PSA: Sony's Welcome Back package ended today [update: last-minute extension]
Update: Sony has extended the availability of the Welcome Back package until 9AM Pacific on July 5th. You still have some time left!
Original story:
Sony's Welcome Back package ended earlier today, July 3, and users are no longer able to claim their free content, despite information from Sony that the program would last "through" July 3. Yesterday we reported Sony's Welcome Back package would end July 3, based on PlayStation.Blog posts detailing the terms of the program, which was begun to "thank users for their loyalty" following the month-long outage of the PlayStation Network and the more upsetting compromise of user's personal information:
June 30, 2011, "Welcome Back Program Available Now – Details Inside"
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: 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.
July 1, 2011, "Public Service Announcement – Claim Your Free Games Now!"
This offer expires on Sunday, July 3rd, so please make sure to claim what's yours before then.
Many PlayStation Network users are surprised and angry at the deal's seemingly early removal, saying they believed it would end at midnight July 3, leading into July 4. Some users were waiting until the deadline to claim 30 days of free PlayStation Plus, and now feel as if they were misled.
Sr. Social Media Manager Jeff Rubenstein has responded on Twitter to questions from GameFly Media editorial director Garnett Lee, writing, "There were 30 days to claim it, not sure why people decided to wait. We were clear from the outset."
We have contacted Rubenstein for clarification on this, ahem, communication confusion.
