PS Vita May Require Factory Reset To Switch PSN Accounts

46 responses to “PS Vita May Require Factory Reset To Switch PSN Accounts”

1. 

   Jake

   December 4, 2011 at 12:48 pm

   This is why I’m importing. Thought this might happen. I switch accounts quite a lot on my PSP, as most games aren’t out in Australia, so you have to switch. And if you get something retail, the online code is region locked blah blah.

   Reply
2. 

   Mr Waffle

   December 4, 2011 at 2:30 pm

   Well that’s ridiculous. I have both an Aus and Japanese account since half the play I games are Japan only, and have DLC for them and everything… good thing I’m not bothering with the Vita. Hope they don’t force this crap on the PS4 or I’m out on that too.

   Reply
3. 

   Adam

   December 4, 2011 at 3:39 pm

   I don’t get why anyone buys Sony products anymore, the way they treat their customers is ridiculous.

   Reply
   1. 

      Pariah

      December 4, 2011 at 6:30 pm

      They don’t treat everybody badly, dude. Apple is worse.

      Reply
      1. 

         Dylan Kearney

         December 4, 2011 at 6:36 pm

         And Microsoft is clearly so much better?

         Reply
         1. 

            Chazz

            December 4, 2011 at 8:42 pm

            Yes they are because when it comes to unexpected downtime they offer better compensation than Sony and region locking is never an issue since you can switch between foreign accounts and access the same material without issue or any other workarounds needed.

            Reply
            1. 

               matt

               December 4, 2011 at 9:10 pm

               they also charge you to play online, refuse to upgrade their archaic servers which limits the XBL games to ~4 gigs, and are more about making money than most game companies, excluding perhaps EA

            2. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 9:53 pm

               They care more about money than Sony do, quite easily.

4. 

   Stevorooni

   December 4, 2011 at 3:43 pm

   Release all games in all territories at equivalent prices then!

   Reply
5. 

   Pariah

   December 4, 2011 at 3:53 pm

   Complaining already, people? Really? You’ll bitch about ANYTHING.

   Likely in place because it’s a portable device likely to be used only by one person primarily, so it only allows one account.

   Of course it wont happen to the PS4, it’s a home console multiple people use, so naturally, multiple accounts would be supported.

   Why does nobody think about these things anymore?

   Reply
   1. 

      losturtle

      December 4, 2011 at 4:39 pm

      I usually share your cynicism for the online community’s complaints but surely this is reasonable. It’s not that the system can only handle a single account, it’s that Sony arbitrarily ALLOW just one account forcing everyone who would like to access ANYTHING on a separate account to jump through hoops. It’s not that much different from Sony’s other arbitrary restrictions like save file and data transfer. People don’t like to be inconvenienced when there’s no discernible reasoning behind it.

      Some do think.

      Reply
      1. 

         Pariah

         December 4, 2011 at 4:49 pm

         I’m fairly certain that the likely reason behind it is that Sony want people to just use the one account. Since PS Vita games are going to be available in both physical and digital forms, just import the foreign games you want to play. Play games from 2 or more accounts on a PSP? Keep the PSP. Problem solved.

         Reply
         1. 

            Wepoo

            December 4, 2011 at 6:04 pm

            What?!
            You have solved nothing.

            Your solution costs me the price of a 2nd hand psp and does not address the exact issue of accessing digital content from multiple regions at once.

            Reply
            1. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 6:27 pm

               No, my solution cost you roughly half the price of a second-hand PSP. The issue has a simple solution, just take what you’re given. If you want the feature then make it yourself.

            2. 

               Thom

               December 4, 2011 at 8:37 pm

               Your attitude really bothers me. Sony is basically dictating how to use theist device to make more money and your response is take it like a man.

            3. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 9:32 pm

               They did make it after all. If you don’t like it, just don’t buy it. The inability to use more than one account without all the trouble won’t bother many people in comparison to the amount of people that only use a single account.

            4. 

               Thom

               December 5, 2011 at 8:27 am

               I won’t buy it actually – 6 months ago I was really pumped for it, but between this, the memory cards, the battery, the 3g additional cost – the list just goes on. It’s like Sony doesn’t want people to buy this thing.

            5. 

               Pariah

               December 5, 2011 at 1:20 pm

               I’m buying the wifi model; 3G is just a useless additional cost I can avoid.

6. 

   Starman

   December 4, 2011 at 3:54 pm

   Can I at least have multiple users on the damn thing?

   Reply
   1. 

      cbrate

      December 4, 2011 at 5:04 pm

      Single PSN account. Whether or not you want multiple people accessing that account is up to you.

      Reply
   2. 

