On April 30, Sony had stated via their PlayStation Blog that they hoped to have PlayStation Network and Qriocity services back online within a week. Unfortunately, the company soon announced that their Sony Online Entertainment servers had also experienced a breach, and millions of PlayStation gamers are still without the ability to even play games online. Nothing is entirely certain, but according to statements from a Sony representative, it looks like services may not receive full restoration until May 31.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Sony's Shigenori Yoshida stated the company is in the process of adopting a new security system, and it's still planning to have services fully restored by the end of this month. The article also claims that Shigenori said the company was "uncertain" when the services would be restored. A bit confusing.
I'm making the assumption that we'll very likely see some services restored between now and the end of the month. Obviously, Sony's hesitation in reestablishing PlayStation Network is understandable: the worst case scenario would be a relaunch followed immediately by another breach. Still, Sony has to restore some of its online functionality, and quick. Even the most die-hard PlayStation fans must feel supremely frustrated by this point.
If Sony can start a steady roll-out of PlayStation Network, ending in full restoration by the end of the month, they should be all right. Otherwise, the company faces the impending spectacle of E3 in June, including their own press conference (an event watched closely by PlayStation fans all over the world). If Sony takes to the stage, trying to hock their wares with a crippled network – well, a motivational Kevin Butler speech may not prove sufficient to overcome the feeling that the brand's in big trouble.