Sony Announces Free Stuff...Or Can the Playstation Network go down every day?

Couldn't decide on the better headline, and wanted to shout out to Stanley Kubrik (Rocky and Bullwinkle as well for that matter).

See personally I wasn't affected much by the Play-pocalypse as others as my competitive gaming is done on PC. So besides having to constantly remind Netflix that I didn't care the thing couldn't sign in I just wanted to watch King of the Hill, the past month of so went by without much hardship.

So imagine my surprise when I read on IGN that Sony is giving away free stuff as compensation for the Negligent Network Nightmare. Not just wallpapers and and disposable downloads either. No, no my friends. Whole games, and great ones at that. Yes for the low, low, price of a month of alarmingly incompetent service you can now own two of the following games: Dead Nation, Super Stardust HD, Wipeout HD, Little Big Planet, or Infamous. And if you own a PSP, you can choose two between Little Big Planet, Killzone Liberation, Pursuit Force, and ModNation Racer. Not only that but PlayStation Plus is now free for 30 days to all non subscribers, while all subscribers get it for 60 days free. And for you home users, apparently a bunch of random free items.

Obviously, that's pretty sweet. Especially if you've held off on Infamous or Little Big Planet (two of the systems best games). It of course doesn't hurt that more people will get to play Infamous before the sequel comes out, and Little Big Planet is highly addictive. And they're exclusives. Pretty sneaky sis. And that PlayStation Plus offer? Just gravy. A perfect compensation idea for a free service. Overall a classy move by Sony.

In fact I want to see this carry over more to the physical world. Scanner down at the store? Whatever I got is mine. Wrong order at a restaurant? I get whatever the item would have cost off my new choice. Mechanic can't fix your car? You get his. Seriously, who else can rival free games in terms of customer service?

So if you were really and truly deeply affected by this down time, let me say this. There are people starving in China (and not just for time travel tips). For the rest of us (who didn't get credit card info stolen), let's look back at this as a comical and profoundly stupid mistake, ultimately leading to some epic freebies.

Oh and Sony, if this happens again can you get Konami to release the secret good version of Metal Gear Solid 2 as compensation? I feel like I've been waiting forever for someone to fix that "other" tragedy.