The new PS Vita will only allow users to sign into a single PSN account on one console.
According to NeoGAF translations, the document stipulates Vita users can use "only 1 account". It adds: "If you want to use a different account, you need to format the system to factory settings."
First reaction? That sucks. If you're not the only person to be using the Vita you're going to have fights over save game profiles unless developers promptly react to this news and incorporate save file systems within their games.
But it's also a clever move by Sony. First off it stops people making multiple accounts registered to foreign addresses, as commonly done on PS3 to gain access to content from other region PS Stores.
More crucially it gets over the issue of PSN game sharing, in which players would offer their PSN account login details to friends so they can download and play games without needing to purchase them.
Since PSV's games will all be available via PSN, this is even more crucial on the handheld.
Sony has recently cracked down on such activities on PS3 with a recent change in its Ts&Cs that reduces the number of devices on which any one purchase can be downloaded from five to two.
Comments
15 comments so far...
Imaduck on 5 Dec '11 said:
It's not the end of the world but it seems kind of unfair and stupid.
Mmmmgrolsch on 6 Dec '11 said:
Over the last few months all I'm hearing is more and more negative things about the VITA. This is just pure horses**t! Reformat the system to let my missus carry on with her game??? May as well just not put trophies on there at all
I think I'm defo going to wait much later into the life cycle as these things will hopefully be rectified by the homebrew chaps and bring us some custom firmware.
shogunreaper on 6 Dec '11 said:
Don't worry it will be, the vita is not even officially out and its already been hacked
Laughlyn on 6 Dec '11 said:
Probs just wait liek i did the pspgo and wait til a decent CFW runs on it and buy em cheap. its only for young un to play racinggames on. I've always said if the games companies wanna try keep screwing the consumers then all i'll do in future is just pirate the games n get my own back. all this online pass bulls*** is just a cop out way. its the gamestoires ripping the companies off, not us, they reselling (and surely breaking the terms of license with developers) the games yet consumers get punished? Its been proven pre-owned is worse than piracy so i think i'll just go the copied games route in future
solamon77 on 6 Dec '11 said:
This is total BS. What about all those people who really like trophies and don't want others completing trophies on their account? Damn, my opinions on the Vita have gone from not caring about a year ago, to being very excited a couple months ago, and now back down to almost not caring again.
Dimpee on 6 Dec '11 said:
I don't really see why this would be a problem for people, it's not like people need multiple Vita's in different rooms of the house. And you can still have multiple game saves...
Dimpee on 6 Dec '11 said:
You'll be able to have to have multiple game saves, just one user. Who would 'Share' a handheld system anyway...
markyR on 6 Dec '11 said:
Oh dear, the PSVITA hate brigade out in force. I don't see what the problem is? It's a handheld system, like an iPod, and usually they are used by one person only. Not shared amongst a family!
But yeah, you thief's just shout your support for pirating the games or hacking the system so the pirates can destroy it, just because you can't deal with simply not buying it if you don't like it
Mmmmgrolsch on 6 Dec '11 said:
I'm getting fed up with your constant cock sucking for the VITA. Will you just stop being such a massive fanboy for 1 second. f**k me can people not have a negative thing to say about the VITA without being called a hater??? You accuse me of being a thief for enoying homebrew?
I had my PSP with custom firmware just like I have my previously locked down iphone now custom firmware. It unlocks the locked down crap but I never pirated a single PSP game.
And just so you know, I won't be using my VITA in the same manner as a ipod etc as a mobile device. It will be used in my home 95% of the time. It will be awesome for me or my missus to use it while one of us are on the PS3. But suppose that won't be happening now
You're missing the point entirely. It means no one can play on my VITA like my missus or house mate unless I don't mind them unlocking trophies.
My missus likes to unlock trophies for her PSN account but now she won't be able to. It's just a retarded thing to do by locking it down to only being able to sign into one account. I suppose it will be ok for them that haven't got a missus who games.
