[mehdi_san]

I just got back from the Vita event in Osaka (where I got to try most launch titles), and they gave us this little catalog with the launch line up of games and accessories. There also a FAQ section at the end, and that's where I found this bad news:

Q: How many PSN account can be set up on a Vita system? A: Only 1 account. If you want to to use a different account, you need to format the system to factory settings.

(translation from Japanese by me, apologies if it doesn't sound natural in English).

So there you go. Forget having multiple accounts for your brother or your gf. Forget having multiple accounts for each region. Just cancel your preorder, it's not worth it anymore #trolling

I'll add the original Japanese phrasing, in case someone wants to try to do a better job at translating than me...

Q: PSNアカウントは、PSVita本体１つに対して何個まで設定できますか？ A: １つです。別のPSNアカウントで使用したい場合は、本体の初期化を行ってください。

[Stumpokapow]

So this makes the Vita functionally region-locked with respect to digital content. Hmm. Unfortunate.

[Mattlikewhoa]

So much for playing both Japanese and NA games...I mean, unless I want to format it each time I switch regions...

[get2sammyb]

In before the inevitable over-reaction.

On topic: this does suck, but it's not really a deal-breaker. Presumably you could download regional content using your PlayStation 3 and then copy it to your PS Vita?

[-Winnie-]

Assballs. :/
Well, I think I'll hang onto my PSP so I can use that for all my different region PSP-content, but it would've been nice to have a PS3-like system.

[Gaspode_T]

Urrrrrgh my US account is super stacked with games, Jpn one not as much..having to pick one sucks

[soultron]

Somebody start a petition!

As someone who only has one PSN/region account, this doesn't really affect me. I don't share my portable(s) either, really.

[Callibretto]

they really say reset to factory setting? I was hoping I can just login with different account like PSP

[wsippel]

In before the inevitable over-reaction. On topic: this does suck, but it's not really a deal-breaker. Presumably you could download regional content using your PlayStation 3 and then copy it to your PS Vita?

Don't think so. The license would still be tied to different accounts.

[Thrakier]

In before the inevitable over-reaction. On topic: this does suck, but it's not really a deal-breaker. Presumably you could download regional content using your PlayStation 3 and then copy it to your PS Vita?

If it's like PSP that won't work. PS3 only copies to PSPs with the same account activated.

Living in Germany for me that means being locked out from 80% of the mature content. Won't buy now.

[jett]

Awful news. I guess this will be the same for the PS4.

[Blablurn]

That does suck

[Volcynika]

Well, that's unfortunate.

[klee123]

Inconvenient, but not a huge deal. It'll be like how I use my PSP. When I want to play JPN games, I'll just activate it as a JPN System and with the US games still installed on it and vice versa.

[mattiewheels]

I wonder if system format is the same as the PSP's 'restore factory settings'. Ridiculous news though, it's like they saved all the bad news for last.

[get2sammyb]

Don't think so. The license would still be tied to different accounts.

Hmm. I swear I've downloaded PSP demos from the Japanese PlayStation Store and copied them to my European PSPgo though. That worked fine. This was before all the license changes last month though.

Also, obviously demos are different to purchased games too.

[Impeccable]

No big deal.

[Pai Pai Master]

Awful news. I guess this will be the same for the PS4.

That would be incredibly retarded, so not likely. There's no way they'd only allow you to have just one active account on a home console.

This is probably less because of region-locking purposes and more because they want it to be a personal device that only one family member uses. "Dude, get your own" or whatever.

[benny_a]

So this makes the Vita functionally region-locked with respect to digital content. Hmm. Unfortunate.

So the people realize what this means: You will not be able to buy DLC for all but one region if you buy games from different regions.
It also means you can't take advantage of PSN region-specific deals.
(Compare EU PSN with US PSN and then you'll see what that means. Or UK to GER to have it be even sadder.)

This is very unfortunate news. It's not a deal breaker, but it's very disappointing.

