Vita Update Ties Memory Cards to PSN Accounts

[The Wooster]

Vita Update Ties Memory Cards to PSN Accounts

Sony forgot to mention one of Vita firmware update 1.80's features.

Sony has been quick to remind us that Vita firmware update 1.80 makes the handheld compatible with a handful of PSOne Classics; though no one's entirely sure which games have been made compatible. However, Sony's many press releases failed to mention one other feature included in the new firmware: It ties Vita memory cards to specific PSN (or SEN, if you prefer) accounts.

This means gamers with content from multiple accounts will have to either buy another memory card - which start at $19.99 for 4GB - or lose their data. To link a card to another PSN account, you now have to format it.

Before the update, it was possible to switch PSN accounts by "restoring" the system. It was cumbersome, and perhaps unintentional on Sony's part, but it made life easier for players with multiple PSN accounts or families who share a Vita.

Sony's habit of restricting digital content to particular regions doesn't endear the company to gamers with a taste for Japanese titles, or the occasional European exclusive, but it was tolerated because signing up for a Japanese PSN account is trivially easy (though I should point out that falsifying your address breaks PSN's TOS and may be illegal depending on where you live).

This update is either Sony's first attempt to crack down on region-hopping gamers, or a callous attempt to sell more memory cards to a trapped market. Either way, it certainly doesn't make the struggling handheld seem any more appealing.

Source: NeoGAF [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=488830]



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[Dragoon]

It's things like this that are stopping the Vita from selling well, Sony are just digging their own grave at this point.

 

[TheMadJack]

Another reason to add to the list of "Why I don't buy SONY stuff."

 

[oldtaku]

This is just what you need for a system that's already in trouble. How very Sony of them.

 

[K84]

Ownoes, silly Sony doing the same thing Apple does with their accounts, but b*tching about it because it's Sony and the Vita.

 

[Epona]

Another reason to add to the list of "Why I don't buy SONY stuff."

Do you buy Nintendo stuff because their DD scheme is the worst one out there.

 

[ScruffyMcBalls]

Well other than Persona 4 Golden, there wasn't really anything enticing me to buy one of these before, but I have no fucking incentive to even consider it now. It still galls me that $19.99 for 4GB of data seems acceptable to someone out there, when Amazon sells 32GB cards for £10.
I still maintain Sony is a great company, but their handhelds just stink, they stink worse than Nintendo's, and that's saying something.

 

[Megacherv]

Actually guys, they released a list of PS1 titles a couple of days ago. I'd link it but I'm stuck using my phone, uk.playstation.blog has it somewhere (if that's the right URL)

 

[Ken Sapp]

Yet another reason for me to stay away from the Vita. With the rise of Android and iOS devices as mobile gaming platforms, Sony should be trying to make it's mobile devices more appealing, not less.

 

[Squilookle]

The sooner Sony bows out of the handheld market completely, the better off everyone in the world will be.

 

[suitepee7]

eugh... i really want to like the vita. i really really want an excuse to buy it, but every time i consider it sony does something which just makes me back away further. why don't you want my money sony?

 

[TJC]

gee, funny they forgot to mention that. I wonder why

 

[VanQ]

Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped
CTR: Crash Team Racing
MediEvil
Abe's Exoddus
Abe's Oddworld Oddysee
Gex
Gex 3: Deep Under Cover
Gex 3D: Enter the Gecko
Rayman
Rayman 2: The Great Escape

I don't give a fuck if I'm playing into Sony's hands. I only have a JPN account tied to my Vita at the moment but I'm gonna buy another memory card because this shit here is my childhood and I'm diving right back into it.

I hate myself for doing it but I don't need an excuse to buy these games over and over again. I think this'll make it 4 times for Rayman 2 and 3 timexs for the Oddworld titles. Though I'll wait for the HD remakes of those.

 

[shadowstriker86]

people are still buying/using the vitamin? honestly thats what surprised me the most. seriously if people wanna play ps1 games on a portable system so bad, just buy an old psp and mod it, it aint that hard. or get a pandora

 

[Hattingston]

I really want to like the Vita, I really do. It has shiny hardware and the in-store Vita I played on was really nice. But between the miniscule library, the high entry fee, and policies like this one, I just can't manage it.

Ownoes, silly Sony doing the same thing Apple does with their accounts, but b*tching about it because it's Sony and the Vita.

Hey, I b*tch about Apple's policies too. Thus my lack of Apple products.

 

[BloodRed Pixel]

I have been preaching hi and low what is to be expected from the NextGen Consoles, I see Vita as one, concerning DRM.

Here you have it, now... and it won't get better.

 

[Dr.Susse]

I'm not saying people are trying to hate on it unnecessarily but I haven't seen a lot of support on many sites for the Vita and with every news story that pops up most comments I see are either "Sony is a money grubbing, horrible company" or "This is why I don't want the Vita!" These are over the top examples but when you read them all it's the feeling you get.

A large amount of complaints seem to be people winging about how what is being offered not being ideal. Thinking that they have been wronged for not getting everything that they feel they should get. "You're giving me a chunk of old games? I want access to everything then!"

My opinion doesn't really matter though; I'm just another idiot with an computer; and anyway people don't like hearing criticism about themselves. But if all news stories like this do is make you annoyed enough to complain, then just ignore them. Think "Oh, another Vita story....what's the next article?...". There's no worries then.