Playstation Network

The official logo

As both Xbox 360 and Wii had their own digital distribution system, so must Sony have one for the PlayStation 3 and Play Station Portable. The system seems to aim for a medium between Xbox Live Arcade and Wii Ware, favouring both new downloadable games (usually a slightly more non-standard kind than Xbox Live Arcade) and games from the first Play Station. Although, it should be noted that the selection of PSOne Classics in Japan rivals even that of the Virtual Console, while other regions are a bit wanting at the moment. PSN is even beginning to have Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx 16 games available, as well as a huge release of updated Neo Geo games (along with their own controller). While the Japanese service is better than its western alternatives, the Play Station Network is still in the ring against both Xbox Live Arcade and Nintendo's pair of services.

Currently, the digital delivery system is not exactly having a good time. External attacks by hackers (who also seem to have stolen data by the crapload) have caused a massive shutdown to the Play Station Network. However, these news have been heard a lot by now, so for other details you can just check The Other Wiki.

Currently, Sony's "Welcome Back program" has just been revealed, at last, with - as promised - two free games out of five (for PS3 users) or four (for PSP users). The problem is that the games offered were major games (such as Little Big Planet) with sequels either out or coming out, annoying several users. Sony, however, quickly assured the userbase that they were going for quality rather than quantity.

Downloadable PlayStation 3 games released include:

• Acceleration of SUGURI X-Edition
• Braid
• Burn, Zombie, Burn!
• Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
• Comet Crash
• Crescent Pale Mist
• Dead Nation
• Echochrome
• Fancy Pants Adventures
• Fat Princess
• Flower
• From Dust
• Gotham City Impostors
• The Gundemonium Collection:
  • Gundemonium Recollection
  • GundeadliGne
  • Hitogata Happa
• Joe Danger
• I Am Alive
• The Last Guy
• Noby Noby Boy
• PAIN
• The Pixel Junk Series
  • Pixel Junk Eden
  • Pixel Junk Monsters
  • Pixel Junk Racing
  • Pixel Junk Shooter
• Persona 3 FES
• Qlione Evolve
• Resident Evil Code Veronica X HD
• Resident Evil 4 HD
• Rochard
• Sam and Max Freelance Police
• Savage Moon
• Shatter
• Soldner-X
• Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People
• Super Stardust
• Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
• Trine
• Wipeout HD
• Wheels of Destruction

Downloadable PSP games released include:

• Cla Dun
  • Cla Dun X 2
• Echoshift
• The Eye Of Judgment Legends
• the What Did I Do to Deserve This My Lord series (...My Lord 1 and 2, and No Heroes Allowed)
• Persona 3 Portable