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Sony believes in its Pub Fund initiative and the PlayStation Network, and is putting up the cash to prove it. Over the course of the next three years, Sony will commit $20 million in seeking out independent developers to create games like Papo & Yo, Okabu and PixelJunk Sidescroller. Brandon Stander, director of marketing for PlayStation Network, describes it as a commitment of faith in the Pub Fund and a goal to bring "innovative, different, unique gameplay" to PSN.

#newdevelopments Not content to run a service where games already released on Xbox Live Arcade show up when it's fixed, Sony Computer Entertainment America commits $20 million over three years towards the development of more excellent PlayStation Network exclusive games. More »

Sony believes in its Pub Fund initiative and is putting up the cash to prove it. Over the course of the next three years, Sony will commit $20 million in seeking out independent developers to create games like Papo & Yo, Okabu and PixelJunk Sidescroller. Brandon Stander, director of marketing for PlayStation Network, describes it as a commitment of faith in the Pub Fund and a goal to bring "innovative, different, unique gameplay" to PSN.

#northamerica There may not be a ton of new games to download from the North American PlayStation Store this week, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in the Catherine demo and Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax." More »

Deadliest Warrior: Legends may be old (spiked) hat for Xbox 360 owners, but for those of us with access only to a PS3, the game has yet to arrive. That's all about to change, as 345 Games tells Joystiq that its latest release will head to the PlayStation Network Store on July 26, pointy blade-equipped staff and all.

Like its XBLA launch, Deadliest Warrior: Legends will run you $10 when it arrives in the coming weeks. No explanation was offered for the disparity in launch between 360 and PS3, but we're told Sun Tzu sends his sincerest apologies.

#konami Konami's unusual cooperative multiplayer Castlevania game released last summer on the Xbox 360 is now coming to the PlayStation 3. Your patience for multiplayer Dracula whipping has paid off, PS3 owners, for your version of Castlevania: Harmony of Despair sounds superior. More »

#rumor Patient PlayStation 3 owners may soon be able to die a thousand grisly deaths in PlayDead's gorgeous puzzle platformer Limbo, based on a newly listed rating submitted by Sony Computer Entertainment Korea. More »

Codemasters probably had no idea the accidental synergy it was creating, dropping the Monte Carlo DLC for Dirt 3 the same week that the soon-to-be hit romantic comedy of the same name was arriving in theaters, but here we are. Unfortunately, Selena Gomez isn't a new rallycross driver in the upcoming pack, and as far as we know, there isn't any rallycross in the film. What a waste!

Regardless, the $10 pack is now available on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 via their respective digital storefronts, and on PC via the Games for Windows Marketplace. It comprises eight new tracks set in the miniscule Mediterranean monarchy of Monaco (specifically Monte Carlo, of course). If, like us, you don't have a summer villa in the DLC's lavish setting, you may want to take a peek at the maps in action before purchasing the pack -- for that, we suggest heading into our gallery below.

#downloadables Woah. Kind of a big week for the PlayStation Store. We're leading with the new Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer beta, currently exclusive to PlayStation Plus members—and anyone lucky enough to get a code—but following up with so much more. More »

The NPD Group has released a set of charts highlighting sales in various video game categories over the last few years. Of particular interest is a graph representing online-capable sales between 2006 and 2010. The Xbox 360 leads in the category, with online-capable game sales consistently doubling that of PlayStation 3 since 2008. The Wii reached roughly half of the PS3's online-capable sales in 2008, though that number declined through 2010.

When it comes to points cards used to purchase games and downloadable content online, the Xbox 360 trounces the competition with sales growing steadily every year. Sales of Sony's PSN cards seem to be on the rise, however, while Wii Point card sales have remained relatively flat.

Head over to Gamasutra for more chart-related goodness, including snapshots of 3D game sales and motion control sales.

#northamerica The North American PlayStation Store gets a dose of downloadable content from some very big games today, starting with the latest map pack for Guerrilla Games' Killzone 3. More »

#okabu Okabu knows it's not easy being green, but they sure do make it look appealing. More »

#watchthis Probably the best way to sell Dyad, a "very deep hardcore racing/puzzle game," according to its creators, is to offer video of this unusual looking, but very pretty PlayStation 3 game. So, why don't you watch? More »

#northamerica The North American PlayStation Store update has arrived. We're back in the swing of things, with new games, new add-ons for games you already own and things to buy cheaply with your PlayStation Plus account. More »

If you haven't seen Papo & Yo's endearing announcement trailer, you should probably go check that out right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. All set? Great. Now that you've seen it, you'll understand why it was one of the few E3 2011 games that I made a specific point of going to play, just for me.

