# Vita firmware update 1.80 locks memory cards to account



## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

As of Vita firmware update 1.80, *your memory card is now locked to one account and can only be changed by formatting it*. Before you could change your PSN account without changing your memory card and formatting it, now you can't.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=488830


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## Rydian (Aug 28, 2012)

inb4 1.90 makes the touchscreen used for fingerprint IDing before the system can be used and again at the launch of any software or game.


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## indask8 (Aug 28, 2012)

I never used alternate acocunt but this is not a surprise... and whining about it to Sony will likely get all your accounts banned (not your country = not the same eula = you broke the eula = account termination).


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## Arras (Aug 28, 2012)

Sort of related:
http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/image/465


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## jonesman99 (Aug 28, 2012)

So, if you want a higher capacity memory card, you better buy it before you even turn on your console, it seems. I understand that Sony is trying to protect their console, but if someone were to lose or break their card, what happens then?


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## MelodieOctavia (Aug 28, 2012)

jonesman99 said:


> So, if you want a higher capacity memory card, you better buy it before you even turn on your console, it seems. I understand that Sony is trying to protect their console, but if someone were to lose or break their card, what happens then?



What the hell are you talking about?


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## Langin (Aug 28, 2012)

Here's a workaround:


Buy another memory card
Switch to your other account
Insert your new mem card
download stuff you want
play while account is activated(DO NOT SWITCH ACCOUNTS BACK)
when ur done switch accounts back, and insert old mem card.

It's not ideal I know, but we can still play our demo's T_T


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## Rasas (Aug 28, 2012)

jonesman99 said:


> So, if you want a higher capacity memory card, you better buy it before you even turn on your console, it seems. I understand that Sony is trying to protect their console, but if someone were to lose or break their card, what happens then?


Well if your worried that much you can wait for PS+ to add cloud save support or transfer to your pc using content manager. The rest of the stuff you can download back from PSN Store. Still this stuff is BS.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

Langin said:


> Here's a workaround:
> 
> 
> Buy another memory card
> ...


When you insert a new memory card with different account region, you'll have to format it.


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## Langin (Aug 28, 2012)

soulx said:


> Langin said:
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> 
> > Here's a workaround:
> ...



No you don't get it ;p

You buy a new card switch to the other account and use the NEW mem. card with the new(other region) account!


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## Tom Bombadildo (Aug 28, 2012)

jonesman99 said:


> So, if you want a higher capacity memory card, you better buy it before you even turn on your console, it seems. I understand that Sony is trying to protect their console, but if someone were to lose or break their card, what happens then?


The content isn't restricted to the memory card, the account is. I would assume you can still backup whatever is on the current memory card, then restore it to the new one.
EDIT: Also, say a card breaks, the person is already screwed with saved games if they didn't back them up, but you can still redownload/restore content to the new memory card.
EDIT2: Err, to clear something up, the content is of course restricted to the account, but you can still back it up/redownload it to new memory cards. Ugh, terrible wording >.>

Sucks for people who use one memory card for 2 different accounts. If you have 2 accounts and a memory card for both, you can switch accounts still when you switch accounts.


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 28, 2012)

Whatever the case may be, anything that adds confusion is not a good idea.


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## Terenigma (Aug 28, 2012)

So this is effectively forcing people to buy more of their specific vita only memory cards which are rediculously overpriced. Well... as evil and harsh as this is, its a pretty clever way of making more money and also establishing them as a contender for the most hated company in the world.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

Suprgamr232 said:


> Spoiler: snip
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You can't do that since the only way to back up your files is through Sony's content manager. Essentially, you have to format it and lose all your data if it's linked to a different region.

So now people who were using multiple accounts ON ONE CARD have lost their save data.


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## Tom Bombadildo (Aug 28, 2012)

soulx said:


> You can't do that since the only way to back up your files is through Sony's content manager. Essentially, you have to format it and lose all your data if it's linked to a different region.


...what? Let me explain a little more. I think my wording is a little confusing or maybe I'm just not understanding your post very well.

If you were to buy a new memory card (as said in the post I quoted), you can back up content from the old memory card using CMA, then restore the content to the new memory card using CMA. This is only if you want a larger memory card and this has nothing to do with regions. While yeah, you'll have to format the new memory card this has 0 impact on anything because, y'know, it's new.

