PSN offline tonight for two hours

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 29 September, 2011

5pm to 7pm.

The PlayStation Network will be offline tonight, Thursday 29th September, from 5pm to 7pm UK time, Sony has announced.

This is for maintenance, which will actually run from 5pm to 9pm, Sony said.

It'll affect the PlayStation Store, account registration and account management. You won't be able to sign in to the Network during the downtime, but if you sign in before it begins, you should be able to remain signed in.

So if plan to hammer the Battlefield 3 beta tonight, be sure to sign in before 5pm.

Today a huge PlayStation Home update, 1.55, goes live, changing almost every aspect of the free virtual world.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 8 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Timotei #1 8 months ago

    Again? bloody hell...

  • thedaveeyres #2 8 months ago

    This is getting fucking ridiculous.

  • HisDudness #3 8 months ago

    Something's brewing...

  • RodHull #4 8 months ago

    Thank you Sony! I was going to play online when I got home tonight but instead I'll go for a stroll along the cobbles in the sunlight. Ricketts-be-gone!

  • jetsetwillie #5 8 months ago

    PSN goes up and down more often than my ex girlfriends knickers.

  • DozyKipper #6 8 months ago

    I tell you something - all this maintenance better lead to a BRAND NEW PSN and XMB to rival Xbox Live or else my PS3 is getting chucked out of the window.

    EDIT: OK, maybe not. I'll wait until I've played Shadow of the Colossus first.
    Edited by DozyKipper at 29/09/11 @ 10:02

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #7 8 months ago

    There are rumours of a big PSN update coming on the 5th of october, all this maintenance recently would suggest it might be true, setting up new stuff and what not maybe.

  • Murbal #8 8 months ago

    Is it ever online?

    edit: Sense of humour failure in here it seems.
    /rolls eyes
    Edited by Murbal at 29/09/11 @ 11:15

  • slickster #9 8 months ago

    Stop crying you bunch of babys its just 2 hours just be online before 5pm.

  • asphaltcowboy #10 8 months ago

    Hope you weren't planning on playing BF3 this evening!
    Edited by asphaltcowboy at 29/09/11 @ 10:01

  • youhavenomail #11 8 months ago

    It may as well be offline for those two hours (and the next two) every evening the way BT throttles my connection during those hours.

  • richardiox #12 8 months ago

    Again!

  • Whitster #13 8 months ago

    @Slickster

    In the real world most people don't leave work until aroung 5pm meaning when they get in they can't get on the service until gone 7. I know this isn't an easily solvable problem as whatever time it is will coincide with peak hours somewhere worldwide. The more important question is why does the network have to come down for two hours for maintainance, when this isn't something that happens on other online networks as often as on PSN?

  • evild_edd #14 8 months ago

    @slickster: "Stop crying you bunch of babys its just 2 hours just be online before 5pm. "

    ....errr.....some people work which traditionally finishes around 5pm....

    Not the end of the world though, but this has been happening a fair amount of late. Must be a little irritating for PS3 owners.

  • Mister-Wario #15 8 months ago

    For God's sake.

  • Snake_2011 #16 8 months ago

    I think big changes are coming it is no big deal games can run without the net it is not onlive lol.

  • slickster #17 8 months ago

    If you guys got time to make comments on this forum at work then your probably not that bizzy so have a early day. lol
    Edited by slickster at 29/09/11 @ 10:22

  • Bennicus #18 8 months ago

    Pre-PSN hacks : PSN servers have Windows Update disabled.
    Post-PSN hacks : Windows Update enabled, down for "maintenance" every couple of days for updates to install.

    Mystery solved!

  • UkHardcore23 #19 8 months ago

    Again?

  • Goodfella #20 8 months ago

    *slits wrists*

  • chris_ace #21 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Whitster #22 8 months ago

    @Slickster

    Once again, reality check, busy or not I'm still contracted to be here 35 hours a week so just taking an early day isn't a possibility.

    I don't really know why I'm making this point as I doubt the downtime will effect me in the slightest, I just don't like people who don't live in the real world.

