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Vita firmware update locks memory cards

Yes I can, because you were aware of this. You even stated that you knew of the thread detailing this yet YOU are the one that misinterpreted this. Now why didn't you just pony up the dough and get a 2nd memory card like R_thanatos? Oh right, you took the cheap way, just like my analogy.

I'm not defending Sony, but it was clear from DAY ONE that it was one memory card per account.

Where was this made abundantly clear?
 
Locking out customers from their data with no prior warning is disgusting. At least there was a warning before they removed OtherOS, what they've done here is inexcusable. Why are there people even defending this? It doesn't seem to benefit anyone.

People will defend this because they'll defend anything Sony does. Every platform has it's defense team. Ignore them. In Sony's defense(I know I know I fail) they did say they weren't going to support what people ended up doing with the memory cards. But in typical Sony fashion, they weren't competent enough to block it from the start.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
I'm not defending Sony, but it was clear from DAY ONE that it was one memory card per account.

That's kind of where I'm coming from on this.

It does stink that you lost save data that was stored on your card on an alt account. Hopefully people in that situation who haven't updated see this thread and make backups prior to updating.
 

SmokyDave

Member
Well according to Sony PSV owners are also PS3 owners. So they're used to it. Sony specifically stated PSV would be region free, of course I'd look into using multiple accounts. And if you can do it with one mem card, sure why not, considering the obnoxious price for these things.

I could understand such a move if the users in question were hacking or something but it basically worked as some Sony rep stated before the US launch iirc.

I know it's a pretty crappy distinction and almost something of a 'gotcha', but you can't assume that PSN accounts are region free just because Vita retail releases are. The bit where you put in a fake address to open the account ought to be the first clue.

Wow sony just loves fucking over their consumers. It blows my mind that they do this to the few people that actually bought a vita.
It is entirely unclear how many of us are fucked over by this because some of us bought the device believing this limitation to be in place anyway.
 

Toki767

Member
Hopefully this is just the first step to allow it so that you wouldn't have to do a factory reset on the Vita to switch users. Would've been much nicer if all you had to do was put in a different memory card and just restart the system to change users. I could see that feature being added at some point.

Still sucks for those who lost their saves though. A warning is always nice.
 
You really have to wonder what the ever living fuck Sony has been thinking this generation. Alienate every consumer possible, right? I'd never consider picking up a PSVita due to stupid ass Sony and their constant anti-consumer tirade via firmware updates.
 
Well according to Sony PSV owners are also PS3 owners. So they're used to it. Sony specifically stated PSV would be region free, of course I'd look into using multiple accounts. And if you can do it with one mem card, sure why not, considering the obnoxious price for these things.

I could understand such a move if the users in question were hacking or something but it basically worked as some Sony rep stated before the US launch iirc.
Oh, don't get me wrong - I wish the PSV had a log-in list like the PS3 so we wouldn't be having this topic, or some other method of switching accounts that doesn't involve reformatting.
However, in light of these news, I'm having doubts that it was ever meant to be supported, and that it was just a workaround from the beginning. The fact that you have to reformat the entire console as if you're starting anew was always a clear sign of an unofficial workaround in my mind, and the main reason I stopped switching accounts because it was detrimental to my Vita experience (a lot of information gets wiped with a reformat... obviously).
 

demigod

Member
Where was this made abundantly clear?

All of those below. I don't even care for multiple accounts yet I knew of this.

P5RTs.jpg

you remember correctly...

first wired.com posted this story..

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/vita-accounts/



but later that week they retracted the story..

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/sony-vita-psn/
 
Terrible decision. I feel bad for those who lost data from this update. At the very least, they should have made an announcement of the change prior to release.

Unless it caused a security risk, there is no reason for this to be changed. Sony was making money from people buying games, but I guess they needed another way to increase revenue and profit. Greed is hard mistress to ignore.
 
I AM SO OUTRAGED!

No, I'm really not. I thought this thread was going to be about your system locking up because of the new firmware, but no it's just people freaking out over nothing again.
 

patsu

Member
Should have open the Content Manager automatically for the users to copy their files in/out of the memcard instead of forcing them to reformat.
 
