31 May 2011 10:23 GMT / By Rik Henderson
All services on the PlayStation Network are finally going to be restored by the end of the week (Friday 3 June)... Unless you live in Japan, Hong Kong or South Korea that is.
European and PAL regions, the Americas and the rest of Asia will be able to access the PlayStation Store for the first time since the hacking scandal began (20 April) and Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity will also be available to subscribers.
However, other Qriocity features will still be disabled for the time being. Sony promises that a full restoration, and Japanese, Hong Kong and South Korean services, is coming, but there is no time scale at present.
For the rest of us, the other services we can get our hands on by the end of the week include in-game commerce, the ability to redeem vouchers and codes, and full functionality on Media Go.
According to the PlayStation Blog, the company has "implemented considerable security enhancements to the network infrastructure," and is now clearly happy that its new infrastructure is better protected against further attacks.
Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of the Sony Corporation, is hoping that this will signal the end of a bad 6 weeks for the company: “We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time,” he said.
The restoration of service will be followed by roll-out of the Welcome Back compensation package for PSN and Qriocity subscribers. It includes free games and PlayStation Plus membership, but there is currently no confirmed time frame for it implementation.
Are you relieved that it's all coming to an end? Or did you jump ship to the Xbox 360? Let us know in the comments below...
Gaming, Sony, SCEI, SCEE, PSN, PS3, PlayStation 3, Playstation Network, Hacking



Sony Xperia S pictures and hands-on CES 2012: See-through
Sony Xperia S Is Sony's best yet good enough?
Sony PlayStation Vita Curriculum Vita
11 hottest gadgets to look forward to in 2012 Time to start saving
Year in review 2011: July US loses shuttle but gains Spotify
Is Facebook about to buy Opera to create own Facebook browser? EXCLUSIVE: Pocket-lint source tells us "yes"
APP OF THE DAY: The Weather Channel review (iPhone / iPod touch) Tonight for the first time, just about half-past ten...
Mazda CX5 2.2 TDI AWD A very zoomy SUV
Which smartphone is best for the sun? Screens for the Summer
Jony Ive: Next Apple product is our most important and best work yet Better than iPod, iPad and iPhone?
Batman Nokia Lumia 900: Limited edition phone heading to UK Who are you? I'm Batman
Dragon's Dogma Adventure time
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Roger likes a Tango at 12 o'clock
Porsche 911 Carrera (991) 2012 pictures and hands-on WANT
Canon EOS 5D MK III It's a hat-trick
Robert Moog Google doodle best yet, even better than Les Paul Synthesizer synthesiser
British Gas turns Team GB swimming stars into superheroes Aquanauts assemble
APP OF THE DAY: Mini Motor review (Android, iPhone and iPad) Top-down. Top app.
Microsoft Office coming to iPad and Android tablets this November A change of heart?
Pint of Guinness reveals scannable QR code Novelty drinking
Olympus OM-D E-M5 review
The compact system camera to beat all others?
Nokia Lumia 900 review
Is big beautiful?
HTC One V review
V for victory?
Huawei Ascend G300 review
Big bang for your hundred quid
FIFA 12: UEFA Euro 2012 review
Lacks polish, if not the Polish
Asus Transformer Pad TF300T review
Transforms your money in to a great tablet
Nikon Coolpix P510 review
Does the P510 zoom beyond expectations?
Fujifilm X-Pro1 review
Like a Leica
Volkswagen Beetle Design 1.2TSi DSG review
The bug is back. Again.
BlackBerry Curve 9320 review
A BB for beginners?
Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR review
Can Fujifilm’s latest put the ‘super’ in superzoom?
HP Envy 14 Spectre review
The Ultrabook that isn't an Ultrabook
The Walking Dead: The Game review
Fleshed out zombie bonanza
Nikon Coolpix S6300 review
Point, shoot and scoot