UPDATE! PlayStation Network is now back as of May 15 2011.

Log-in for your L.A. Noir DLC content!

The anonymous hacker must be pretty proud of himself. Sony’s technical team has been working day and night for over three weeks to rebuild their network’s infrastructure. For one of the world’s largest online gaming sites, this is unacceptable. 77 million accounts have been affected by the hacking on April 20th.

PlayStation Network’s downtime is a colossal hindrance to Sony but the opposite for their main competitor Microsoft. PS3s are being traded in at an increase of over 200 percent! And traded in for what, might you ask? Either cash, or more commonly, an Xbox 360.

For those loyal costumers who stood by Sony as they regained control over PSN, there will be a $1 million identity theft insurance policy as well as a welcome back package which will include a free month of PlayStation Plus and subscription extensions to make up for lost time.

Sony is hoping to have it running as soon as possible, but they have not given any specific information on an expected launch date of the newly secured network.

And what do hardcore gamers have to say about this? Well, let’s just say that the overall vibe in gaming forums is not a happy one. As you know, gamers can be very vocal when their beloved games are taken away.

So the real question is: When will PSN be working again??

Kayla Colvin