PSN down status: PlayStation network undergoes seven hour maintenance on Oct. 13

(PHOTO: REUTERS/YUYA SHINO)A man plays a video game on Sony Corp's PlayStation 4 console at its showroom in Tokyo July 16, 2014.

PlayStation Network (PSN) will be down for regular system maintenance on Monday, Oct. 13 and players are advised to plan ahead for the time the service is offline.

"Routine PSN maintenance Monday 10/13, 10am-5pm Pacific time. Log in prior to retain online play/app access," AskPlayStation tweeted on Oct. 9.

PS4, PS3 and PS Vita owners are already familiar with this routine upkeep. This is a way for Sony to scan the system and improve the network that hosts millions of users, but also to inject upgrades causing speculations and excitement among players.

Technical issues have recently been haunting Sony's gaming department.

Players of the newly released racing title Driveclub are enraged after server problems barred them from going online and delayed the launch of the game's PS Plus Edition.

Developers are still trying to fix the glitch and have already disabled features to concentrate on problem solving.

"We are working hard to get everyone online as soon as possible," Evolution Studios said, trying to appease unhappy fans.

Adding to the pressure is Forza Horizon 2, the Xbox-exclusive car-racing adventure that has been reaping rave reviews from gaming enthusiasts and pundits alike.

In August, PlayStation Network went down momentarily because of a DDoS attack that also coincided with a flight bomb scare.

On a lighter note, Sony Computer Entertainment's Social Media Manager, Sid Shuman, has just unwrapped the invitation for the "PlayStation Experience" event happening this December in Las Vegas, Nev.

"Here we go! I'm happy to announce our very first PlayStation Experience, a massive two-day community event dedicated to the people who bring PlayStation to life: you! We've been planning this bad boy for some time... and with PlayStation's 20-year anniversary just around the corner, the timing couldn't be more perfect," Shuman wrote.

The event is scheduled to take place on Dec. 6 and 7.

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