Sony's strategy to woo its lost customers after the PlayStation Network outage involves offering loads of freebies - games, music and movies.

While announcing that it has resumed a phased restoration of Sony PlayStation Network and Qricotiy, Sony listed a freebie bonanza as part of its Welcome Back appreciation plan.

Registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada) are eligible to receive the free gifts. The appeasement package will be available once the service is completely restored.

Separate packages have been announced for users in Europe and Latin America.

PlayStation Blog details the offer as follows:

All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

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

For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

  • LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
  • ModNation Racers
  • Pursuit Force
  • Killzone Liberation
  • A selection of On Us rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
  • 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
  • Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
  • Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
  • Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
  • To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag's Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

However, customer response to Sony's Welcome Back package has been more than satisfactory as revealed by the comments on the post titled Details for PlayStation Network and Qriocity Customer Appreciation Program in North America on PlayStation.Blog.

A user with codename joeschmo99 said: Wow these are amazing games to give out for free! I thought it would just be cheap minis like angry birds or something throw away like that!

Another user yazter stated: And wow you guys rose like a phoenix from the ashes. I'm more than happy to publicly humiliate myself and say I was an idiot for the comments I made xD. At any rate, I do have all those games except Stardust HD, but I don't mind. I'm mainly glad I got a 60 days extension on my Plus subscription. That's more than I could ask for XD.

However, for some the offer has just whetted their appetite for more free stuff. As a user with proxy name wicked-crazy commented: they should have given us free black ops maps though.

Another user sniffed a strategy to gain new subscribers in Sony's offer. User navcomm81 said: It's funny because most of the 'Welcome Back' titles are ones we already own since they're pretty much flagship titles. As for non-subscribers getting a month of PlayStation Plus .... best of luck to them enjoying the 'free games' unless they continue by paying after 30 days. Smart Sony, I see what you did there.

But many Sony customers can breathe a sigh of relief after Sony shutdown its PlayStation Network in April when hackers siphoned personal data of about 80 million users. Also Sony later confirmed that hackers had also broken into its San Diego-based online unit, Sony Online Entertainment, further affecting 24.6 million users.

Sony announced the phased restoration of PlayStation Network on Sunday.

Sony Canada Sony Free