If you had 2 memory cards for 2 different regions and you've already linked the accounts to each memory card before this update, it'll work fine.

Again, this sucks for people who only used one memory card for both accounts, as they can't backup their content like saves and game data, but they can still purchase a new memory card, link the new card to the account, and switch them out whenever they want to play whatever region. While this can be a pain and they'll lose all of their saves from the old memory card, it still works which matters most IMO. They can always just redownload games/demos/whatever again and play them again. Yeah, you might have lost 100 hours in X game, but at least you can still play it.

EDIT: Well, your edit cleared your post up a bit so half this post is useless but meh.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

Suprgamr232 said:


> If you had 2 memory cards for 2 different regions and you've already linked the accounts to each memory card before this update, it'll work fine.
> 
> Again, this sucks for people who only used one memory card for both accounts, as they can't backup their content like saves and game data, but they can still purchase a new memory card, link the new card to the account, and switch them out whenever they want to play whatever region. *While this can be a pain and they'll lose all of their saves from the old memory card, it still works which matters most IMO. They can always just redownload games/demos/whatever again and play them again.* *Yeah, you might have lost 100 hours in X game, but at least you can still play it.*


That's one way to shrug off people losing their save data and games with Sony removing a previously advertised feature.


To clarify to others, *before you could have multiple accounts with one card*. Now you have to buy *multiple cards to use multiple accounts*. If you previously were using more than one account with one card and updated, you're screwed and lost all your save data.


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## T-hug (Aug 28, 2012)

It was nice before for trying JPN demos, now I will have to transfer all content to PC, format, play demo, format and transfer back from PC?


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## KingVamp (Aug 28, 2012)

So, they are taking away a feature from the vita? Sounds familiar.
The constant formatting isn't going to be good for cards.
Might as well be region lock for  some people who don't want to go through all the trouble.
It would feel like it to me.


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## [M]artin (Aug 28, 2012)

*Gaming has changed. ID-tagged customers carry ID-tagged products, use ID-tagged accessories. Account-linked memory devices inside their PSP's restrict and regulate their save data.*



Spoiler


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## Hyro-Sama (Aug 28, 2012)

Sounds like this update ended up being a double edged sword.


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## Gahars (Aug 28, 2012)

Coming soon from Sony Pictures... Lock, Stock, and One Smoking Memory Card.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 28, 2012)

oh man this is so going to affect me.

I read this and went "I don't give a shit".


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## Blaze163 (Aug 28, 2012)

Are Sony actively TRYING to piss off their customers or something? If you don't want my money, Sony, then fine. Sure my 3DS could use some fresh blood instead.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 28, 2012)

Blaze163 said:


> Are Sony actively TRYING to piss off their customers or something? If you don't want my money, Sony, then fine. Sure my 3DS could use some fresh blood instead.



Fact: They don't piss off their customers, they piss off everyone who isn't their customers.


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## Blaze163 (Aug 28, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Blaze163 said:
> 
> 
> > Are Sony actively TRYING to piss off their customers or something? If you don't want my money, Sony, then fine. Sure my 3DS could use some fresh blood instead.
> ...



OK, I rephrase, piss off POTENTIAL customers. I'll be damned if I'm buying a Vita with all this backwards-ass crap going on.


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 28, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Blaze163 said:
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> 
> > Are Sony actively TRYING to piss off their customers or something? If you don't want my money, Sony, then fine. Sure my 3DS could use some fresh blood instead.
> ...



Why would they want to piss off possible new customers?


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## Heran Bago (Aug 28, 2012)

Blaze163 said:


> Guild McCommunist said:
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> > Blaze163 said:
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I'm like this but angrier and more self-entitled.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Blaze163 said:
> 
> 
> > Are Sony actively TRYING to piss off their customers or something? If you don't want my money, Sony, then fine. Sure my 3DS could use some fresh blood instead.
> ...


Because ruining the save data of some people's games thanks to an update won't piss off some of their customers.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 28, 2012)

Blaze163 said:


> Guild McCommunist said:
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If your make or break factor on buying a Vita is getting a card to locked to your account then you have some real issues with gaming.


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## Rockhoundhigh (Aug 28, 2012)

Was this really necessary!?


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## lokomelo (Aug 28, 2012)

What I still cant understand is why we have different prices in different regions for the same product. I see this on Steam, on eShop, on PSN... If the prices were the same, there would be no need to enhance region locks.