  • Joco84 #23 8 months ago

    Oh no.... 2 hours!!!! how can i live without PSN for 2 hours!!?!
    /sarcasm

  • Doctor_What #24 8 months ago

    +1 to Bennicus - probably not accurate, but rather amusing :)

  • mcreddie #25 8 months ago

    WHOA THAT MUST MEAN AFTER THE UPDATE ITS GOING TO BE MORE SECURE AND STREAMLINED!!

    WHOOAA

  • Beano #26 8 months ago

    "Hope you weren't planning on playing BF3 this evening!"

    Just sign in before maintenance and you will remain online.

    Do you people even read the article?

  • slickster #27 8 months ago

    @whitster, im sorry didnt know i was taking a english exam today.

  • TwinPeaksBob #28 8 months ago

    It's actually four hours: http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/T...

  • jablonski #29 8 months ago

    @Beano

    Yes mate, but some people work for a fucking living and won't have left the office by then

  • Toothball #30 8 months ago

    Presumably they're running the whole PSN on PS3s if it needs updated this often.

    I expect I'd probably manage for a few hours if I had a PS3.

  • lockload #31 8 months ago

    Woo just in time for BF3 beta, seriously it seems this happenens every week these days

  • Whitster #32 8 months ago

    @Slickster

    Well you are, and you failed, and since they're getting rid of resits you'll end up on the dole.

    Which on the plus side means you can get on PSN before 5.

  • RodHull #33 8 months ago

    I wish Sony would at least detail why the service goes offline and what maintenance is occurring. When XBL goes to sleep Major Nelson always lists what's occurring. If this downtime is indeed due to a forthcoming major update, why doesn't Sony at least tell us? People are a lot happier when they're informed. Did they learn nothing from the feedback following April and May's fiasco?

  • Jay-ITFC #34 8 months ago

    Home reduced to a footer these days.

  • makeamazing #35 8 months ago

    @Rodhull perhaps they are not saying what they are doing because its a security fix or this thing/reveal thats supposed to happen on the 5th, so they might want to keep quiet till then....

    It's only a couple of hours, so its not really a big deal imho, not sure why people get so bent out of shape about it.

  • Architect_z #36 8 months ago

    Between 5pm - 7pm? Luckily I finish work at 8pm, but why do they need to do it between 5-7. Thats like prime playing time for the UK.
    I suppose its to satisfy the USA and Japanese ps3 owners.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #37 8 months ago

    I'm not rushing home today to get my hands on the BF3 beta but I'm sure lots of people are so I find the timing of this maintenance window quite strange. It's not exactly rocket science to anticipate that lots of PS3 owners will be pissed at Sony for this. Sure, it's only two hours which is very reasonable, but would it really killed Sony to do this a day before a big launch?

  • Architect_z #38 8 months ago

    If your upset with the PSN being offline for 2 hours, then I suggest you use those 2 hours to rethink your life and realise that the PSN offline is not a big deal. Your life does not depend on the PSN being opperational.

    I work for a TV repair company, sometimes I have to tell people that they will go 2 days without a TV, customers sometimes ask me "what are my kids supposed to do for 2 days".
    Stupid question? Well anyone complaining about downtime sounds exactly the same as those dumbass customers I have to deal with. Read a book or watch a DVD or something. Hell, play an offline game!

  • Der_tolle_Emil #39 8 months ago

    @Architect_z: There is a HUGE difference between scheduled maintenance and emergency maintenance. No company in their right mind schedules maintenance on the same date as other important events.

  • rotmm #40 8 months ago

    @All,

    Be fair to Sony here. They have scheduled the downtime to coincide with some of the best weather we are going to have for the rest of the year, so it's not as though one will be stuck indoors with nothing else to do.

    Go for a pint or a glass of wine after work, at a location where you can sit outside and soak up the rays, rather than rushing home to try and download and play the BF3 beta.

    For all we know, Sony organised this Indian Summer specifically for that reason.

  • eltonpr0n #41 8 months ago

    Only two hours yes, however why does the network require a third period of down time in a week?

    Follow the lead of other online providers and do so outside peak trade e.g. Blizzard weekly down times occur early morning not to disrupt their community after work.

