This is getting tedious. Sony has spoke out again on the topic of PSN accounts on Vita to "confirm", sadly, that Vita will be tied to a single PSN account.
Then a Sony rep relieved us all with contradicting news that PSN accounts will in actual fact be tied to memory cards, and switching accounts on Vita will be as simple as swapping the card in your machine.
It turns out that rep was talking bollocks. At least according to another rep, who we hope knows their arse from their elbow on this one, who has now said Vita IS tied to a single PSN account.
"[The] PSN account is tied to the hardware and the memory card, not just the card," they have told Wired, "which means that if a second person is using your Vita, it's not just a case of switching out memory cards, it's clearing out all of your saved data on the Vita itself when you do the factory reset."
"In other words, PlayStation Vita is intended to be played by only one user," they confirmed, which this writer - whose wife is just as keen a gamer - personally thinks is ridiculous.
Vita games had better have mandatory multiple save slots.
Comments
49 comments so far...
adevow on 16 Dec '11 said:
"In other words, PlayStation Vita is intended to be played by only one user," they confirmed, which this writer - whose wife is just as keen a gamer - personally thinks is ridiculous
Then buy her one aswell!
Handhelds are for personal gaming.Why anyone would need more than one account is beyond me.
Sharing a handheld device? Do you share your phone?
Get a Grip
BlueScorpion91 on 16 Dec '11 said:
Couldn't care less, there's only gonna be me using it.
BruceFace on 16 Dec '11 said:
"Pay another Ł300 so your wife can play on her account, sharing within a household is for chumps /slurp."
A handheld is not a phone, so you can't compare.
With a handheld that costs as much as a console, I'd treat it as such.
Imaduck on 16 Dec '11 said:
Adevow, the point is, they're needlessly limiting consumers to drive sales instead of embracing a wider community. You highlighted their thinking perfectly. Thinking like that is why gamers are getting f**ked over quite so much and why the big guys get away with it.
Laughlyn on 16 Dec '11 said:
hahah sony are dealing with vita about as well as nintendo handled the 3DS launch.
admittedly she used to have her own account on my ps3 which was ok but she started taking over the ps3 and bad co 2... not good. Paying Ł300 for another handheld tho, nah no thanks, its why i got a flash card for the DS, she has her SD card, i have mine and we can swap and change as we please. its a shame 3ds games dont support multiple saves but i'm looking at a save loader thing which seems inetresting, thats Ł20, much better than Ł300 so she can have her own saves on mario kart as resi evil.
My missus loves games as much as i do, we have a ps3 each in living room and the rooms configured so its almost divided into two gaming stations
Vita will be sat on teh back burner for a long time for us, theres no games that we're interested in yet and its way too expensive. Al bout give it a year when price drops cos no ones buying it
pr0riku on 16 Dec '11 said:
Oh for crying out loud shut up! Literally no one gives a f**k about you or your wife! I've been watching these comments and literally everything you all say is utter rubbish! No one gives a f**k about your opinion, no one ever will! Just read the articles and keep your stupid comments to yourself you morons!
Oh and I'm not 'trolling,' (most retarded word ever created) I'm just helping you realise you need to get real!
BlueScorpion91 on 16 Dec '11 said:
Ah'herm. Pardon me for my bluntness sir, but you are what we good folk like to call a prick. Good day to you.
notaMONGBRAIN on 16 Dec '11 said:
fanboyyyy come out to play !!!!!fanboooyyyyy come out to playiaayy?!!?!!! fannnboooyyy come out to plaaayyyyyiaaayyyyyy,dont defend dis indefendable ...
TheDragonDoji on 16 Dec '11 said:
Thats a shame, I guess I'll just have to buy one each for the wife & I.....thats one 3DS each Sony you chumps.
solamon77 on 16 Dec '11 said:
Okay, guess I'm back to not buying it again.
Cogglesz on 16 Dec '11 said:
This isn't too good, my brother uses my 3ds pretty often along with my psp for music and what not, however i don't think this will be too conflicting if we have the choice of multiple saves with games, which would be pretty stupid not to do right?
Saying that however, restricting the vita to one account is pretty darn stupid
KippDynamite on 16 Dec '11 said:
Is this honestly a big deal to people? It's not like the device won't physically work if someone else is holding it . . .
slick loose on 16 Dec '11 said:
I remember when SONY were saying they had learned from their mistakes from the pricing of the PS3...and now they want people to all have a Vita each? What if, for example, a mum wants to buy her sons a Vita...do you think she can afford around Ł600 for 2 Vita's, memory cards and a game each? Trust me, 2 brothers won't share an account.
Surely their is a better way to stop people game sharing than this? Maybe if they were online at the same time or maybe if the accounts on the Vita have different home address, they could lock the account? But it looks like SONY haven't learned from their PS3 launch, they still money grabbing gits who are trying to get every penny they can.
For the people who seem not to care about any of this, clearly you are alone or you have more money than sense. Just because it doesn't effect you personally, doesn't make it right.