      Pariah

      December 4, 2011 at 5:34 pm

      Name one portable console that lets you have proper multiple user accounts.

      Reply
      1. 

         Grouch

         December 4, 2011 at 6:10 pm

         Name one that has dual analogue sticks, interactive rear touch panel and front and rear cameras.

         If everything just stayed the same as you’re suggesting, we’d all be stocking up on AA batteries for our monochrome handhelds.

         Reply
         1. 

            Pariah

            December 4, 2011 at 6:25 pm

            The features you’re listing were added because they are useful in a gaming console. The reason multiple user support was not added was because a portable device such as this is typically used by only one person. The only reason you’d use it is so you can access your other accounts, obviously Sony think it’s a bad idea for them for some reason. Whilst I think it’s irritating that one has to go so far to use another account, I can see why support for only one account at a time is there.

            Reply
            1. 

               christian

               December 4, 2011 at 7:31 pm

               go away troll

            2. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 9:48 pm

               Not trolling christian. This is just very interesting. One minute feature is not present and suddenly people complain and whinge about how terrible Sony are. I’m more than willing to bet that more than anything, everybody is just spoiled, and it’s as simple as that. You get what you’re given. If you don’t want the Vita because of this, then don’t buy it, and move on with your life. there’s nothing else to discuss there. Either you can live with it, or you can’t. Either you’ll buy it, or you won’t.

            3. 

               Thom

               December 4, 2011 at 8:39 pm

               To make Sony money at the expense of consumers?

               Multiple accounts became a necessity as soon as developers stopped providing multiple save games (not saves, but higher level multiple progress files).

            4. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 9:32 pm

               To make Sony money at the expense of customers?

               Of course. How else does a business work, Thorn?

            5. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 9:33 pm

               *Thom. Curse my eyesight.

            6. 

               Thom

               December 5, 2011 at 8:31 am

               Its perfectly reasonable to make a profit. You are correct on this point. However, I do take issue with the way Sony arbitrarily limiting the utility of their device to squeeze out every last dollar. I’d rather they made a profit by making an attractive device and charging accordingly.

            7. 

               Pariah

               December 5, 2011 at 1:23 pm

               Unique memory cards is not squeezing out every last dollar. If that’s what you’re looking for, look no further than the Xbox 360.

               If Sony were absolutely hellbent on doing this, they’d make every game require the memory card, they’d release Only the 3G version, they’d demand cash for software updates.. you get the idea. Point is, Thom, it can always get worse. Though yes, it would have been a Much better idea to use m2 or MicroSD or something cheap such as those.

            8. 

               Chazz

               December 4, 2011 at 8:53 pm

               So everything should be specifically designed for ONLY what it is typically used for? By your logic, Apple computers shouldn’t be able to do anything outside of audio engineering or graphical work, all cars should be stuck to regional speed limits, ovens should only be for food (referring to Shrinky Dinks and the many ripoffs). Hell, monitors should never have built in speakers since they’re typically used as a viewing device, and while we’re at it phones should have no other capabilities outside of texting and calling since that’s what they are also typically used for…

               Also you CAN’T see why the support for only one account at a time is there since you also said “Sony think it’s a bad idea for them FOR SOME REASON”. You can’t understand something if you don’t know what it is.

            9. 

               Pariah

               December 4, 2011 at 9:42 pm

               So all you read was the last part of my reply? I already said. The reason that a portable console only supports one account at a time is because in most cases a portable console is only used by one person.

               In regards to me not being able to see why it’s only that way, my theory is actually that it could be a response to homebrew PSP applications that allow you to save and restore PSN account status at will, without being online. You can tie your PSP to as many accounts as you like, and then just switch between them, using this you can share games with others and vice versa. I can imagine Sony wanting to prevent that with the Vita.

            10. 

                Chazz

                December 4, 2011 at 10:07 pm

                The only part of your response I didn’t address was the first sentence. Also I said, which you clearly ignored, was that most, if not all, things have alternate uses outside of their primary task and in the case of technology those uses that are not the typical ones that most consumers use are still implemented in some fashion.

                Also how is the example in your theory any different to lending a friend a game or if it were a home console, them coming to your house and signing in and playing that game with you?

                Sony are just being dicks. Trying to justify it is beyond hilarious. God knows why you’d try.

            11. 

                Pariah

                December 4, 2011 at 10:31 pm

                How is it different? A person without the game can keep a game owned on an account that is not theres for as long as they like. If I went to a friends and played a game with them, I could only play the game for as long as I’m there, unless I went out and bought said game. How is it different to lending a game? Lending a game means there is still only one copy being used. through account sharing I could effectively steal a game for as long as I want, even being able to play with the actual owner. There is no doubt in my mind that Sony are not happy about that. Tough love there.