Oh, don't get me wrong - I wish the PSV had a log-in list like the PS3 so we wouldn't be having this topic, or some other method of switching accounts that doesn't involve reformatting.
However, in light of these news, I'm having doubts that it was ever meant to be supported, and that it was just a workaround from the beginning. The fact that you have to reformat the entire console as if you're starting anew was always a clear sign of an unofficial workaround in my mind, and the main reason I stopped switching accounts because it was detrimental to my Vita experience (a lot of information gets wiped with a reformat... obviously).
If the Wired story is anything to go by it seems even Sony didn't know if they meant to support it or not. This is what screwed up the situation here, if they didn't give consumers to the possibility from within the OS (which makes it pretty official to me) no one would've lost their data.

I know it's a pretty crappy distinction and almost something of a 'gotcha', but you can't assume that PSN accounts are region free just because Vita retail releases are. The bit where you put in a fake address to open the account ought to be the first clue.
What use is a region free hardware if you can't access the store associated with the retail software in this day and age? Of course you'll make a corresponding account.

You were never intended to have multiple accounts to get games from other countries. Don't get upset when they fix a loophole in their system.
You still can do that, just not on one memory card.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
Just to clarify, the update doesn't "lock cards" then, right? The issue here is alt accounts losing save data without warning after updating.
 

SmokyDave

Member
What use is a region free hardware if you can't access the store associated with the retail software in this day and age? Of course you'll make a corresponding account.

Well, it allows you to import and play carts, I assume that is the point. The digital side hasn't caught up with the physical. This is the same with all digital stores unfortunately. You're free to make a corresponding account but the fact that you can't legitimately access the content through your own marketplace and the necessity of providing fake credentials to open another account really should tip you off that you're bending (not breaking) the rules. If you're using a loophole, there's always a chance it will be closed.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Holy shit at all the people attacking poor Aeana. :(

She's like the last person to get involved in any platform wars idiocy, wtf at these reactions.
 
Just to clarify, the update doesn't "lock cards" then, right? The issue here is alt accounts losing save data without warning after updating.

It does lock them, people are saying locked because you cannot switched between the two and you are locked out of the one account and it's save files. Maybe it's not how you interpret it but it's still "locked".
 
Holy shit at all the people attacking poor Aeana. :(

She's like the last person to get involved in any platform wars idiocy, wtf at these reactions.

You know something is wrong when others notable pro sony fans are distancing them selves away from the attackers comments here.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
It does lock them, people are saying locked because you cannot switched between the two and you are locked out of the one account and it's save files. Maybe it's not how you interpret it but it's still "locked".

So it "locks" you to one account. I think, after seeing many people pop in this thread wondering if there was a legit hardware lock or glitch, that it warrants clarification or a different thread title.
 

Bogus

Member
Maybe I've misinterpreted the situation - I don't own a Vita, though I might down the line - so forgive me if I'm off-base, but I'm having a hard time coming to terms with how there's blame being directed towards the victimized customers here.

Why should anyone presume that Sony would lock them out of their personal data for simply updating the official firmware? If the "one memory card, one account" policy was truly obvious from the start, then why did the Vita ever give users the option to format their memory card when switching account regions? Why would it let them choose not to format it? I simply don't understand how that could be a "loophole" in any real sense of the word. If Sony originally intended for users to have one and only one account per memory card, then what point could there possibly have been to allow data from multiple accounts on the same card?

Bearing that in mind, the problem is not that Sony closed some ambiguous loophole that allowed users to circumvent the Vita's intended functionality - the problem is that Sony removed an existing feature without warning: the choice to format one's memory card when switching account regions. That, in turn, locked paying customers out of their personal data without their approval. If that's not a bait-and-switch, then what is? It's not like you had to crawl through eldritch, non-euclidean labyrinths to take advantage of this feature, either.

If the writing was truly on the wall in the first place, it sure wasn't written clearly - at least from an outsider's perspective. And that ain't cool.
 

-Amon-

Member
Oh, don't get me wrong - I wish the PSV had a log-in list like the PS3 so we wouldn't be having this topic, or some other method of switching accounts that doesn't involve reformatting.
However, in light of these news, I'm having doubts that it was ever meant to be supported, and that it was just a workaround from the beginning. The fact that you have to reformat the entire console as if you're starting anew was always a clear sign of an unofficial workaround in my mind, and the main reason I stopped switching accounts because it was detrimental to my Vita experience (a lot of information gets wiped with a reformat... obviously).

As i remebered when i investigated this issue before purchasing my Vita, Sony went the "one machine one account" way. At least it's how i remember it.
 

clem84

Gold Member
I'm sorry if this has been asked before but, why do some people care about having multiple accounts on the same Vita?
 
I'm sorry if this has been asked before but, why do some people care about having multiple accounts on the same Vita?