Oh please don't insult me by calling me a Xbox fanboy, I've been with Playstation since the beginning and the PS3 is the only console I have...or need
SavageEvil on 16 Dec '11 said:
Heh, heh, sure fire way to kill your system at launch, overprice, check...limit number of systems it can be associated with check...looking like fools to the entire gaming community...priceless. How to lose millions in ten seconds flat starring Sony PS Vita, yeesh. Digital downloads can kiss my arse, not buying it. no physical media no buy for me. Vita will be one handheld that will go double wood, I predict xbox 360 levels of success...in japan. Whoever is in charge of marketing and decision making for Vita is going to be "stepping down" 6 months after Vita stumbles and trips its way to retail.
alan666 on 16 Dec '11 said:
#FacePalm
you really don't know enough about this subject to comment on it.
locking it to one account is a bad idea, simple as that.
Zubee on 16 Dec '11 said:
Where do spoilt brats like you come from? I'm not sure about the author, but let me tell you I work hard every day to earn a living, I have rent to pay, a girlfriend and a child to support. Now with that I can barely afford to go to the pub on friday night to let my hair down for 2 beers, I will have to dip into my savings for a Vita if I want one, but there is no way I have the disposable income to just buy 2 (or 3 when the kid gets a little older).
MattyR95 on 16 Dec '11 said:
There's nothing stopping anyone playing on it, it's just one account, get a grip! If wives or whoever wants to play on it, let them, they don't need a separate account to play it.
Padua on 16 Dec '11 said:
+1 Zubee. I want to get one but not as bad as Sony wants me to get one
( A decision like this is not hardware related. If it was hardware related then it is bad hardware.
)
I am just going to wait awhile until they realise the error of their ways.
Westminister Council changed their plans on Evening and Sunday parking charges - so can Sony.
They just need a little encouragement
What is the worst that can happen? You will get it at a cheaper price!
voodoo341 on 16 Dec '11 said:
I think I'll wait and see for myself... CVG are posting blogs, gossip, poor translations and rumours.
Mmmmgrolsch on 16 Dec '11 said:
Great :/ I hope this turns out to be utter bulls**t!! I have a few games I've bought off the American PSN store that I would like to play on my VITA! I don't want to have to reformat the hardware everytime. As I said before my missus will be using it as well so It's horses**t that she can't play on her own psn account.
What happens when it comes to any online games? I don't want her gameplay on my stats, I don't want her unlocking my trophies and I'm sure she would prefer to use her own account as she enjoys collecting trophies.
To all the idiots that say buy another one. f**k you you stupid t**t. Why would I want to buy 2??? I rarely game on a handheld device so my missus will use it when I'm not and I ain't paying Ł550 for the privilege.
If this is true then I'm going to wait even longer, the device is going to flop at launch IMO then Sony will smell the coffee and things will change for the good. It will be a success in the long run but I really think it will be poor for the 1st 12months sales wise.
rhyfel on 16 Dec '11 said:
its a typical sony stunt, i was going to buy a vita but not now, sony are adding to many restrictions sony can go and boil its head.
yodalicious on 16 Dec '11 said:
Agreed!!!
svd_grasshopper on 16 Dec '11 said:
whenever someone else wants a shot of the ps3 i don't log out and create them a new account... WTF.
if you can share a bed with your wife, then surely you can share a PSP with her!
Barca Azul on 16 Dec '11 said:
Well if thats the case, I hope they sort out their Language issues then.
I run two accounts, one for Purchasing (Spain, where I live) and UK for playing so that everything is in English, its my main account.
Not everyone wants their account in local language!
Random Hangman on 16 Dec '11 said:
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of "irony"...
Dannyb0yUK on 16 Dec '11 said:
Amended!
monkelus on 16 Dec '11 said:
Someone's tired.
Anyone who doesn't think this news sucks is silly, think of it in comparison to the PS3; would you seriously consider buying a larger scale console if the data used on it was linked solely to one player? Especially with the growing popularity of trophies/achievements, this is a really retardedly money grabbing and cynical move by Sony.
AvatarIII on 16 Dec '11 said:
if everything for the Vita is stored on memory cards, why does it matter that it takes a factory reset? i doubt the reset will take long, since there's not much to get rid of, just reset it, stick your memory card in and GO! when you are done, take it out, factory reset, give it to your wife or whatever, they stick in their card and GO!
it might be annoying, but it's that or spend another Ł250
stedman on 16 Dec '11 said:
Pretty silly and annoying to restrict it like that. Ofcourse people would want to be able to have more than one account per console, just because a number of people don't want to use more than one account on a vita or indeed only have one account on their ps3 doesn't mean others can't moan about it!
Will have to wait and see whats really true, it's not great information coming from a Sony "rep" everytime.
RichPerry on 16 Dec '11 said:
Oh Sony, why do you do this to us?
No, I'm not going to fork out Ł600 for two Vitas, because I don't have that much money and I have a modicum of sense. I want to play with my saves and my trophies, but if my girlfriend wants to play with hers, apparently that's not going to happen.