But I suppose if you are in love with Sony and work for free 24/7 on the internet advertising Sony's products like MarkyR, then you'll just pre-order 10 of them anyway
Padua on 6 Dec '11 said:
This sucks big time. Portables and sharing go hand in hand.
There can't be a technical reason why this needs to be so perhaps Sony will admit it is a stupid idea and change their minds.
So strange that they decide not to region lock and then decide to user lock o.O
allygray69 on 6 Dec '11 said:
have a big collection of US psp/ps1 titles that I have bought from the store in the past and was hoping to play with them on this. Oh well, maybe wait till it drops in price. £220+ is just crazy for a handheld.
laslowoodbine on 6 Dec '11 said:
Still hasn't dented my enthusiasm as all of these stories are about things I didn't expect. I didn't expect to be able to sign in to each of my different accounts so I ain't bothered that I can't, seems to me like these reports are praying on any small bit of news available and using it as a filler because nothing else is on the go. Oh dear it's a slow news day.....
markyR on 6 Dec '11 said:
I'm glad your getting fed up, I'm getting fed up of all the hate it is getting. Why? It's a portable games systems, when was the last time anyone shared a Apple store account on an iPod Touch just so you could use games centre? It's supposed to be for one person. I'm glad you wish it's death with it being hacked, the same old 'I won't pirate games' argument which is totally flawed as for every one person who won't pirate there are thousands who WILL pirate the crap out of it given half the chance, through the same custom firmware, and you know it!
I'm not getting into a custom firmware debate, but we all know where it always ends up, homebrew fine, but that always equals a dead and hacked system due to pirating.
It's the same with the memory cards, just how many 3DS games can you bit torrent now and load up from a standard memory card? Hence why it's better for Sony to not use a standard card. It needs all the security it can get. Sony would be pretty stupid to use standard memory if it increased the chances of the Vita ending up like the PSP.
I am a massive fan of the VITA, I am more then happy to pay for the games, and I get fed up with what seems to be CVG's attack on it, I mean really, the fact you can't browse whilst a game is playing is front page news?
Sony have listened to the users and have made the Vita match what we want, it deserves it's chance of survival before it's pirated to death off the back of 'homebrew'. I'm not a fan of Sony, IMO my 360 is much better then my PS3. But I will defend against what I see as pointless hate towards the Vita, yes for some people one account on it may be an issue, but is it really THAT big of an issue? Really?
PeterCrouch on 6 Dec '11 said:
@grolsch - marky has a point mate. Home brew always facilitates piracy, which costs a company money, which in turn makes them start ripping folk off who are the only people they know will pay legitimately for their goods. The standard law abiding non hacking customer. Also, I thought you were a little harsh with the whole cocksucking comment. On a side note totally unrelated, where the hell is my Half Life 3?
Mmmmgrolsch on 6 Dec '11 said:
For £230+ memory card I was expecting to share it with my missus like I can do with my PS3. So are you suggesting I should spend £500 on 2 VITAs? Both me and my missus likes to hunt trophies whilst playing games so its totally s**t that we are going have to decide on who's account to assign the console too
Not the end of the world I know, but it is a deal breaker for me at the already expensive price when bringing in mind the potentially rip off forced memory cards if price rumours are to be believed.
Bringing Apple into this is silly considering Apple devices aren't dedicated gaming machines or even capable of proper games. I would never dream of buying a Apple device just to game on, so lets forget about that.
As for jailbreaking/hacking or whatever you want to call it. No I have not said I wish for it to happen but if it does and Sony don't get the basic things right then no doubt I'll be taking full advantage of the jailbreaks if I can still be signed into PSN.
Look all I want is not to be called a hater when bringing up any negativity towards a system you love. It is not hate for f**k sake! I want the VITA why would I want what I hate?
As for the memory card you mentioned. Well I happen to believe that the DS doesn't use standard memory cards for games..... You know the R4 card? Well there will be an adapter no doubt about it for the micro SD card to be inserted into a card the same shape as Sony's own new card making it totally pointless in making a new format/shape of memory card.