Sony PlayStation Network Status: PSN Network Now Accessible After Being Down for About 48 Hours

The Sony PlayStation network is back.

After a few false starts, the PSN network is now entirely accessible, notes the PlayStation blog.

"PlayStation Network is back online," an update said. "As you probably know, PlayStation Network and some other gaming services were attacked over the holidays with artifically high levels of traffic designed to disrupt connectivity and online gameplay. This may have prevented your access to the network and its services over the last few days."

The blog adds that the network was affected for about 48 hours.

A recent DDOS attack plunged the entire network and its users into darkness well into Saturday night. The motivation for the attack is unknown, but it is evident that maximum damage was intended with the holidays being a peak time for PSN online users.

The Playstation blog offered some explanation to its users.

"The video game industry has been experiencing high levels of traffic designed to disrupt connectivity and online gameplay," the blog said. "Multiple networks, including PSN, have been affected over the last 48 hours. PSN engineers are working hard to restore full network access and online gameplay as quickly as possible."

"From time to time there may be disruptions in service due to surges in traffic, but our engineers will be working to restore service as quickly as possible," the blog added.

In an email, a Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said, "We are aware of the reports and are investigating the Sony PlayStation matter," according to Reuters.

Of the 56 million users on the PlayStation Network, Sony declined to specify how many of its users had been affected. However, it stated that it had been successful in restoring service to "some" of its users.

Sony has been down on its luck lately as this attack coincided with a crippling hack by group Guardians of Peace on its Sony Pictures Entertainment branch. The group responsible for the PSN attack, however, is the same that claimed responsibility for similar PSN attacks in early December as well as August.