Also I am loving how angry people are getting in these comments. It's like an internet soap opera, but without the large audience to justify the rage. Hilarious.
AvatarIII on 16 Dec '11 said:
trophies are cloud stored, and save games will be on the game card, or memory card, there will only be a tiny amount of information stored on the Vita itself.
although if you can factory reset without wiping the firmware that would be nice.
RichPerry on 16 Dec '11 said:
Ah, my bad, I always forget about the cloud storage - here's hoping the factory reset is not that much of a pain, and it would indeed be nice if the firmware was left untouched. I'm going to wait for an official Sony announcement on the matter rather than several conflicting "reps" confusing everyone. Hopefully then we can get some clarity.
MPH on 16 Dec '11 said:
I'm so very glad I cancelled my order. ^^ After getting Liksang closed down and now this, you can sit and swivel Sony.
laslowoodbine on 16 Dec '11 said:
Exactly, I pre-ordered mine yesterday and you know what it's for me, and me alone but if someone wants a go I'm not going to say oh no you might ruin my kill death ratio.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Obviously many people on this forum sit down to take a p*ss.
KippDynamite on 16 Dec '11 said:
I agree. What I was asking with my earlier question was, essentially, "Is there anyone who was planning on buying a Vita but honestly will now NOT get one because of this news?" A #facepalm isn't an answer to this question. And yes, perhaps I am actually interested in a response than merely posting to make an ideological point on a forum.
gmcb007 on 16 Dec '11 said:
Well if there is multiple users who like different games and prefer to get their own trophies then it is a bit annoying. Apart from financal gain, I cannot understand why it's not present.
Mmmmgrolsch on 17 Dec '11 said:
No but I was happy to buy one day one until this plus the fact VITA cards are going to possibly be a total rip off. So the more bad things I keep finding out the less I want to pay for it. Sony are shooting themselves in the foot.
KippDynamite on 17 Dec '11 said:
Good news people! I found this in the online handbook for the Vita:
After you sign up for PlayStationŽNetwork from your PS Vita system, memory cards that you insert are linked to your PlayStationŽNetwork account. You can only use the memory cards in PS Vita systems to which the same PlayStationŽNetwork account is linked.
So apparently it IS possible to have more than one PSN account per system, but only one per memory card. And I would assume an online manual for a released hardware product is more reliable than what any rep says.
Maybe CVG will update their story while combing for comments of the week or something.
Mmmmgrolsch on 18 Dec '11 said:
Sorry but that reads to me as only memory cards with the same PSN account that is attached to my VITA can be used.
flash501 on 18 Dec '11 said:
Read it again. That has just confirmed that only one account can be used per Vita.
Mmmmgrolsch on 18 Dec '11 said:
Glad someone else read it the same. I thought I was going mad for a minute
slick loose on 18 Dec '11 said:
It's even more restrictive than I thought...now you can't even put your memory card in another device!
gmcb007 on 18 Dec '11 said:
Christ the actual console may be at a good price but actually using the thing is costly!
Buddha on 19 Dec '11 said:
Ive always said Sony consoles are for the gentleman of ample means. No cheapass chav gear here.
KippDynamite on 19 Dec '11 said:
I did read it again. To me it seems to be saying that each memory card is tied to a PSN account (as previously reported). There would be no need to do this if the Vita only allowed one PSN account anyway. It appears that this measure is in place so that multiple PSN accounts can be used for the same Vita, but not multiple PSN accounts for the same memory card.
Of course, this whole issue could be settled if someone got their hands on a Japanese Vita and just tried it out . . .
Mmmmgrolsch on 19 Dec '11 said:
flash501 on 19 Dec '11 said:
I'm with Grolsch. To me, it sounds like you create one account only on the Vita and any memory cards you insert into the Vita must be tied to that same account or they won't work. So if a friend brings around one of his/her memory cards, it won't work on your own Vita.
KippDynamite on 19 Dec '11 said:
The manual also says:
If you sign up for PlayStationŽNetwork, you can save information about the trophies you have earned on PlayStationŽNetwork servers. When you play the game on a different PS Vita system, if you sign up for the same PlayStationŽNetwork account, you can earn additional trophies on that system. It is recommended that you regularly synchronize your trophy information with PlayStationŽNetwork servers.
Sounds just like a PS3 to me. The manual also adds:
There are two types of PlayStationŽNetwork accountsmaster accounts and sub accounts.
Master account
A master account is the standard account for using PlayStationŽNetwork. Users above a certain age who sign up for PlayStationŽNetwork receive a master account. The master account holder can create sub accounts and set the conditions for their use.
Sub account
A sub account is for users under a certain age, Sub accounts are used under the supervision of a master account holder. For example, the master account wallet is used to purchase paid content. A master account is needed to create a sub account.
If sub accounts can earn trophies, etc, then it sounds basically like a second account to me.
slick loose on 19 Dec '11 said:
QUICKLY, SOMEONE VERIFY THIS!