Papo & Yo is a story-driven puzzle game about a boy named Quico who lives in a Brazilian favela, and his two best friends: a quirky robot named Lula and a rhino-like creature named Monster. Lula, unfortunately, scares the hell out of Monster, rendering him too petrified to move when she's nearby.

Monster, on the other hand, is an adorable, friendly giant. That is, until he eats a frog (he's addicted to 'em!), totally flips out and tries to kill everything. I didn't see that part, though -- the demo actually ended with Monster gobbling a frog and a fade to black. What I played, rather, was all about puzzle solving.

We’re so excited to welcome you back to PlayStation Network. With the PlayStation Store back online, we’ve been getting all caught up this week, having launched an abundance of amazing content for download on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable devices across games, movies, themes and DLC. Today, we’re excited to launch the Welcome Back program to thank you for your loyalty, and below, we’ve got what you need in order to get access to the included content. So, here’s a list of questions about the program. If you don’t see your question below, mention it in the comments and we’ll do our best to provide an answer. Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we restored the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services – your support has meant a lot to us and is greatly appreciated.

Q: What’s in the Welcome Back Program?
A: To start, all PSN members who had signed up before the outage (April 20, 2011) will be able to select two games for the PS3 and two games for the PSP systems.

For PS3 owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section in the PlayStation Store, and select 2 titles from the following list:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

For PSP owners, go to the ‘Welcome Back’ section of PlayStation Store on your PSP system and select 2 titles from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

Select your first game from “Game 1”, then return to the Welcome Back page and go to “Game 2” to select your second game out of the remaining choices available. This goes for both PS3 and PSP.

In addition, we’re giving access to our premium subscription service, PlayStation Plus, which includes games, huge discounts, exciting exclusives and added features like online storage and automatic downloads, to all PSN members for 30 days at no charge, requiring no long term commitment. As with the games above, go to the PlayStation Store and under the ‘Welcome Back’ section, select ‘PlayStation Plus: 30 Days Free’, and you’ll be given access to all of the benefits of PlayStation Plus. Note that this will not auto-renew and simply expires 30 days after activation.

Current Plus subscribers receive an extra 60 days added to their existing subscription at no charge. For current Plus subscribers, no action is needed as the 60 days are automatically added to your subscription.

PlayStation Network users will also get 100 virtual items in PlayStation Home as a show of appreciation for your patience while Home was inaccessible. Additional content is coming soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

A selection of “On Us” movie rentals are currently available to PlayStation Network customers this weekend only, where Video Service is available.

Finally, current Music Unlimited Premium subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of premium subscription plus days lost due to the outage.

Q: When will I have access to the Welcome Back Program?
A: The content offered as part of the Welcome Back Program is available for download today and will be available through July 3.

Q: I have both PS3 and PSP. Does this mean I will get 4 games all together?
A: Yes, as long as you were a PSN member before April 20, 2011, you’ll be able to receive up to 4 games based on the titles listed above; 2 on each platform.

Q: Are there any limitations to the PS3 and PSP games we are receiving as part of the Welcome Back Program?
A: None. These games are yours to keep.

Q: How long do I have to get into the PlayStation Store and receive my content for Welcome Back?
A: Access to the Welcome Back content will be expiring on July 3. Once this date has passed, the Welcome Back section in the PlayStation Store will be removed.

Q: When does the 30 days of my PlayStation Plus access expire?
A: Your PlayStation Plus 30-day access will expire 30 days from the date you activated it in PlayStation Store.

Q: When will (insert game here) be published?
A: Look forward to posts over the coming days that will show what content will be available at that point, or coming soon. We’re planning frequent store publishes offering lots of new content for everyone to enjoy.

Q: I’m getting 30 days of access to PlayStation Plus; can you refresh my memory on what I get with this service?
A: From the time you activate your 30 days of PlayStation Plus, you’ll be able to download games and game related content, purchase select store items at a discount, and have access to the exclusive features of Plus. You’ll also be able to get early access to any Plus exclusive Demos and priority Beta invitations that might be scheduled during your 30 days.

