14 DAY TRIAL // A host of PlayStation 3 users are reporting problems in establishing a connection to the PlayStation Network and some are even saying that hard earned in-game Trophies are going missing. The problem is widely discussed on forums, which cater to the hardcore PS3 crowd and initial reports are suggesting that the only consoles affected are pre-Slim models, with some of them reporting that their calendar is being reset to the odd date of December 31, 1999.
Sony has issued a statement saying that “We're aware that many of you are having problems connecting to PSN, and yes, we're looking into it. Stay tuned for updates.” The company has also managed to confirm that PlayStation 3 Slim models, either with the 120 GB or the 250 GB hard drive, are connecting normally and that their users should not have any issues.
It's not clear why the older PlayStation 3 consoles are having problems (those outed in February-March 2010) or if the issue is simple enough to be solved via a mere firmware update. Sony is probably working to solve this as quickly as possible, because most of the games for its platform require a connection to the PlayStation Network in order to be playable.
The company has had quite a few good months since it launched the Slim version of its home console, which looks more stylish than the previous models, consumes less energy and also dissipates less heat.
The price reduction, which brought the PlayStation 3 on level with the Xbox 360 from Microsoft (299 USD), has also helped the console see sales increase year over year and led to very good sales for PlayStation 3 exclusives like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Problems with the older models might lead to public outrage against Sony but might also help speed the adoption of the Slim version.