PlayStation Network, often abbreviated to PSN, is an online multi player gaming and digital media delivery service provided/run by Sony Computer Entertainment for use with the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable video game console.  As of February 12, 2010, there are over 40 million registered PlayStation Network accounts worldwide.

Registration is performed via the PlayStation 3 console, a PlayStation Portable or a PC. Two types of accounts can be created; Master accounts and Sub accounts. Master accounts allow full access to all settings, including parental control, but the Master must be over the age of 18 to create an account. Sub accounts can subsequently be created with desired restrictions set by the master account holder.

Since Master/Sub accounts are not linked to the PlayStation 3 serial number, which allows users to buy and sell used consoles, they can be used with different consoles as a guest user; therefore a single console can have multiple Master accounts. Although unregistered users can access and browse the PlayStation Store, registration is required to purchase items. Once purchased, items can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store to up to five consoles, however, if the owner account is deleted from a console, the content becomes invalid and is locked.

PlayStation Network launched in November 2006 to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation 3 console in North America and Japan. Due to the delay of the European launch to March 2007, Sony allowed residents of Europe to pre-register their PlayStation Network via PC in order to reserve their favored PSN ID, allowing them to quickly retrieve their details on the day of release.

PlayStation Home is a virtual community-based service for the PlayStation Network, announced during the 2007 Game Developers Conference.  Home allows users to create a custom avatar, which can be made to suit the user’s liking.  Users can decorate their avatar’s personal apartment (“HomeSpace”) with default, bought, or won items.  Users can shop for new items to express themselves more through their avatars or HomeSpace.  Similar to Second Life, users interact and connect with friends and customise content in a virtual world.  Home also acts as a meeting place for users that want to play multiplayer games with others.

A closed beta began in Europe from May 2007 and expanded to other territories soon after.  Home was delayed and expanded several times before initially releasing. The Open Beta test was started on December 11, 2008. Home is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN account.

Home is the host to avatars, a virtual economy, personal spaces and clubs. It features places to meet and interact, dedicated game spaces, developer spaces, company spaces, and events. The service undergoes a weekly maintenance and frequent updates. Xi, a once notable feature in Home, is the world’s first console-based Alternate Reality Game developed by nDreams. Adventures, puzzles and spaces were set up to continuously puzzle those who participated in finding clues. The meaning of Xi and the mysterious character “Jess” were the objects of study in this game. On December 18, 2009, Sony announced that Home has 10 million registered users.

On December 17, 2009, a new massively multiplayer online game was released for and exclusive to PlayStation Home. The game is called Sodium and is a four part game, with the first part being Sodium One. Sodium One is a combination of a full tank shooting game, called “Salt Shooter”, and other associated mini-games that starts somewhere in the Nevada desert. The game was developed by Outso and published by Lockwood Publishing. Due to the nature of Home, the game will continue to grow and expand as Home does. New games, virtual items, and community events will continually be added.

In October 2009 following the expiration of an exclusivity deal with Microsoft, Netflix  and Sony Computer Entertainment announced that the service would also be available on the PlayStation 3 from November 2009. The set-up will be similar to that on the Xbox 360, allowing Netflix subscribers to stream movies and TV shows from their Instant Queue to watch on the console. Unlike on the Xbox 360, the Netflix application will be available on a Blu-ray disc initially (available for free to subscribers) and will have to be used every time to instantly view, but a down-loadable application will be made available in 2010.  Netflix is not yet available in Canada.