PlayStation Network ‘Welcome Back’ Offer a Big Letdown

I received an email yesterday from PlayStation Asia about their ‘Welcome Back’ offer after their network was down for 2 months as a result of what could probably be the biggest hacking incident in history.

The email goes:

Dear PlayStation®Network customer,

We are pleased to inform that PlayStation®Network services have been fully restored in your region since 14 June 2011 and the following “Welcome Back” offers* are now available for you to download on or before 14 July – all for free!

*”Welcome Back” program (expect for the offers from PlayStation(R)Home) is applicable to PlayStation(R)Network members registerd before 21 April 2011.

The offer included:

• A choice of two PS3 games via PlayStation Store;
• A choice of two PSP games via PlayStation Store;
• A 30-day PlayStation Plus Membership;
• A PlayStation 3 exclusive theme; and
• Over 100 PlayStation Home Virtual Items;

Forget about the rest of the offers above, I’m only interested in the first item — i.e., two PS3 games via PlayStation Store, and the game choices include:

• The Last Guy;
• Come on, LocoRoco!! BuuBuu Cocoreccho!;
• Trashbox;
• WipEout HD Bundle; and
• Hustle King;

Frankly, I’m not familiar with any of these games. But who cares, they’re free anyway.

So, I got to my PS3, went straight to the PlayStation Store and opened the Welcome Back title. I opened the free PS3 game titles, went out for a moment because I can’t decide yet which game to avail and download and also to browse the PSP titles (I don’t have a PSP), and then realized the PS3 games are already gone — as if I’ve already downloaded the games due me.

Now, after the hacking incident (where my account details may have been compromised) and the PSN being down for two months, all they could come up is this idiotic and glitchy system that doesn’t even know if I’ve already downloaded the games due me or not?

That’s what you call a big FAIL!