  • Beano #42 8 months ago

    "Yes mate, but some people work for a fucking living and won't have left the office by then"

    I also work for a living, but apparently more effectively since I'm able to leave the office earlier :D

  • Architect_z #43 8 months ago

    @Der_tolle_Emil

    I understand the differences in maintenance. Thats not my point. I understand loads of people really wanna play BF3, and this maintanence is cutting into that time frame...But 2 hours? If it was 4 or more hours, then yeah thats pretty unforgivable, but 2 hours maintanence in order to help PS3 users enjoy the BF3/online experience by potentially ironing out any faults. And people still complain.
    The example I gave was to show how stupid people can be when it comes to stuff like this, it just means you have to find something else to do for a couple of hours. If it bothers you that much go and get a 360 and pay to go online.

  • rojjer #44 8 months ago

    kiss BF3 gameplay time goodbye then, poor sods :-(

  • Der_tolle_Emil #45 8 months ago

    @Architect_z: It all depends on how much time you can spend with games. 2 hours is not a long time but for me personally it is the absolute maximum I can spend with gaming per evening after work. I am sure I am not the only one - so even if it is just two hours, for some people this is an entire day.

    This is besides the point though. People are not complaining about a two hour downtime but about a two hour downtime happening at the exact same time the beta launches. People have been looking forward to finally get their hands on the game and now they can't. That is all there is to it.

  • RedPanda #46 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • PixelPirate #47 8 months ago

    If they just bothered to tell us why they keep taking it down, i suspect less people would be up in arms.

    Its when companies pull services and dont give a reason people get fustrated, often if they understand the reason they are pretty forgiving.

    "just because" will always shaft you as a company.

  • menage #48 8 months ago

    Great timing with the BF3 beta and all. Jeez.

  • rotmm #49 8 months ago

    @Architect_z,

    I don't thiink people are complaining about the maintenance, but rather wondering why it couldn't have been done at a more 'gamer friendly' time (maybe 2am or something?)

    At the end of the day, it's not just that someone won't be able to play the BF3 beta at 5pm when they get home, because they would have to download it anyway first. However, there's a difference between starting a download at around 5pm and not being able to start it until 7pm. Depending on the users broadband connection, and we all know how sometimes PSN speeds are painful, it can pretty much wipe out the evening for someone who has been eagerly awaiting this beta.

    Still, the 'beer in the sunshine' option still stands. ;)

  • mossychops001 #50 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 11:49:27 04-05-2012

  • oupe #51 8 months ago

    Pre-PSN hacks : PSN servers have Windows Update disabled.
    Post-PSN hacks : Windows Update enabled, down for "maintenance" every couple of days for updates to install.

    Mystery solved!

    Nope, your Windows machine only goes down once a month with the current patch cycle. Not twice a week :)

  • jefranklin18 #52 8 months ago

    I am agreeing with ROTMM: beer in the sun is the best plan of attack although I had to duck home and I noticed my Ico collection had just arrived...

  • Darren #53 8 months ago

    Why can't Sony do the maintenance between midnight and 6am instead of during the day? Not that I'm bothered about it as I'll be too busy playing ICO or Shadows of the Colossus in HD but Sony don't exactly announce when they're doing maintenance unlike Microsoft via Live's messaging system so I'm occasionally left wondering why I can't connect because I didn't happen to read about it on the internet mere hours before it starts. Sony really could learn a thing or five from Microsoft IMO on how to treat your user base.
    Edited by Darren at 29/09/11 @ 13:28

  • The_Beef_Hammer #54 8 months ago

    Well, perfect timing for me.

    Finish @ 5.30, ruin myself at the gym until 7, drive home and eat dinner by 8, then download BF3.

    See, nerds, you can mix gaming with real life

    PS - I am also a nerd :/
    Edited by The_Beef_Hammer at 29/09/11 @ 15:11

  • Johnsters #55 8 months ago

    >>Still, the 'beer in the sunshine' option still stands. ;)

    Now I've given up drinking beer in the week, I can't do that :-(

    But then I have 2 children under 3 so 5-7pm is not an option

  • coolbritannia #56 8 months ago

    PSN offline thread?

    Ah, brings back memories.

  • cheeky_BILLY #57 8 months ago

    @coolbritannia

    cock.

  • Lucodeath #58 8 months ago

    It would be easier for sony to tell us when psn is online at this rate.

  • PaulieWaulie #59 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:23:40 06-01-2012