The PlayStation Network has gone live again, for developers at least. The internal network for the development community is back up and running, and surely that's a precursor to the full consumer online gaming platform's imminent return.

Posting on community forum Neogaf, Kagari states: "The internal PSN developer network is online again, at least it seems for some, although things are still a bit shaky at the moment such as lack of new account sign up."

He also adds, "Looks like the full network, at least the online play/account part of it, will be back soon."

There's no predicted date for the return of Sony's online services, but Eurogamer was told that, "We're working to get the network back on as soon as we can," by SCE corporate communications director Patrick Seybold. In addition, one of the gaming website's sources claimed that the service will be back online "within days".

Perhaps expediting its return are the reports that the trade-in of PS3s for Xbox 360s is rising as disgruntled gamers are giving up on the fraught Sony console. Among other similar stories up and down the UK, one retailer told Edge magazine that while there was little impact on sales during the first week of downtime, "from the second week onwards we have seen an increase of over 200 per cent on PS3 consoles being traded in, split almost 50/50 between those trading for cash and those taking a 360 instead.”

Have you given up on Sony and plumped for an Xbox 360 instead? Let us know in the comments below...