Same reason people hate Nintendo for region locking the 3DS. You're cut off from games from every other region unless you spend more and more money.
 

SmokyDave

Member
Same reason people hate Nintendo for region locking the 3DS. You're cut off from games from every other region unless you spend more and more money.

Unless you were to buy physical cartridges, that is. I believe they aren't region locked like the digital stuff.
 
Unless you were to buy physical cartridges, that is. I believe they aren't region locked like the digital stuff.

On Vita, I believe you're right. The situation with the Vita only sucks because they didn't lock it from the start. At least they offer a means to play other region games on one Vita. Nintendo just f***s you from the get-go. Want to play games from other regions on Vita? Buy another memory card. Want to play games from other regions on 3DS? Buy another 3DS.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
I feel like I'm reading a different topic here. That, or I have a very different definition of 'attack'.

yeah, I didn't get that either. I think the discusison was going on in parallel in the thread, I don't recall anyone specifically arguing with Aeana.
those that have been using the same card and got save games stuck by updating I realise its a pain in the arse and I hope there is a workaround.

But the overall change isn't a big one - its still annoying to switch accounts, you just need two memory cards now instead of one. Loophole is still there.
 

patsu

Member
Maybe I've misinterpreted the situation - I don't own a Vita, though I might down the line - so forgive me if I'm off-base, but I'm having a hard time coming to terms with how there's blame being directed towards the victimized customers here.

Why should anyone presume that Sony would lock them out of their personal data for simply updating the official firmware? If the "one memory card, one account" policy was truly obvious from the start, then why did the Vita ever give users the option to format their memory card when switching account regions? Why would it let them choose not to format it? I simply don't understand how that could be a "loophole" in any real sense of the word. If Sony originally intended for users to have one and only one account per memory card, then what point could there possibly have been to allow data from multiple accounts on the same card?

Bearing that in mind, the problem is not that Sony closed some ambiguous loophole that allowed users to circumvent the Vita's intended functionality - the problem is that Sony removed an existing feature without warning: the choice to format one's memory card when switching account regions. That, in turn, locked paying customers out of their personal data without their approval. If that's not a bait-and-switch, then what is? It's not like you had to crawl through eldritch, non-euclidean labyrinths to take advantage of this feature, either.

If the writing was truly on the wall in the first place, it sure wasn't written clearly - at least from an outsider's perspective. And that ain't cool.

Yes, I don't think the customers are at fault here. Sony should have thought through their fallback steps carefully even if they are forced by the publishers to put this restrictions back (to buy their love). If they continue to treat customers like dirt, the vice versa will also happen.

They should get Andrew House or Jim Ryan out to apologize or remedy the situation quickly.
 

SmokyDave

Member
On Vita, I believe you're right. The situation with the Vita only sucks because they didn't lock it from the start. At least they offer a means to play other region games on one Vita. Nintendo just f***s you from the get-go.

Agreed. They send a mixed message with physical being region free and the accounts being region locked. If they can't allow access to all stores from one account then they really ought to call it 'Region Free*' with a huge disclaimer as to what is and isn't acceptable.
 

olimpia84

Member
When did Sony say the Vita was going to be region free? I don't remember them saying anything like that, in fact the complete opposite, they always gave the impression that it was going to be hard to play imported games and that everything was tied to one account only.
 

rpmurphy

Member
Terrible decision. I feel bad for those who lost data from this update. At the very least, they should have made an announcement of the change prior to release.

Unless it caused a security risk, there is no reason for this to be changed. Sony was making money from people buying games, but I guess they needed another way to increase revenue and profit. Greed is hard mistress to ignore.
Hopefully, some third party will be able to hack together a Vita memory card adapter for the PC so that people can retrieve their data.
 

patsu

Member
When did Sony say the Vita was going to be region free? I don't remember them saying anything like that, in fact the complete opposite, they always gave the impression that it was going to be hard to play imported games and that everything was tied to one account only.

The impression I get is they are still fighting over region-free vs region-lock issues. Perhaps there are 2 (or more) camps amongst Sony and partners.

Will the people supporting region free gaming please stand up, coz I want to throw a bunch of money at you. 8^P
 

SmokyDave

Member
When did Sony say the Vita was going to be region free? I don't remember them saying anything like that, in fact the complete opposite, they always gave the impression that it was going to be hard to play imported games and that everything was tied to one account only.

Seems Yoshida announced it over Twitter somewhere around the 19th of September, 2011.

Arbitrary link here because I can't provide the actual tweet.
 
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