Q: Do I get to keep the games in PlayStation Plus forever?
A: Content that is free in PlayStation Plus will not be available after your PlayStation Plus time has expired. However, if you decide to join PlayStation Plus, you’ll have access to all of the content you downloaded during your 30 day access for as long as you are a subscriber.

Q: Do I get to keep any games or content I purchased with the PlayStation Plus discount?
A: Yes. Any content you purchase at a discount is yours to keep, regardless of your subscription status.

Q: Aside from the games and discounts; does PlayStation Plus offer anything else?
A: Yes! PlayStation Plus includes the Online Storage for Game Saves feature, allowing you to backup treasured game saves or access them from another PS3. In addition, you get the Automatic Download feature, which automatically updates your 10 most recently played games while the system is in stand-by mode so you don’t have to wait for updates before playing your games.

Q: What content will be in PlayStation Plus when I activate my 30 days?
A: PlayStation Plus content and discounts are regularly updated throughout the month. For up-to-date information on content within PlayStation Plus, please visit the Plus homepage.

Q: Where can I find the Welcome Back content in Home?
A: The 100 virtual items can be found in the kiosk in Home’s Central Plaza along with two personal spaces – Dragon’s Lair and the Mansion Garage. A new game – Ooblag’s Alien Casino – will be released soon (June 2011). This game will be 100% free-to-play. As an added bonus, players that access the Ooblag Alien Casino space will be rewarded an active item version of the Ooblag game that can be played in your personal space(s).

Remember, if you didn’t see your question answered above, drop us a line below and we’ll do our best to answer it. Welcome Back!

PlayStation 3 and PSP owners in Europe and the U.S. can now download the freebies Sony promised last month during the PSN outage. Keep in mind everyone trying to download inFamous at once is bound to cause some network congestion. More »

Afte arriving exclusively on the Xbox 360 back in May (per previous agreements) and on PC yesterday, Call of Duty: Black Ops DLC "Escalation" is now getting the PS3 treatment on June 10. Beyond the four regular mutliplayer maps it adds, the much loved "Call of the Dead" level -- starring a quartet of movie stars -- is also included.

Like the PC launch before it, when the DLC arrives on PlayStation 3 next week, it'll spark a double XP outbreak all weekend on PlayStation Network. No official pricing was given in the release date announcement, but we don't imagine it'll be magically less expensive than the $15 asking price on Xbox 360 and Steam.

#snarketing Highly entertaining but fake PlayStation executive Kevin Butler was notably (and understandably) quiet during Sony's recent PlayStation Network downtime. But like the PlayStation Store, the cocky PlayStation mouthpiece has returned, showing that Sony is willing to laugh again. More »

Just hours after the PlayStation Network Store went back online, Sony took to its European PlayStation blog to detail both what's coming in the first major update, as well as what European PS Plus subscribers will be receiving in the coming weeks. Beyond the already detailed "Welcome Back" content, SCEE says an extra 10 days will be added to the 60 already included in the Plus "Welcome Back" package, "due to the Store coming back a little later that we hoped."

Additionally, April's Plus content and deals are being extended for two extra weeks, meaning that if you missed a chance to download Premiere Manager at 50 percent off, there's still time! June's offers have yet to be revealed, but the post does promise Plus users a free copy of Burnout Paradise as part of the month's content offerings.

The "Spring Offers" deal for all PSN users has also been extended to June 8, a sale which was unavailable during the majority of its duration as a result of the month-long PSN outage. All PSN users can also snag a free copy of FIFA 11 Ultimate Team, a soccer management game from EA, for the time being.

And finally, the EU PlayStation Store has also received a massive update, the likes of which we've never seen before. Final Fantasy VI is totally on there, as is a mess of new Hyperdimension Neptunia content and ... well, you know what? We're going to simply point you to it rather than try to wade the flood.

To quote a certain Whiskey colleague of mine, it's been a looooong roooooad for Sony lo these last several weeks. We, the collective gaming audience, have given the company a perhaps rightful amount of crap for how it handled communication with its customers during the fallout of the hack that sent the PlayStation Network into offline limbo for longer than anyone could have possibly expected. While the Welcome Back program and assurances of identity theft insurance did a little to help quell the masses, deep down, I think all any of us really wanted was just to get back onto PSN and start playing some damn games.

