The PlayStation Network program has been deemed a success, according to industry analyst firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR). The findings (PDF), based on data collected from IGN users, showed that 17% of the users purchased a PlayStation Network game in June, up from 13% in March. EEDAR also found that even without the freebies, 15% of users purchased a PSN game in June, up from 13% in March.

This indicates that the Welcome Back program brought gamers back to the PSN and ready to buy. Good will gesture aside, Sony had a vested interest in putting its user base back in a spending mood, and it apparently paid off. Read more »

The PlayStation Network has been back for a full day now, but for the wounds so deep that only free stuff can mend them, Sony has now implemented its Welcome Back program.

As previously reported, you can pick two PS3 games from a list of five (Infamous, Dead Nation, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, and Wipeout HD), plus two PSP games from a list of four (LittleBigPlanet PSP, ModNation Racers, Pursuit Force, and Killzone Liberation). Read more »

Today marks the first PlayStation Store Update with extras for PlayStation Plus subscribers, which was launched with a Firmware update yesterday. Subscribers will get access to a free trial of inFAMOUS, which is also available to purchase digitally to all PS3 owners.

Plus subscribers will also get a free copy of WipEout HD (as long as they remain subscribers) and some more digital goodies like games, DLC, avatars, and discounts on other content. Read more »

Sony has just added ten games to the PlayStation 3's Greatest Hits catalog, with each title now carrying a price tag of $29.99 or less.

They are: Read more »

Next Thursday, a free single-player demo for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will make it's way onto the PlayStation Network alongside the game's first paid downloadable content called the PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack.

According to the official PlayStation blog, the 'Heroes' DLC pack will include seven new multiplayer skins representing characters from other first-party PlayStation titles. Main character Sev and a rival Helghast make the crossover from Guerilla Games' Killzone 2; Zeke accompanies both good and evil versions of protagonist Cole from Sucker Punch Productions' inFAMOUS, and Nathan Hale and a Chimera take a vacation from Insomniac's Resistance 2. Read more »

Formerly available to only those who pre-ordered inFamous from GameStop, the "Gigawatt Blades" will soon be available to all owners of Sucker Punch's super-powered action game.

The power will arrive as free downloadale content on December 10, going by the official PlayStation.Blog, which also revealed that the price of the PlayStation 3 exclusive has now been lowered to $39.99. Read more »

It seems that developer Sucker Punch is unsurprisingly readying a sequel to its PlayStation 3 exclusive inFamous, going by a tweet from actor David Sullivan.

"First voiceover/motion capture audition today for a video game," wrote Sullivan, as noticed by G4. "Re-casting of Cole in the sequel of Infamous. 'I'll melt your face.' e.g." The actor previously starred in Shane Carruth's fantastic time-traveling flick Primer. Read more »

Continuing the recent flood of video game movie news, THR reports that Sony Pictures is pursuing the rights to adapt Sucker Punch's electrifying PlayStation 3 action game inFamous--published by Sony Computer Entertainment--into a feature film.

Read more »

EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich singled out the war between rival open-world action titles Infamous and Prototype in his retail sales preview today, estimating that Prototype will eventually win out over its rival by a sales margin of 90 percent.

Sucker Punch's PlayStation 3-exclusive Infamous was released on May 26, while Radical's similar, yet multiplatform title Prototype (PC, 360, PS3) launched on June 6. Read more »

With Sucker Punch's super-powered PlayStation 3 exclusive inFamous hitting North America today, publisher Sony has provided two new trailers of the open-world game.

First up is a television commercial that explains the basic premise of the game:

This week's PlayStation store update is headlined by the arrival of the demo for InFamous, the PlayStation 3 exclusive open-worlder from Sucker Punch.

Also on the docket is the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 demo, along with the LittleBigPlanet Monsters Kit, an assortment of ghoulish sackboy costumes. Read more »

Our latest glimpse of Sucker Punch's inFamous provides a nice mix of action and exploration, as our protagonist Cole brings his superpowered hijinks to the numerous areas of Empire City. We've also got some new screenshots, if you're interested.

A PlayStation 3-exclusive, inFamous arrives May 26, packing access to the upcoming Uncharted 2: Among Thieves multiplayer beta. A demo of inFamous will be publicly available on May 21, with pre-ordering folk getting early access on May 7. Read more »

It looks like the "electrifying" Uncharted 2 and inFamous-related announcement Sony was planning for next Monday has been spoiled.

A picture of a Best Buy placeholder box obtained by Kotaku clearly states that copies of Sucker Punch's superpowered open world game inFamous (PS3), due May 26, will include a multiplayer beta voucher for Naughty Dog's fall-due Uncharted 2 (PS3). Read more »

The announcement that Sucker Punch's super-powered open world sucker-puncher has gone gold was made, like so many others in this 2.0 age, through Twitter.

Now producer Brian Flemming has revealed how Sucker Punch will be celebrating the end of over three years of development and 70,000+ checkins of code and assets: Read more »

The release of Sucker Punch's super-powered open-world game inFamous has been bumped up from a vague June timeframe to a concrete date of May 26.

Publisher Sony also announced that pre-ordering grants you early access to the inFamous demo on May 7. Those who would prefer to play the demo before ordering the full game will be able to download it through the PlayStation Network on May 21.