As the PlayStation is now coming back online here is an announcement from Kazuo Hirai.  Kazuo discusses what is coming back online, what to expect and what they have done to keep our data safe. Most of all he apologizes to all of us affected by the downtime and thanked us for our patience.

Sony has announced the mandatory firmware update 3.61. This update requires all players to change their password once the PlayStation Network is back online. Players will only be able to change their password via their own PlayStation 3 or one that PSN was activated on. Users who have never downloaded any content to their PS3 will receive an email with instructions on how to change their password.

Let the games begin!  While PSN is not up yet, it's nice to see some progress being made.

As I mentioned earlier in the week I love developer diaries, but I especially love behind the scenes looks to video games and movies. Today Disney Interactive Studios and TT Games released a new behind the scenes video for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game.

In this video Head of Production for TT Games, Jonathan Smith, describes how they brough the blockbuster film franchise of the same name into the LEGO world.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game is now available for all consoles and handhelds as well as PC.

In light of the recent and extended outage of the PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment games like Everquest, Vanguard, PoxNora, DC Universe, SOE has decided to begin to pay back customers for their lack of service. On May 12th, SOE announced that all impacted players will receive 30 days of game time added to the end of the current billing cycle in addition to one day for each day the system is down. This will be for each game you own.

Furthermore, many games are offering in-game items, Double XP, Tournaments in an attempt to welcome back players once the games are back online.

• DC Universe™ Online: Batman™ and Two-Face™ Inspired Masks and 30 Marks of Distinction
• Free Realms®: Free daily items (7 to collect)
• Clone Wars Adventures™: Count Dooku v2 Outfit
• EverQuest®: A series of events, including Double XP, Double Rare Mob Spawns and Double Faction Gains
• EverQuest II and EverQuest II Extended: A series of events, including Double XP, Double Guild XP, Loot Bonanza, and City Festivals
• Vanguard: Saga of Heroes®: A series of Double XP events
• Star Wars Galaxies™: Bounty Hunter Statue, a miniature model of Boba Fett's ship, the Slave I™
• Magic: The Gathering - Tactics™: Four of each of these spells: "Ivory Mask", "Duress" and "Angelheart Vial", plus 500 Station Cash
• PoxNora®: Limited edition Carrionling, Welcome Back 5K Gold Award Tournaments and two Draft Tournaments, plus 500 Station Cash

For customers who have lifetime accounts SOE is giving away in game currency. "Specifically 20,000 coins for Free Realms, 7,500 Galactic Credits for Clone Wars Adventures and 10 Marks of Distinction for DC Universe Online (in addition to the items listed above). And finally, our Station Access subscribers will receive 500 Station Cash, in addition to the subscription time and items listed above."

And lastly, SOE also announced that they will provide U.S based Station Account holders with complimentary entrollment in an identify theft protection program through Debix. If you live out of the US you are not out of luck as SOE will be offering similiar programs if an as available once the details have been confirmed for each country/region.

For more information check out http://www.soe.com/securityupdate/recentupdates.vm

No doubt that Brink has been plagued with problems. The good news is that Bethesda is aware of it and is working on fixes to improve the game. As a thank you for sticking with them through these troubled times, the first Brink will be available this June and Bethesda has decided to give this DLC away.

This new DLC will include new maps and new content for players.

Check out the latest screenshots from EA and Grasshopper Manufacture for Shadows of the Damned. Shadows of the Damned is due to hit stores on June 21st.

Shadows of the Damned stars Garcia Hotspur, demon hunter, on his quest through Hell to save his beloved Paula. Blasting his way through gnarly creatures with his skull/gun companion, Johnson, this uniquely twisted vision of the underworld comes from the powerhouse creative team of Suda51 (No More Heroes), Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil) and Akira Yamaoka (composer of Silent Hill).

For more information and to pre-order check out EA.com.

So it didn't take long for Activision to come out with a teaser trailer after details of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 leaked yesterday.

Still no official word on when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be released.  HOWEVER, it is being rumored that we'll see the game November 8th, 2011.