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## SanGor (Aug 28, 2012)

Because sony hates you!

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=sony_bullshit


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

SanGor said:


> Because sony hates you!
> 
> http://www.thebestpa...u=sony_bullshit


R.I.P Lik Sang.


But I laughed a bit.


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## jalaneme (Aug 28, 2012)

i really don't understand why people buy sony products when sony treats it's customers like this :S, how much restriction are sony going to put on their vita before people say enough is enough?


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 28, 2012)

jalaneme said:


> how much restriction are sony going to put on their vita before people say enough is enough?



Sony just wants to be like Nintendo. *snicker*


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

DiscostewSM said:


> jalaneme said:
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> 
> > how much restriction are sony going to put on their vita before people say enough is enough?
> ...


Sony forgot to copy good sales.


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## jalaneme (Aug 28, 2012)

[M]artin said:


> *Gaming has changed. ID-tagged customers carry ID-tagged products, use ID-tagged accessories. Account-linked memory devices inside their PSP's restrict and regulate their save data.*
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler



that is where gaming will end up sadly.


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## lokomelo (Aug 28, 2012)

soulx said:


> DiscostewSM said:
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> > jalaneme said:
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They did it, and did it well with PSX and PS2


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## Hellmaster (Aug 28, 2012)

lokomelo said:


> soulx said:
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Aren’t those dead consoles?


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## gokujr1000 (Aug 28, 2012)

Sony does everything to make people NOT want to buy their system.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 28, 2012)

gokujr1000 said:


> Sony does everything to make people NOT want to buy their system.



Is this really the dealbreaker for the Vita here? I would've accepted games, I would've accepted price, but this is really what puts it over the edge? Really?

ITT: People who already complained about the Vita just complaining about it more. Admit it, the people going "WELL THIS DOES IT I'M NEVER BUYING A VITA" would either A) never have gotten one anyway, B) would not have this affect them in really any way, or C) will buy one eventually anyway.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 28, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Is this really the dealbreaker for the Vita here? I would've accepted games, I would've accepted price, but this is really what puts it over the edge? Really?
> 
> ITT: People who already complained about the Vita just complaining about it more. Admit it, the people going "WELL THIS DOES IT I'M NEVER BUYING A VITA" would either A) never have gotten one anyway, B) would not have this affect them in really any way, or C) will buy one eventually anyway.


http://en.wikipedia...._camel%27s_back

This is just another issue among other issues that would have stopped someone from getting the device.


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## EyeZ (Aug 28, 2012)

Well this doesn't actually encourage a potential buyer, and yes, i do see myself as a potential buyer at some point.


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## Jamstruth (Aug 28, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Blaze163 said:
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> > Guild McCommunist said:
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Here's a situation for you.
You and your brother own only 1 PSVita. You've been sharing the console and memory card because those things are expensive but you keep your stuff seperate by using 2 different PSN accounts. Now one of you has to lose all of his save data because of a system update.

People use different regions to get different demos and games that aren't available in their region. They're still customers. They're still buying the games from PSN. This will piss them off.


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## chris888222 (Aug 28, 2012)

This is an awful idea.

So now the console is somewhat "region locked" and the only way to bypass is by FORMATTING.

Unless you're on a lower firmware.


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## ThatDudeWithTheFood (Aug 28, 2012)

jonesman99 said:


> So, if you want a higher capacity memory card, you better buy it before you even turn on your console, it seems. I understand that Sony is trying to protect their console, but if someone were to lose or break their card, what happens then?


Are you fucking retarded?
It's not console to memory card.
Its memory card to account.


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## Blaze163 (Aug 28, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Blaze163 said:
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More the frankly offensive way we're treated by corporations like Sony. I have many reasons not to buy a Vita, such as the punishing lack of games that interest me. But when stuff like this happens it makes me feel like I'm being judged by Sony. Like we're all pirates until proven otherwise and we have to sign away more and more of our liberties just to shut them up when things like this serve no realistic purpose. I'll not be treated with so little respect, especially if they expect me to pay out hundreds of pounds on their products.


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## Rydian (Aug 29, 2012)

lokomelo said:


> What I still cant understand is why we have different prices in different regions for the same product. I see this on Steam, on eShop, on PSN... If the prices were the same, there would be no need to enhance region locks.


