Jinfash
needs 2 extra inches
So what's the deal with the "PSN accounts are stored/tied to memory sticks; changing sticks allows instant account swapping" talk?
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Vita Will Allow Multiple PSN Accounts, Sony Says
- Thread starter V_Ben
- Start date
We don't have enough info to make that conclusion yet. Crystal in that Wired article said you can switch account on the same card (with some inconveniences).
Yeah, it doesn't really make any sense. I'm sure this Sony person just has things wrong.
That's probably why we have to wait until launch for firm details.
Sounds like they're talking about 'activated cards', since you can't activate anything on the Vita with no card since it can't download anything.
I'm the same but US PSN, UK purchases. I'd be happy with Sony just letting me set my us psn account to the uk. I'd even pay them to let me do it.
Maybe you can log in without one.
But to download any content from the PSN store to the card requires this 'bonding' thing with your PSN account.
Just a guess though. There's layers of interaction between your Vita/memcard and your PSN account.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Not if the whole "your memory card is bonded to you Vita" thing is literally true.
George Claw M.D.
Member
Because piracy wasn't rampant on the PSP?
I guess this explains the high price of mem cards. Proprietary cards with built-in security hardware. Obviously, this is not a very consumer-friendly method, but Sony is doing what they can, to avoid the massive piracy problem they had with the PSP. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes to crack. PS3 lasted quite a while, before the key was leaked. If it wasn't due for that leak, PS3 might still be unhacked.
Something is really not being communicated well. From my perspective, this most recent explanation sounds worse than what we thought, not better. Now, rather than "just" doing a factory reset, we have to do a factory reset and our accounts are locked to specific mem cards?
Somebody really didn't think about this very carefully, and now Sony is scrambling to fill in the gaps as best they can. The idea that Sony would tell its users to do a factory reset as a normal part of using the unit sounds like a colossal oversight in the design of the unit that no one at Sony seemed to recognize or acknowledge until now. Not a good way to launch a new platform.
You probably have to activate when you copy games, then to reset it you have to reset the Vita since the card won't self format and erase the activation on its own. So after you activate it becomes a JPSN activated card, and you have to factory reset the Vita to erase the activation. Maybe?
Yeah, you need a memory card if you want to download from PSN. I think you need a memory card to use the non-games too (e.g., web browser, music player, video player, ...) because those apps need to keep data on some storage -- unless the media are streamed completely from the network.
For gaming, they can either keep data on the server, or in the game card itself, so it should be ok. I think Sony should just bundle a 4Gb card with every Vita sold for the first year or two. Once people upgrade, we will have a pool of cheap, pre-owned cards in GameStop.
No it doesn't. How many people really do you think will want to have three active psn accounts on a vita? Hardly any, but that percentage on gaf would be higher of course.
Sony don't want to force you to buy a handful of cards. Most people will have one main psn account they use, and will need one memory card.
We're the edge cases.
If you have a couple of accounts, this is better than the psp (potentially) if you don't have to manually sign in when you switch. But the one thing missing is sharing, so you can't collect achievements or play with friends on your main psn account if you have software from other regions. Which is a shame.
psyduck.gif
Auron_Kale
Member
Obviously not an idea solution, but it's a bit better than factory resetting all the time.
I'll definitely be using both my US/JP accounts so having two memory cards isn't that bad as I'm sure I'd eventually have to buy more cards when I get more games to store on them as I already have a ton of games between the two on my PS3.
I'll definitely be using both my US/JP accounts so having two memory cards isn't that bad as I'm sure I'd eventually have to buy more cards when I get more games to store on them as I already have a ton of games between the two on my PS3.
For the same region, could you have one master and a sub-account and transfer content across from both? How did the psp handle that?
The only technical reason I can think of is the profile configuration(including the PSN ID) is stored on the card, not on the Vita. A factory reset probably recreates the profile config on the card. That would also explain how swapping cards bypasses the need to do the reset. Hopefully it won't reformat the entire card, otherwise this option is going to be an even bigger pain.
I'm wondering how the memory cards are bonded with the Vita, it's probably some sort of unique serial code. But that would have to be stored on the Vita's onboard memory, if the swapping mechanism is to work correctly.
It is an interesting question indeed. I suspect the system needs to regen a new set of keys to associate/bind/activate the PSN account locally. Reseting to factory defaults makes sure there is no hacker tool running at the same time. But that's just my uneducated guess. I could very well be wrong.
The only info I heard so far is you need a memory card if you want to download stuff from the PSN. Built-in non-games will also need a memory card for them to cache/save data.
Online gaming *should* be doable without the memory card because games can save to the game card itself, or on the server.
If we go with the line of logic they're suggesting, yes. Again, this is all pure speculation.
No, they said there would be no need to perform a factory reset should you purchase and use a separate card.
No.
If you use multiple cards, just swap the cards to change accounts.
If you use one card, reset to change accounts.
If I'm reading it right, it says you don't need to format Vita to factory settings if you have IDs stored on seperate cards....right?
