Sony fold, or has the company blown it in your eyes? And where will you go instead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook wall.