[Famassu]

Awful news. I guess this will be the same for the PS4.

It won't.

I don't really understand why they do it for their handhelds, but at least they have their "reasons", however dumb they are. Consoles, however, are still viewed as something which everybody in the family can play and for which everyone needs an account of their own to play.

[Elios83]

Terrible news, with the format thing it's even worse than PSP.

[Hazelhurst]

I only use one account on the PS3. My pre-order will remain active.

I'm more upset about the $120 for 32GB.

[Varion]

So this makes the Vita functionally region-locked with respect to digital content. Hmm. Unfortunate.

Yeah, what's the point in making the system region locked with physical media and then going out your way to make it even more locked down than the PSP (at least you only had to delete the account, not format the system) when it comes to digital content? Completely stupid. Though it's an improvement over flat out 'region locked' at least seen as you can choose that one region and reformatting is still an option.

Presumably you could download regional content using your PlayStation 3 and then copy it to your PS Vita?

Not if it's like the PSP, if you try to copy any content that isn't intended for the region of your current PSP account then it'll tell you to log in to one that is on both your PS3 and PSP to copy properly. I think there are different rules for demos, I seem to remember hearing people say they had no problem with those, but I've definitely been forced to delete and reactivate different accounts to transfer full retail games.

[comrade]

Inconvenient, but not a huge deal. It'll be like how I use my PSP. When I want to play JPN games, I'll just activate it as a JPN System and with the US games still installed on it and vice versa.

Read the OP. Restore Factory Settings to switch regions.

[kadotsu]

Not a huge problem for me (but it still sucks). Japanese Imports will always be physical and Ghostlight has been pretty good in bringing Atlus games to the EU. UMD copies were always the worse version because they weren't solid state but this won't be a problem with Vita.

And in the end if I really have to import a DD game I will deal with this slight irritation.

[MightyKAC]

Ummm.... Isn't this the same way the psp works now? (Serious question.)

[Risk Breaker]

In before the inevitable over-reaction. On topic: this does suck, but it's not really a deal-breaker. Presumably you could download regional content using your PlayStation 3 and then copy it to your PS Vita?

That's what I always thought, yep.

And anyway I guess you can always have a couple of memory cards each with one account so you don't have to redownload everything or something.

Read the OP. Restore Factory Settings to switch regions.

Take the card out?

[Lyte Edge]

So much for playing both Japanese and NA games...I mean, unless I want to format it each time I switch regions...

No you wouldn't. The only potential issue here is DLC.

I am still planning on importing a Vita. My main PSN account is Japanese but I plan to use my U.S. account. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, I will stick with my Japanese account.

That's what I always thought, yep. And anyway I guess you can always have a couple of memory cards each with one account so you don't have to redownload everything or something.

So pay for and carry around extra memory cards? Not very convenient.

Ummm.... Isn't this the same way the psp works now? (Serious question.)

You don't have to format your PSP to factory settings when you change accounts. You also have to be online to switch.

[SailorDaravon]

Well there goes any chance of getting one anytime soon for us as my wife and I would be sharing one. The regional stuff is pretty much a non-issue for us, but not being able to have separate accounts for friends list/trophies is retarded, and I'm not going to constantly have to format the system to swap accounts. Retarded.

[Sylver]

Ummm.... Isn't this the same way the psp works now? (Serious question.)

You don't need to restore your system with the PSP, just log out and log in with different account.

[Postman]

Well there goes any chance of getting one anytime soon for us as my wife and I would be sharing one. The regional stuff is pretty much a non-issue for us, but not being able to have separate accounts for friends list/trophies is retarded, and I'm not going to constantly have to format the system to swap accounts. Retarded.

Don't be cheap buy two! right?



:p

[yurinka]

It sucks. Sony, please don't give us reasons to want custom firmwares or bizarre non-oficial related things.

Why do they limit the chances of buying more DLC or digital games? Maybe they try to avoid game sharing to limit piracy even more (biggest PSP problem)? I don't understand it.

