Nifty.

I'm somewhat confused. Who is this a present for? Do all PS3 owners get this gift card, or just those making a purchase this holiday season?

I better get one for the holidays or theres going to be one unhappy fat man stuck in my chimney

But seriously I didnt think these were available yet.. Did I miss something?

Damn I would want one of those cards right now.

Pretty nice of SCEA for the Holiday cheer. Think Nintendo would send a Wii Points card and a reminder of the Gift Giving option on the VC?

It's for journalists, people on their press list.

@Mascott:

Yeah, but can they use them? That would be interesting to attempt.

@TheAngryHeretic: I think just people who work for game sites get them.

Card looks nice though! Subtle, and non-denominational.

And why can't they start selling these PSN Network Cards if they're giving them out like candy to journalists?

Just kidding, I'm sure there's a whole marketing/production/behind the scenes answer behind that.

@TheAngryHeretic: I imagine the Christmas cards are just for the press.

@Last_Raven: I checked out the Playstation Store this morning, and they do have an option to use the Playstation Network Card as a form of payment. I dunno how long that option has been on there, but I did see it..

I like how they had to attribute it to SCEA, because if they'd said Sony, the other branches would have disavowed knowledge of these devious holiday greetings.

Damn, I could use one of those right now...

Btw, there's a free Foklore downloadable item (a santa costume for the girl whose name I fail to remember) on the store as well as Christmas gift. I might be late on this though :P

@Achaemenid: Uh, that's Folklore.

wait how do we get this?

@epionx111: Start a hit gaming blog with over a 30,000 viewers a day.

@epionx111:
I assume work in the game industry, run a business/work for a business that is connected to the game industry (PR firm, law firm, etc), or be neighbor/drinking buddy/etc of someone at SCEA HQ.

I wish it had snow around here... Calvin and Hobbes made it look so fun.

Cool. I dig the art style on the PSN card.

@Last_Raven: I haven't tried mine yet. It's still sitting here on the desk.

I imagine it would be gone already if I had Rock Band on PS3 instead of Xbox 360. :)

@chainlink13: The PSN card option has been there for a while now. I think the first time I noticed it was at least a few months ago.

@jallen:

Heh, ok well apparently there is a place to put the PSN card in, but it sucks that we won't be able to use it until they come out in early '08. I was looking forward to that Warhawk expansion and to getting some Rockband DLC goodness.

@cduran: Ah okay...I probably turned a blind eye to it since I use my credit card.

@Last_Raven: Well, that's the thing. I don't *know* that those of us who have one can't use them yet.

I simply haven't tried. There's a couple things on there that I'm interested in, but none so urgently that I've been in any kind of hurry to disconnect the Xbox 360 from the HDTV so I can hook the PS3 back up. :)

I hope they activated it at the register before they sent it to you...

where's my free card, I want free press shwag

@gilson

All those pay for cards; xbox live subscriptions, Microsoft points, Wii points, and PSN cards do not require activation (they are not like gift cards) they are all ready preloaded. Hence why they are behind the counter or have security boxes with them inside at retail stores. Lucky people like me who work at game stores get discounts on these cards too. I bought a 13 month live card for $38.50 from work.

@devonthedude: check the picture of the card up there, it says "No value until activated at register."

--------------------------

nice that they just freely send these out to people who may be helping them out (game journalists who could just as easily be anti-sony), instead of people they know are helping them out (consumers who have actually forked over hefty amounts of cash to purchase the PS3).

This looks a lot like the "new" symbol SCEA trademarked not too long ago...

El Cernex

Crecente, have you used the card yet? Just wondering if it would work now or if there's a Firmware update just for this.

Pretty sharp lookin' though.

the card works already, there's already an option for the psn network cards on ur ps3 profile

The option to use a card has been part of the store for a long time, it is just that no one had the cards. While only journalists get them now, they will be available to the public in 2008.

And, to answer your question, they do work - I just used mine today to purchase the Warhawk expansion (through the game itself). I'm assuming that SCEA "activated" them before sending them with the Christmas cards, but retailers will have to activate them at the store where they are purchased.

2008
The Playstation Strikes Back

Seriously, I'm a X360 fanboy but I do wish Sony better luck next year. All of the Sony bashing, much like George Bush bashing, has been fun & deserved, but is getting old.

Plus, I think its in all of our best interests to have Sony and Microsoft splitting market share, unless we want to pay $100 a month for Xbox Live service in GatesWorld.

Beats the hell out of an amorphous T-1000, a telekinetic SKU or a baby that cries games.

@Android66: Thanks for being the guinea pig there. Good to know. I may snag PAIN a little later on, then. Too bad echochrome isn't out yet.

@devonthedude: Hahah I was joking dude. Look up, it says it on the card. :p

the psp background in that second picture should REALLY have been the December Red.

but... whatever.. the whole thing looks great.

i REALLY REALLYYYY want a PSN card though.

@TheAngryHeretic: They're sent to direct contacts from outside the company, such as the aforementioned press, media, ESRB folks, and some retailers.