Their point is to protect the ability to make richer countries pay more for the same shit.


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## Just Another Gamer (Aug 29, 2012)

Rydian said:


> lokomelo said:
> 
> 
> > What I still cant understand is why we have different prices in different regions for the same product. I see this on Steam, on eShop, on PSN... If the prices were the same, there would be no need to enhance region locks.
> ...


Just like Rydian said its a marketing tactic, nothing more. We already know it hurts the consumer and helps companies profit more.


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## lokomelo (Aug 29, 2012)

Rydian said:


> lokomelo said:
> 
> 
> > What I still cant understand is why we have different prices in different regions for the same product. I see this on Steam, on eShop, on PSN... If the prices were the same, there would be no need to enhance region locks.
> ...


It is an abusive practice, and we can do nothing about it without a hack.

(side note: richers pay more, on that logic, Brazil is richer than Dubai. A Game here cost between R$ 149,99 and R$ 199,99 (in dollars: $ 75 ~ $ 100).)


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## Rydian (Aug 29, 2012)

They charge whatever they think people will pay.  It's not just videogames, anything that's digital with region-lock is doing this shit, DVDs and such too.

People just accept it with DVDs and such because they think it's still the NTSC/PAL shit, when those standards haven't mattered for media distribution in 10+ years.


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## triassic911 (Aug 29, 2012)

Soooo they are limiting the consumer on how to use the stuff they've purchased?

Huh.


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## KingVamp (Aug 29, 2012)

chris888222 said:


> This is an awful idea.
> 
> So now the console is somewhat "region locked" and the only way to bypass is by FORMATTING.
> 
> Unless you're on a lower firmware.


I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to access any internet related things without updating.
So, if that true, it would still be somewhat region locked.


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## Rydian (Aug 29, 2012)

triassic911 said:


> Soooo they are limiting the consumer on how to use the stuff they've purchased?
> 
> Huh.


Happens all the time.  iTunes used to have DRM on the music, so if you bought a song, it'd be encrypted and while iTunes would let you play it and "safely" transfer it to an iDevice, you'd need to crack the DRM to copy the song elsewhere, just for example.

DVDs?  CSS encryption (though it's long-since cracked) to stop direct copying but also prevented ripping the video files off to put on an MP3 player.


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## triassic911 (Aug 29, 2012)

Rydian said:


> triassic911 said:
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> 
> > Soooo they are limiting the consumer on how to use the stuff they've purchased?
> ...


Yeah, you are right, but I guess those examples don't bother people as much since we have other methods for acquiring content that are much simpler and less of a hassle.

I'm kind of hoping Sony gets their Vita hacked quickly, so all this can be a thing of the past. I understand that Sony wants to make a profit, but damn, you are ass-fucking the consumer.


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## Tom Bombadildo (Aug 29, 2012)

soulx said:


> That's one way to shrug off people losing their save data and games with Sony removing a previously advertised feature.


I don't think I've ever seen an advertisement, online or wherever else, that advertised multiple accounts from different regions on the Vita. Care to provide one for me?


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## Just Another Gamer (Aug 29, 2012)

triassic911 said:


> Rydian said:
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I know how you feel and like you I do help the Vita gets hacked just so this attempt at region lock is gone also to let me put the icons I don't want into folders for a cleaner interface, seriously why is that feature always ignored.


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## ferofax (Aug 29, 2012)

lokomelo said:


> soulx said:
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That's as relevant as N64, SNES, and NES sales today. At least with Nintendo, they hardline you on Region-Locking. You buy their systems knowing it's gonna be region locked, which is a hard thing to swallow for gamers today, but they bought it anyway. Sony just sucker-punched their buyers who expected no Region-Locking whatsoever, lol.


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## Hyborix3 (Aug 29, 2012)

Meh whatever. I'm sure someone can bypass this. It's the same for Sony and their beloved memory cards that they are 100% sure it can't be hacked. Adapter for their Sony memory card? I sure see that coming.


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## godreborn (Aug 29, 2012)

ferofax said:


> lokomelo said:
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> > soulx said:
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I'd have to agree with this.  buying a sony product is kinda like signing a contract written in pencil.