Guerilla, fix this shit!

I support the petition. Please ultiple accounts, like in PS3.

[MightyKAC]

You don't need to restore your system with the PSP, just log out and log in with different account.

Ahhh gotcha. Massive brain fart there.

[Rolf NB]

I exclusively buy PSP/PSX downloads from the US store, so I won't be troubled by this I think. Still kind of weird.

[Jucksalbe]

Inconvenient, but not a huge deal. It'll be like how I use my PSP. When I want to play JPN games, I'll just activate it as a JPN System and with the US games still installed on it and vice versa.

This also means that with everytime you switch you also get a different friends list and trophy list.

Hmm. I swear I've downloaded PSP demos from the Japanese PlayStation Store and copied them to my European PSPgo though. That worked fine. This was before all the license changes last month though.

Some demos are not tied to an account. It's different per game, though.

[RetroGamer42]

This is part of what confuses me about Vita. That should be a deal-breaker for me, along with some of the other stuff about it. But I can't seem to care enough. I want one anyway.

[Izayoi]

Fuck my ass.

Hopefully someone finds some sort of workaround... maybe? ;_;

[Corto]

...and that's the kick in the nuts.

[Notorious_Roy]

In before the inevitable over-reaction. On topic: this does suck, but it's not really a deal-breaker. Presumably you could download regional content using your PlayStation 3 and then copy it to your PS Vita?

Nope, same goes for PSP. This sucks. But, I'll stil buy the damn thing. And love it.

[Tiduz]

this was the one thing you could have had over others sony, good job fucking it up.

[dofry]

I just got back from the Vita event in Osaka (where I got to try most launch titles), and they gave us this little catalog with the launch line up of games and accessories. There also a FAQ section at the end, and that's where I found this bad news: (translation from Japanese by me, apologies if it doesn't sound natural in English). So there you go. Forget having multiple accounts for your brother or your gf. Forget having multiple accounts for each region. Just cancel your preorder, it's not worth it anymore #trolling

What? Where was it and was it only for today or can I go check it tomorrow?

[Valnen]

this was the one thing you could have had over others sony, good job fucking it up.

This is far from the "one" thing that makes the Vita better than the 3DS.

[Hasemo]

Bah, it sucks. Hope they'll change it later or something.
Still buying Vita day 1.

And it's not as bad as the full region lock on 3DS.

[Somnid]

Ummm.... Isn't this the same way the psp works now? (Serious question.)

That's what I thought. I remember something about re-activating or purging content to use other region DLC. Also, it doesn't region-lock per-se it just makes it really annoying. I really don't care at all about this.

[Postman]

I am all against hacks and custom firmware. I have a philosophy of using things as they are but Sony is just asking for a major rush to put out custom firmware which will very quickly lead to piracy.

[Risk Breaker]

So pay for and carry around extra memory cards? Not very convenient.

Yep, I know, but I guess people will end up having more than one card whenever the time comes that other regions' Store have enough exclusive content to warrant using more than one account. I mean, I doubt we'll have many reasons to use more than one close to launch.

I was hoping for multiple accounts but it doesn't really matter to me, I would only use my USA account for very specific games like Corpse Party and even then I can wait for it to come out in EU.

[Paracelsus]

Either they are extremely confident that every piece of PSV content will hit every store or they are just begging for failure.

[plagiarize]

i hope the OP is mistaken, only because i really don't want this to be true, but oh well. i'm waiting a few months to get a Vita (financial reasons mainly), but i do still want one.

[DMeisterJ]

So this works just like the PSP does right?

Not surprising.

[IrishNinja]

So this makes the Vita functionally region-locked with respect to digital content. Hmm. Unfortunate.

Awful news. I guess this will be the same for the PS4.

ugh. i wasn't sure what the big deal was (past gamehsaring) till stump's post, then jett brought up something even worse. i honestly can't put it past sony to do just that next gen, too.