Welcome back, old friend.

Today marks one of the final steps in that "get back to playing some damn games" initiative, as Sony announced via the PlayStation blog that the PlayStation Store has emerged from the ashen cloud of offline purgatory and returned to the online realm in both North America and Europe. Though you may run into a few errors throughout the day trying to access certain content, these are likely just creaks from the house settling itself, and soon enough, everything should be back in proper working order.

The blog entry lists an almost absurd amount of new content for players to sort through--seven weeks is a long time, yo--which I will skip out on re-posting here. Suffice it to say, there is a veritable smorgasbord of new games, demos, DLC, avatar crap, and the like available for your perusal. There's even a new episode of Qore, if you're into that kind of thing.

It's worth noting that none of the Welcome Back program downloads are available just yet. Sony's post explains that the apology downloads are currently going through the final phase of testing, and should be available "soon."

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some L.A. Noire PS3-exclusive content to finally download and dig into!

#callofduty It's a fair guess that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will follow in the footsteps of last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops, shattering sales records and bringing even more people to video games. More »

If you're on the PlayStation Network in Japan, chances are you already know this. Chances are you are also asleep as it's past 3 a.m. now. But just to make a record of it, PlayStation Network service was restored to Japan, as promised. Here's Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kazuo Hirai welcoming everyone back. More »

#watchthis Okabu is a game about happy little clouds and cheery environmentalism. And as you'll have pounded into your head by the above video, it's amazingly cute. Who would expect anything less from a developer named HandCircus, creators of Rolando? More »

Atari addressed fans waiting for the PS3 version of Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale today, announcing on Twitter that the game would miss its planned May 31 launch on the platform. The reason stated, however, is far more interesting than the news of a delay -- according to Atari, it "looks like Playstation Network is not gonna be ready for #Daggerdale release on 5/31."

Despite an internal memo from Sony stating that the PS Store would be up as early as this past Tuesday (which clearly didn't happen), and statements from the company that "all services" would be restored by the end of May, it seems (at least for this publisher) that the PS Store may remain offline longer than expected. The tweet also says to "Stay tuned for more details today." We've reached out to both Sony and Atari for comment, but had yet to hear back as of publishing.

Update: The PlayStation Store's revival might not miss its targeted launch date after all. An Atari representative responded to us, explaining, "Our recent tweet was not intended to speak to Sony's service coming back online or being delayed, but to inform our fans that we expect Daggerdale to be placed in PSN's publishing queue behind other titles that were meant to launch during the service outage and that it might not hit the May 31 date."

Atari addressed fans waiting for the PS3 version of Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale today, announcing on Twitter that the game would miss its planned May 31 launch on the platform. The reason stated, however, is far more interesting than the news of a delay -- according to Atari, it "looks like Playstation Network is not gonna be ready for #Daggerdale release on 5/31."

Despite an internal memo from Sony stating that the PS Store would be up as early as this past Tuesday (which clearly didn't happen), and statements from the company that "all services" would be restored by the end of May, it seems (at least for this publisher) that the PS Store may remain offline longer than expected. The tweet also says to "Stay tuned for more details today." We've reached out to both Sony and Atari for comment, but had yet to hear back as of publishing.

#itonlydoes The PSN was hacked. Then Sony Online Entertainment. Then Sony Thailand's site, Sony's internet provider So-Net, Sony Music Indonesia, Sony Music Greece, Sony Ericsson's Eshop and Sony BMG Japan. But Sony's banking and insurance arms? They're not worried. More »

#gonephishin Contrary to previous reports, the PlayStation Store will not open its digital doors today in North America. Sony Computer Entertainment America reps confirm that we'll have to wait a little longer while the PlayStation Network deals with scheduled maintenance. More »

Sony will release PSP system software update 6.39 "soon," an update that will let PlayStation Portable users update their PlayStation Network passwords. As a bonus, "system software stability during use of some features will be improved." [PlayStation.blog] More »

#psn When PlayStation Store returns (reports suggest that will be May 24), PS3 account holders may choose two free games from a list being offered by Sony. One of those is Dead Nation (pictured), and the studio behind it told Edge magazine it's worried what the glut of free games might do to efforts to sell its latest release. More »