                The hilarious part is not that I’m justifying it, rather that one issue with the Vita and Sony are just being nothing short of dicks? Really? Mate, how old are you? You act like a spoiled child crying to your parents because they didn’t buy the doll house that you wanted for your birthday.

            12. 

                Chazz

                December 5, 2011 at 12:01 am

                Who said anything about them being able to “own” said game? There are countless methods for this, ya know, the methods used in the gaming industry for 20+ years. Sony have just picked the easy for them and least convenient for consumers. It isn’t going to stop or change anything when it comes to games being pirated or “shared”. It’s just going to be a pointless, stupid idea that gets in the way of actual consumers just like Ubi DRM.

                Sony are being dicks, spending money to save money when it isn’t going to save them anything and only going to deter customers. Then again, this is a company that seem to report taking a loss on almost everything they make so smart business decisions don’t seem to be their forte.

            13. 

                Pariah

                December 5, 2011 at 12:58 am

                I’m not stupid Chazz, I’m well aware that people will pirate it anyway. Of course Sony took such measures. What kind of company would they be if they took no measures to protect their own interests? You really can’t blame them for trying there. What alternative would you suggest? Keep things as they are, offer next to no form of protection for their products? Hardly anyone would develop for it because it wouldn’t be very profitable. The Vita would fail.

                Deter customers? Really Chazz, the amount of customers they would lose to this Miniscule issue isn’t anything serious, and it never will be because most would simply not care about it. The One thing that people would not be okay with is that the Vita uses its own expensive media format to store data. Then they’ll shrug, buy one anyway and that will be that. Or they’ll not buy a Vita, and buy something else instead and life goes on.

                It just comes down to weighing the good and the bad. With everything the Vita has to offer, do those two negatives mean that you won’t buy the device? Perhaps. I’ll be buying one, and lots of others will too. Not because we’re sheep or anything stupid like that, but rather because a) Using a single account isn’t so bad, and b) you get over small things like the memory card issue. Once you have one, it’s no longer a problem, is it?

            14. 

                Thom

                December 5, 2011 at 8:36 am

                I agree with your point Pariah that they need to protect their device or no one will develop for, but if they go too far, no one will buy it and the exact same outcome will occur. I’m with Chazz on this one, they’ve become so concerned with stopping piracy, they’ve made the device super unappealing. Even parents will get pissy when they turn up at the store expecting to pay one price and find they have to pay for a crap-load of expensive extras for it to be able to play every game.

            15. 

                Pariah

                December 5, 2011 at 1:27 pm

                That, Thom, I do understand. But do you think parent buying this game for their child would use multiple accounts on the one device? They’d just make the one account and make their kids share it; it’s cheaper that way. Yes, the memory card issue is irritating, but the fact changing accounts is difficult will not even be a concern for most of the Vita’s future userbase.

7. 

   Zap

   December 4, 2011 at 8:33 pm

   I don’t see a problem with this. Then again, I don’t have multiple accounts in multiregions

   Reply
   1. 

      Chris Lynn

      December 5, 2011 at 7:02 am

      Ah yes, the “I don’t care, so it’s not a problem” approach. Congrats, this is what you deserve.

      Reply
8. 

   Stephen Alexander

   December 5, 2011 at 4:28 am

   To be honest, as long as this doesn’t stop me from playing imported physical copies, I see no problem with this. The pricing on PSN is rarely better than the price to buy from stores.

   Reply
9. 

   MrBS

   December 5, 2011 at 8:48 am

   I’ve always used a US account as my main and the only incovenience I have to deal with is bigger range, cheaper prices and better sales more often.

   Reply
10. 

    Ad

    December 5, 2011 at 11:33 am

    I AM WRITING IN CAPS ABOUT A RUMOUR!!1 RAWR!!

    Reply
    1. 

       Ad

       December 5, 2011 at 11:33 am

       Because we all know that we’ll bow down when Ken Levine releases his Bioshock game for the Vita anyway 🙂

       Reply
11. 

    Fimbulvetr

    December 5, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Actually, this could be right pain for me. I recently imported Valkyria Chronicles 3 from Japan since it’s not getting a release here, and I will need to get a Japanese PSN (i.e. a second account) if I want to play the game’s considerable amount of DLC.

    Although to be fair, there aren’t any AU released games that have DLC that interest me, so it would actually be my only account, but presumably the Vita would have more games that provide this,

    Reply
12. 

    monkeyd_93

    December 5, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    I’m going to wait and see if this is confirmed or rejected by Sony before making comment. The one thing that doesnt make sense is what will happen with DLC if you import the game? This could be a case of a translation error, but time will tell

    Reply