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## Just Another Gamer (Aug 29, 2012)

Hyborix3 said:


> Meh whatever. I'm sure someone can bypass this. It's the same for Sony and their beloved memory cards that they are 100% sure it can't be hacked. Adapter for their Sony memory card? I sure see that coming.


We're all sure they can be bypassed but until then this is annoying and not promoting the whole "Vita ISN'T region locked" that was said before the Vita launched.


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## lokomelo (Aug 29, 2012)

godreborn said:


> ferofax said:
> 
> 
> > That's as relevant as N64, SNES, and NES sales today. At least with Nintendo, they hardline you on Region-Locking. You buy their systems knowing it's gonna be region locked, which is a hard thing to swallow for gamers today, but they bought it anyway. Sony just sucker-punched their buyers who expected no Region-Locking whatsoever, lol.
> ...



At this point I agree to you two. Some (or many) consumers may have taken the region free as a motivation to buy (I'm not telling that someone bought just for this, but this was a good characteristic).

Edit: Vita still have the advantage of you choose the region on the day you buy it.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 29, 2012)

Jamstruth said:


> Here's a situation for you.
> You and your brother own only 1 PSVita. You've been sharing the console and memory card because those things are expensive but you keep your stuff seperate by using 2 different PSN accounts. Now one of you has to lose all of his save data because of a system update.
> 
> People use different regions to get different demos and games that aren't available in their region. They're still customers. They're still buying the games from PSN. This will piss them off.



How old do you think I am? Who the fuck shares a handheld system? Plus it's already a pain to swap between multiple accounts on one Vita device, by this time each brother should just get their own device.

As for the regions, it's a loophole. The device is still region free and worse comes to worse, you end up buying a 4GB card for less than $20. The horror, the horror.


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## chris888222 (Aug 29, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Jamstruth said:
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> > Here's a situation for you.
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I do. My bro and I share a 3DS and he takes my Vita occasionally.

Why? I have not enough money to afford two of the same things and buying two of another.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 29, 2012)

chris888222 said:


> I do. My bro and I share a 3DS and he takes my Vita occasionally.
> 
> Why? I have not enough money to afford two of the same things and buying two of another.



It's called saving up some money or getting a job.

I mean I'm 19 years old and I have never shared a handheld device with my brother. We got our separate Gameboy Colors and our separate Gameboy Advances. Admittedly he's not into gaming much anymore but we just don't share our consoles and it seems stupid to do so. Handhelds are meant to be personal, it's not just an inactive hunk of metal that sits on your floor like a console. It's meant for a user, not users. I just see no sense in really complaining about an issue that's your fault. It's a pain in the ass to share a handheld anyway, this shouldn't even be a factor.


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## Tom Bombadildo (Aug 29, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Jamstruth said:
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> 
> > Here's a situation for you.
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While you're off on the "who shares a system" crap (not everyone can afford more than one Guildy), you're spot on with the buying a new memory card thing.

Seriously, you're spending a little over $15 for a 4gb card. BOOHOO NEVER BUYING THE SYSTEM THIS IS RETARDED. Double it and you get an 8GB one if you need a little more space.

You were right in your...other...post, where you said something like "ITT people complaining who would've never bought it anyways" or whatever.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

Suprgamr232 said:


> soulx said:
> 
> 
> > That's one way to shrug off people losing their save data and games with Sony removing a previously advertised feature.
> ...


http://www.1up.com/n...ta-region-free


Sony Computer Entertainment's president of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida said this in response to a question as to whether the device is region-free,
https://twitter.com/...813147948384258


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## Nathan Drake (Aug 29, 2012)

soulx said:


> Suprgamr232 said:
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Region free =/= having accounts from multiple regions on a single console. Region free means absolutely nothing except that the physical content you can purchase is not bound to consoles based on region. Assuming it means more only creates disappointment when what was assumed ends up being dashed.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

Nathan Drake said:


> Region free =/= having accounts from multiple regions on a single console. Region free means absolutely nothing except that the physical content you can purchase is not bound to consoles based on region. Assuming it means more only creates disappointment when what was assumed ends up being dashed.


It's reasonable to assume that when they say region-free, they're referring to PSN too. Sony is at blame for not clarifying and then later preventing users from using multiple regions on the console making them lose their save data.


