Sony updates PS3 to version 4.00 ahead of PS Vita launch

Sony is setting the table for the PlayStation Vita today, with the release of a new PS3 update. With version 4.00, rolling out now, PS3 users will be able to share content like music, video and images with the forthcoming Vita, scheduled to launch in Japan on December 17th. The refresh also allows gamers to save PS Vita games and data on their PS3 hard drives, while updating their handheld software using the PS3's network. There are some more PS3-specific features, as well, including enhanced PSN privacy settings and game patches, among others. Find out more at the source link below.

PlayStation Blog

Sony announces 160GB PlayStation 3 bundle with Call of Duty: Black Ops

If you still haven't given in to your hankering for a PlayStation 3, you might want to check out this promotion Sony is teasing. The company just announced a limited edition PS3 bundle pairing Call of Duty: Black Ops with a 160GB console. For $299, Sony's also throwing in the First Strike content pack -- not too shabby, considering that's the standard price for a bare console. Depending on your proclivities, that may or may not trump a complimentary RC toy or Michael Jackson singalong, but if you've got a taste for first-person shooters, it should be right up your alley. First-time buyers can find it next week, starting on May 31.

Sony

Sony reportedly tells developers PlayStation Store will return May 24th

We wouldn't recommend setting aside time to enjoy your "Welcome Back" package just yet, but it looks like we now have our first solid indication of when the PlayStation Store will finally return to PlayStation 3 and PSP users. According to a memo reportedly sent by Sony to its publishing partners and obtained by Gamasutra, the store is set to return on Tuesday, May 24th -- assuming there aren't any more unforeseen hiccups, that is. That will also, of course, bring with it a backlog of new games and other content that should have been released by now, although those will apparently be released in stages over the following weeks, rather than all at once.

Eurogamer

Gamasutra

PlayStation Network restoration spreads across the world (update)

Now that North America has been thoroughly blanketed in the beautiful green light of a working PlayStation Network, it's time for other countries to sign on too, and the first out of the gate are the United Kingdom, Ireland and unspecified nations in the Middle East. Sony's official PlayStation Europe Twitter account reports that parts of the EMEA are beginning to light up now, and while there's no convenient map for you to monitor the rollout this time around, you can still get updates straight from the source -- follow the Twitter feed at our source link and Sony should let you know when to get your game on.

Update: Looks like it's not just the EMEA, as PSN's spreading across the world -- as of noon PST, it's lighting up the smiles of bereaved gamers and music lovers in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South America as well.

Update 2: We're hearing that the UK, Ireland and the Middle East actually went dark again for a tad, but now they should be up again.

Update 3: Sony's having a bit of difficulty getting millions of passwords reset in such a short time, due to a number of things, including ISPs that are automatically blocking or delaying the huge influx of email password change requests. Give it time, folks.

@PlayStationEU (Twitter)

PlayStation 3 system update 3.61 available now, 'phased restoration' of PSN begins today (update)

Ladies and gentlemen, your PS3 may technically be able to connect to PlayStation Network now, but we're not through the woods yet -- today, Sony is issuing a mandatory System Update (v3.61) which will prepare your game machine for that magical day when the company actually throws the switch. In the meanwhile, Sony says the update will prompt you to change your PlayStation Network password, which will likely rank among the easiest decisions that you've ever made.

Update: Sony's just announced that a "phased restoration" of PlayStation Network and Qriocity is beginning today, and that online gaming, Music Unlimited, Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and MLB.TV should rolling out right now in Europe and North America. Watch cool cat Kaz Hirai deliver the good news in a video after the break.

Update 2: Sony's got a map of the US up, and will be lighting up individual states -- check out our more coverage link to get a rough idea of when you'll be able to play. The company also says it plans to have PlayStation Network fully functional by the end of May. PR after the break.

Update 3: The restoration is beginning now: we're seeing Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and California.

Joystiq

PlayStation.Blog