Ps3 sales on the rise due to PSN hack

If PlayStation 3 owners were unhappy with Sony because of the PSN hack and the extended downtime surrounding it, or if you were thinking now would be a good time to pick up a used PS3 at a good price, you’d be wrong. Sony reported that PS3 sales actually went up while PSN was unavailable, and said at E3 that the platform was “stronger than ever.”

Sony started off their E3 press event with apologies to the users and customers who have been impacted by the hack and subsequent downtime, but went on to say after the event that they’re doing quite well. Sales of the PS3 are up 14% from this time last year. They also noted that PSN traffic had already gotten up to 90% of traffic prior to the breach, so clearly PS3 owners aren’t worried about going back online.

Sony hasn’t wasted time getting back in the game, either. Patrick Seybold, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Sony Computer Entertainment America, noted that the launch of Infamous 2 helped get gamers excited about coming back to the PS3 and PSN. He also praised Sony’s upcoming 3D titles, investment in 3D technology, and new PlayStation Move integration as more examples of how Sony is actively bringing gamers back into the fold.

At the same time, no one would expect Sony to have anything but good things to say about the strength and growth of their network after the PSN hack. It does seem clear that gamers are coming back to PSN in droves now that it’s back online, but whether or not that growth is sustainable is another matter.

Some people have said they’re just logging in to get their free games, and others point out that 90% of traffic prior to the hack is still a 10% drop. At the same time, others point out that if you have a quality service, you stand by it no matter what. Regardless of how the numbers pan out in the long run, its unlikely that Sony will suffer any serious long-term damage from the hack, even though it was the fourth largest data breach of all time.