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## Jamstruth (Aug 29, 2012)

Guild. Its people like you that let companies away with shitty business practices. If companies see consumer uproar about something they know they need to change.
I don't own a Vita and have no intention of buying one. Its true. I still see this as a really crappy move on Sony's part. Is it a factor in me not buying the system? No because I was never going to buy it. Does it make my opinion of the practise less valid? Not as far as I'm concerned.

So get off your high horse for one freakin' second and think about how this could be an annoyance to at least SOME consumers.
If I'm sharing with my brother and have 2GB free on that card why the hell should we need to buy another one?
I'm interested in a game from Japan. Its demo isn't available on the EU PSN but it is on the Japanese one. Why should I have to format my memory card? Admittedly this one is a loophole and you can understand why Sony don't want people doing this but still.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 29, 2012)

Buy a second memory card
Set up a separate, foreign account on it
????
REGION FREE PROFIT!
Spending $20 for a region free Vita sure beats spending $180 for another region 3DS. BOOM RIGHT IN THE SPECIAL AREA.



Jamstruth said:


> Guild. Its people like you that let companies away with shitty business practices. If companies see consumer uproar about something they know they need to change.
> I don't own a Vita and have no intention of buying one. Its true. I still see this as a really crappy move on Sony's part. Is it a factor in me not buying the system? No because I was never going to buy it. Does it make my opinion of the practise less valid? Not as far as I'm concerned.
> 
> So get off your high horse for one freakin' second and think about how this could be an annoyance to at least SOME consumers.
> ...



I understand that it's shitty but I find people are blowing this out of proportion. They're acting like it's high treason here. It's a small update that, while shitty as a practice, is hardly an issue. If you're someone like me, this will have no effect. When my Vita is fixed, I'll update it to 1.80, enjoy the features it has, and not give a shit about my memory card. If it does affect you, buy another memory card if it's that big of an issue. Shitty? Yes. But is it something terrible? Absolutely not. They're acting like this is Hitler-esque business practices when it's a non-issue.

Every company has some shitty business practices but I'd hardly call saying "It's not a big deal" to be an endorsement of their business practices.

Also I find it ironic that I'm told to get off my "high horse" when you're coming off as a couch crusader on the evil-doings of business. I'm annoyed by business practices when they affect me in a significant way. This doesn't and the odds that it screws over many people is absurd. It's a quick fix. It's shitty, but it's still just video games. Deal with it.

I miss the days when video games were just about playing games. Shit happened but people didn't care. It's a luxury. I'm not endorsing evil governments or horrific crimes. I just want to play my fucking games.


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## Nathan Drake (Aug 29, 2012)

soulx said:


> Nathan Drake said:
> 
> 
> > Region free =/= having accounts from multiple regions on a single console. Region free means absolutely nothing except that the physical content you can purchase is not bound to consoles based on region. Assuming it means more only creates disappointment when what was assumed ends up being dashed.
> ...


They said the Vita was region free. They did not say PSN was region free. Anybody who has owned a PS3 would know that Sony treats PSN as its own service, with its own policies, and its own rules. I never once assumed that PSN would be entirely region free, and was half expecting something like this after people used accounts from multiple regions to abuse the Welcome Back package on PSN awhile back.


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## KingVamp (Aug 29, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> Buy a second memory card
> Set up a separate, foreign account on it
> ????
> REGION FREE PROFIT!
> Spending $20 for a region free Vita sure beats spending $180 for another region 3DS. BOOM RIGHT IN THE SPECIAL AREA.



$30 you mean? Better to spent ~$20 on a 32gb card whether than buy 2 4gb cards for the same or more price.
BOOM RIGHT BACK AT YA.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 29, 2012)

KingVamp said:


> Guild McCommunist said:
> 
> 
> > Buy a second memory card
> ...



I spent $12 on my 4GB card.

The issue isn't even memory card prices here, it's that people are complaining about this killing region free on the Vita when A) it doesn't and B) people just bent over and accepted the lack of region free on the competitor product.


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 29, 2012)

I can only imagine the criticism that would be apparent if this scenario was with a Nintendo device instead of a Sony device.....


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## stanleyopar2000 (Aug 29, 2012)

*looks at bottom of signature* yeah. now I know why


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

Nathan Drake said:


> They said the Vita was region free. They did not say PSN was region free. Anybody who has owned a PS3 would know that Sony treats PSN as its own service, with its own policies, and its own rules. I never once assumed that PSN would be entirely region free, and was half expecting something like this after people used accounts from multiple regions to abuse the Welcome Back package on PSN awhile back.