So has it been confirmed if content from other regions won't work on your main account?
It's not confirmed, right now it sounds like just different memory cards for seperate profiles but I wish people would just hold off until next week when we can actually get the correct information. Its seeming like an over reaction until we know more.
If you pay for additional cards, you don't need to restore to factory settings when you change account. It will just work.
If you don't pay for additional cards, then you'll need to restore to factory settings every time you change account. (No idea whether the card contents are erased when you do so. Awaiting more info from Sony or some kind developers 8^P).
EDIT: Beaten like crazy.
But if you can only load content from one account to a memory card, doesn't that suggest that a factory reset might format the card? And you,d need to reload from the os3 while signed in as a different account?
It might, it might not. Need to see what Sony say about the reset process.
Such a convoluted mess this is. The simple solution is obviously to just make the account system identical to what is on the PS3. That, or.....globalize the entire PSN store.
I'd like to know their rationale behind this current setup though. If its really as simple as wanting to cash in on memory card sales, that's sad.
I'd like to know their rationale behind this current setup though. If its really as simple as wanting to cash in on memory card sales, that's sad.
Infinite Justice
Member
Yikes we need someone to fully clear this up when it's released.
Not really. If the file system security works per-item, instead of per-storage/card, then you can save to the same card from different accounts/credentials.
Damn right !
WickedLaharl
Member
Cool. Now cut the price of memory cards in half and we'll be good.
Possibly, yeah. In the reset something is presumably happening to the card to enable you to 'bond' a different account to it.
Now maybe it's just deleting the 'bonding' data, and leaving your game data etc. untouched. (But I expect if it is doing that, data from the other account won't be visible under the new account anyway - but at least you'd be spared restoring data from your PS3 along with the reset if that were the case).
Guess we'll find out if a restore is necessary or not in a week or so.
Maybe the system ties the card and ID together? I mean, they have to make sure that the system is the one of two allowed active for the account you're using too, right?
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
Cancels the 4 32GB cards preorders to 1 >>
The 64MB 360 Memory Card cost $39.99 at launch, and anyone who bought the Core pack couldn't save their games without one.
http://xbox.about.com/od/xbox2/a/x360launchguide_2.htm
DangerousDave
Member
Well, my plan was already to have 2 memory cards.
I use PSPgo with 2 accounts and is a pain in the ass to remember what game I bought with the EU or the US account. I constantly try to load a game and then I receive a message that I'm not allowed to run that game.
So this is not a problem for me anymore.
I use PSPgo with 2 accounts and is a pain in the ass to remember what game I bought with the EU or the US account. I constantly try to load a game and then I receive a message that I'm not allowed to run that game.
So this is not a problem for me anymore.
I'm also interested to find out the performance spec of the cards. How fast are they say... for Virtual Memory compared to other storage tech.
:lol
:lol
Jinfash
needs 2 extra inches
DCharlie is rich. He'll clear everything up in a week. <3
Blue Submarine No. 6
Member
This ^^^
I'm fine with this really... I'm just happy Sony are allowing multiple accounts on the Vita without a system reset... And honestly, if this little inconvenience costs them more than 7 sales worldwide, I'd be stunned. After all, swapping memory cards is a heck of a lot easier than jumping through the hoops we have to with the PSP...
The two things don't tie up.
If you can 'simply' switch memory cards, that suggests the vita itself can change accounts on the fly, depending on the current memory card.
So if you have one memory card with games from two regions on, why would you need to factory reset the vita to change over? W
If you can 'simply' switch memory cards, that suggests the vita itself can change accounts on the fly, depending on the current memory card.
So if you have one memory card with games from two regions on, why would you need to factory reset the vita to change over? W
Does that mean he's buying us all memory cards?
uppy-dogIt sounds like the Vita and the memory card have a relationship such that the Vita will never recognise more than one account from any given card. Without a 're-bonding' that is. Who knows why, I'd guess there's some security implication or something.
If you take out the memory card before you reset to factory defaults, what does that mean ?
EDIT: I don't have the answer. Am pondering over the possibilities myself.
Does that mean he's buying us all memory cards?
Oh f*ck yes !
In which case, the memory card will be renamed to DCharlie card.
this can't be stated enough
Blue Submarine No. 6
Member
Looks to me like the whole of the memory card itself is attached/bonded/encrypted/coded/something to work ONLY with one account on one system. Basically, if you want to use it with another account (and perhaps on another Vita system, but maybe not if they both are on the same account) you go back to factory defaults and set it up again. I would assume you lose the data on the card when you do that... This would prevent anyone but the "owner" of the data on any given memory card from gaining access to it. Considering how they want to lock the system down this time around, it makes sense to me.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
This is actually good news to me, being able to switch on the fly by card swapping is something I wish you could do on the original psp. I was worried how this was going to end up, but having a J card and a US card is actually the way is like it.
Plus I'm rich
Plus I'm rich
Wouldn't you want to play them on the same main psn account though, for trophies and friendslists etc?