Barring any additional problems, Sony 
plans to bring the PlayStation Store back online next Tuesday, May 24, according to a memo sent to the console’s publishing partners.
The company has sent a tentative publishing schedule to partners detailing when their games, expansions and other releases will become available to players. In the memo, obtained by Gamasutra, Sony unveils plans to do two content pushes per week for the next two weeks to catch up with the backlog of content.
Sony has acknowledged another security hole 
in its PlayStation unit – and while it might not be as catastrophic as the recent security breach, it’s bound to be an embarrassment for the company – and another hurdle officials have to overcome as they work to regain consumers’ trust.
The company has blocked user logins on all PlayStation Websites after being informed of an exploit (or workaround) that could let unauthorized people take control of user accounts using the very same information that was stolen from Sony roughly four weeks ago.
Just days after Sony brought its PlayStation 
Network back to life after one of the biggest online security breaches in history, the company may have another problem on its hands.
Sony has blocked user logins on all PlayStation Websites after reports began to circulate on gaming sites and on hacker message boards about an exploit — essentially, a hole or oversight in the system’s security that hackers can use to gain access — that could allow third-parties to take control of user accounts.
While Sony has been apologetic over 
the last month about the breach of its PlayStation Network (and subsequent personal data theft), CEO Howard Stringer is apparently adopting a new tone.
The head of Sony, who found himself personally under a lot of fire for his silence on the matter as it was unfolding, had angry words Tuesday for critics who have accused the company of taking too long to inform consumers that their data had been stolen.
Now that the PlayStation Network is 
back online after a three-and-a-half week outage, Sony is extending an olive branch to gamers to apologize for the inconvenience.
The company has detailed exactly what North American players will receive in their “Welcome Back” package – and it’s a pretty well stocked goodie bag. That’s not stopping some people from grumbling, though.
After being down for some 24 days, the 
PlayStation Network began welcoming players back to the game over the weekend.
Sony released a mandatory system software update Saturday night, adding new layers of security and forcing users to change their passwords after suffering one of the largest security breaches on record. Users are once again able to play multiplayer games, access their friends lists and use third-party services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus.
With the PlayStation Network up and running 
once again, gamers jonesing for some “Call of Duty: Black Ops” multiplayer action or the chance to truly break in their copy of “Socom 4” are finally able to scratch that itch.
But the relaunch of the system is only a partial one – and there are still plenty of questions floating around about what’s next. Here’s where things stand:
We certainly have no problem getting caught up in the fun of playing 
games, but the people who create them have their pocketbooks to worry about, too. In this column, finance expert and GameSpy contributor Chris Morris guides you through the tricky corridors the gaming industry’s financial side, touching on big-time business decisions and how they matter to the common gamer.
Sony’s not in an enviable position these days. New data breaches are still coming to light after an unprecedented cyber-attack on the company’s online systems. Personal information for over 100 million user accounts is in the hands of possible identity thieves. And the company, after a seemingly endless series of public relations disasters, announced recently that it frankly didn’t know when the PlayStation Network would be fully operational once again — though it was hoping to achieve that by the end of May. Ultimately, this rollercoaster ride from hell has to come to an end. And believe it or not, that’s when the real hard work begins.
Certainly, rebuilding a complex network from the ground up and uncovering the carefully concealed tracks of a sophisticated hacker (or group of hackers) isn’t easy, but it’s goal-driven work that Sony has some semblance of control over. When it comes to repairing its reputation and restoring people’s faith in the company, Sony will encounter a flood of external factors — some fair, some unfair.
Hounded by critics for remaining silent despite the theft of personal information from 100 million accounts, Sony’s CEO is finally speaking out.
Sir Howard Stringer, in an open letter to customers, addressed the data breach yesterday for the first time since the crisis began on April 20.
New accusations about Sony’s security procedures are being levied as the company braces for a third possible hack in the coming days.
Eugene Spafford, an information security professor at Purdue, accused Sony of being completely unprepared for the first two attacks during testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade earlier this week. The company, he said, was using outdated software on its servers, which allowed hackers to gain access.
Chris Morris: Journalist 