Kotaku is running a story where they have learned that the release date for Modern Warfare 3 will be November 8th, 2011.  No official details have been released to confirm it yet, however.  Here's what they had to say:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is coming Nov. 8, 2011, Kotaku has learned, delivering with it mammoth battles that engulf a dozen cities around the world including New York, Paris and London.

Multiple sources have shared details of the game's story, art, sounds and game modes with Kotaku, noting that the game will reshape the landscape of the Call of Duty franchise, bringing an impressive number of eclectic settings, deep multiplayer gaming and a story that ties up nearly all loose ends from previous titles, including the final moments of key figures in the series' history.

That being said....who is ready for some Modern Warfare 3?!

Based on the critically acclaimed book series A Song of Ice and Fire, by screenwriter and novelist George RR Martin, A Game of Thrones - Genesis is billed to immerse "you into the heart of the battles and intrigues between the Houses that shaped the Kingdom of Westeros," according to the press release.

A Game of Thrones - Genesis follows a thousand years of history through this series, and follows the April 17th HBO series premier of Game of Thrones. With the debut of the video game this summer, Mr.Martin has the trifecta of media - books, TV and video games - to claim his name to. Their are board games and RPG games based on this series too. I'm very intrigued by the storyline, and the screenshots that Cyanide released today for the game along with launching the official website, help too.

Basically, the book series encompasses a fictional wold between two primary contintense, Westeros - in the west - and Essos, you guessed it - in the east. There are some humans, some people called the "Others" (name reminiscent of LOST, but definitely not the same people) from the North. So who's from the South? There is war between some families in Westeros, while the Others (from the North) are threatening to attack from the other side a very large wall of ice.

You can see the aforementioned screenshots below, check your HBO listings for showtimes, and check out the official website @ /www.agot-genesis.com/.

I don't know about you but I like developer diaries. I feel like they give you a behind-the-scenes look into the game development world. In this video in the Cars 2: The Video Game developer diary series, players can learn more about C.H.R.O.M.E . No that doesn't stand for Google's browser but Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and Motorized Espionage. Intrigued? Watch the video...

Starting today, fans can download the well-reviewed Vanquish to their Xbox 360's via their Xbox LIVE online account to their consoles at the cost of 3200 Microsoft Points (or $39.99).

A little about Vanquish :

Vanquish brings to life a near-future story of global warfare from the minds of PlatinumGames and Shinji Mikami, creator of the Resident Evil series. Players must step into the powered battle suit of Sam, a U.S. government agent, to defend an American space station from Russian invasion. Sam must make use of an arsenal of futuristic weaponry and impressive martial arts, including the innovative sliding “boost” maneuver, which has gone on to become influential within the genre.

SEGA is constantly expanding its library of titles ready for download via the Xbox LIVE service. For more info, visit www.sega.com

Here are the latest screenshots out for the upcoming Deux Ex : Human Revolution. Enjoy!

For you 3DS owners out there patiently awaiting the eShop and 3DS Browser updates for you new hardware, please keep waiting patiently.

Now due June 6th, the update will allow access to purchase a varied range of downloadable content, similar to the other Nintendo services out there supported on the DSi and Wii consoles. The eShop, as it is known, will feature downloadable titles from a range of formats past, such as the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16, as well as all downloadable games which are available to DSi users. Additionally, there will be classic titles revamped to support stereoscopic viewing.

via wired.com

SEGA revealed some details today on a remake of its award winning title CRUSH, designed for the Nintendo 3DS. Titled CRUSH3D, the title will host a range of new features designed for the Nintendo 3DS system. Some of these features include new game locations and characters, as well as a player hint system.

CRUSH3D is due out Sept 6 in the US/North America and Sept 9 in Europe and Australia.

“CRUSH3D gives all gamers a chance to experience this critically acclaimed concept in full 3D,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing of SEGA West. “With features specifically designed for this exciting new platform, CRUSH3D is right at home on the Nintendo 3DS.”

For more info, visit www.sega.com/crush3d

Capcom just released a pretty ridiculous new trailer promoting the upcoming Resident Evil: The Mercenaries for 3DS. The title will release on June 28th. Take a look the trailer below, which is a mock-news cast that is very...very silly. It's all worth it for the end though