When you say the Vita is region-free, one would normally assume that this pertains to the entire device (including services such as PSN). If Sony wanted to clarify, they should have said that "physical games for the Vita are region-free" but since they did not, they're at fault.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 29, 2012)

DiscostewSM said:


> I can only imagine the criticism that would be apparent if this scenario was with a Nintendo device instead of a Sony device.....



I probably still wouldn't care.


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## KingVamp (Aug 29, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> I spent $12 on my 4GB card.
> 
> The issue isn't even memory card prices here, it's that people are complaining about this killing region free on the Vita when A) it doesn't and B) people just bent over and accepted the lack of region free on the competitor product.


Guess it not a issue even if the lower cards are overprice, but this still forces you to get two cards.
How will that fair with people who like 32gb with their vita?


DiscostewSM said:


> I can only imagine the criticism that would be apparent if this scenario was with a Nintendo device instead of a Sony device.....


Pretty much the opposite from most people. /jk


stanleyopar2000 said:


> *looks at bottom of signature* yeah. now I know why


You post that in multiple threads and it still doesn't make sense.  What are you trying to say?

edit: Removed redundancy.


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## Nathan Drake (Aug 29, 2012)

soulx said:


> Nathan Drake said:
> 
> 
> > They said the Vita was region free. They did not say PSN was region free. Anybody who has owned a PS3 would know that Sony treats PSN as its own service, with its own policies, and its own rules. I never once assumed that PSN would be entirely region free, and was half expecting something like this after people used accounts from multiple regions to abuse the Welcome Back package on PSN awhile back.
> ...


They're at fault for the ignorance of others? lolwut? They never said services associated with the Vita were region free. They only said the system was region free. Quit digging for reasons to attack Sony over this. As was already pointed out, the region free standing of the Vita has not changed, and it seems the only really angry people are those that won't ever buy a Vita anyways, just getting angry because Sony dared to do it.


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## ProtoKun7 (Aug 29, 2012)

Guild McCommunist said:


> chris888222 said:
> 
> 
> > I do. My bro and I share a 3DS and he takes my Vita occasionally.
> ...


Exactly; I don't even have a brother. Even if I did, why would I share handheld consoles with him? I don't trust anyone with anything of mine as it is.



soulx said:


> Nathan Drake said:
> 
> 
> > Region free =/= having accounts from multiple regions on a single console. Region free means absolutely nothing except that the physical content you can purchase is not bound to consoles based on region. Assuming it means more only creates disappointment when what was assumed ends up being dashed.
> ...


No it isn't.




soulx said:


> Nathan Drake said:
> 
> 
> > They said the Vita was region free. They did not say PSN was region free. Anybody who has owned a PS3 would know that Sony treats PSN as its own service, with its own policies, and its own rules. I never once assumed that PSN would be entirely region free, and was half expecting something like this after people used accounts from multiple regions to abuse the Welcome Back package on PSN awhile back.
> ...


No, one would not normally assume that; PSN is primarily outside the device; you don't need it to play with a Vita, but it provides additional services which are free to be region-specific.

Does this mean that if I throw my phone at a wall and it breaks, I can blame my phone manufacturer for not specifying that it isn't brick-proof?


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

Nathan Drake said:


> They're at fault for the ignorance of others? lolwut? They never said services associated with the Vita were region free. They only said the system was region free. Quit digging for reasons to attack Sony over this. As was already pointed out, the region free standing of the Vita has not changed, and it seems the only really angry people are those that won't ever buy a Vita anyways, just getting angry because Sony dared to do it.


That isn't the fault of others. PSN is considered a core feature of the Vita being the online network and all. If I was told that the Vita was region-free, I would immediately think that it applies to PSN too. What Sony did was remove a previously advertised feature (just like they did with OtherOS on the PS3) and inconvenience some customers (by making them lose their save data) with a firmware update. To defend these actions is silly and anti-consumer.



ProtoKun7 said:


> No, one would not normally assume that; PSN is primarily outside the device; you don't need it to play with a Vita, but it provides additional services which are free to be region-specific.
> 
> Does this mean that if I throw my phone at a wall and it breaks, I can blame my phone manufacturer for not specifying that it isn't brick-proof?


PSN is advertised as one of the core features of the Vita. When one says the Vita is region-free, it makes sense for that to apply to _all services_ offered on the device.


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 29, 2012)

So, the "device" is region-free, but the "games" are not? Kinda cuts into the region-free aspect of a gaming device.


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## ProtoKun7 (Aug 29, 2012)

soulx said:


> Nathan Drake said:
> 
> 
> > They're at fault for the ignorance of others? lolwut? They never said services associated with the Vita were region free. They only said the system was region free. Quit digging for reasons to attack Sony over this. As was already pointed out, the region free standing of the Vita has not changed, and it seems the only really angry people are those that won't ever buy a Vita anyways, just getting angry because Sony dared to do it.
> ...


So what if a doomsday event destroys the internet? PSN is unavailable and we should also blame Sony for that? Besides, region-free in terms of gaming hardware is generally in reference to physical media. Regional restrictions are to be expected with _certain_ online features (not specifically Sony features, at that).

Besides, having multiple accounts I'm pretty sure wasn't even supposed to happen in the first place. The fact that the Vita was designed to use one account and the fact that swapping accounts was as complicated a process as it was shows that. If accounts themselves were region free (and they could potentially still be made to be), that would be fine, but the use of multiple accounts was just a loophole in the system.

Anyway, as someone with only one account and no intentions to make another, I suppose this is moot for me.


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 29, 2012)

ProtoKun7 said:


> So what if a doomsday event destroys the internet? PSN is unavailable and we should also blame Sony for that?


If Sony controlled the doomsday event, then yes.


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## Rydian (Aug 29, 2012)

ProtoKun7 said:


> So what if a doomsday event destroys the internet? PSN is unavailable and we should also blame Sony for that?


What the fuck, seriously?

This is Sony's action, their choice, their active movement.  So the answer is obviously "no".  If the internet went down and Sony wasn't involved, why would Sony be blamed?

"Well Sony's not the only one developing for-" This is Sony's system and they have the final say in anything that comes out for it or exists on it in official terms.  If something comes out or something changes, it's because they willed or actively allowed it.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

ProtoKun7 said:


> So what if a doomsday event destroys the internet? PSN is unavailable and we should also blame Sony for that? Besides, region-free in terms of gaming hardware is generally in reference to physical media. Regional restrictions are to be expected with _certain_ online features (not specifically Sony features, at that).
> 
> Besides, having multiple accounts I'm pretty sure wasn't even supposed to happen in the first place. The fact that the Vita was designed to use one account and the fact that swapping accounts was as complicated a process as it was shows that. If accounts themselves were region free (and they could potentially still be made to be), that would be fine, but the use of multiple accounts was just a loophole in the system.
> 
> Anyway, as someone with only one account and no intentions to make another, I suppose this is moot for me.


If a doomsday event destroyed the internet, that obviously wouldn't be their fault as that wasn't an action of theirs.


Regional restrictions were not to be expected since Sony already said beforehand that the Vita is region-free. PSN is part of the Vita and it's natural to say that it should extend to that too. Sony once again mislead their customers and then later removed an advertised feature inconveniencing many.


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## DiscostewSM (Aug 29, 2012)

You have to admit soulx that the PSN isn't Vita-specific, and therefore can't hold the same stance as the Vita in every regard.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

DiscostewSM said:


> You have to admit soulx that the PSN isn't Vita-specific, and therefore can't hold the same stance as the Vita in every regard.


Regardless PSN is still considered a core feature of the Vita. The fact that it encompasses other systems including the Vita doesn't change anything.


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## stanleyopar2000 (Aug 29, 2012)

KingVamp said:


> Guild McCommunist said:
> 
> 
> > I spent $12 on my 4GB card.
> ...



Sony Can Eat My Shit.

and now I wonder why I dislike them.


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## ProtoKun7 (Aug 29, 2012)

@[member='Rydian']: I think the sentence was running away from me; I probably lost some of the context in my head.

@[member='soulx']: Yeah, I know doomsday events was taking the analogy out of proportion. I was responding to your comment about it being a core feature. It is fairly integral, but it is after all, a service, and services can have more limitations as they rely on outside forces. I was thinking of "core features" as being features that the console is capable of on its own, which includes region-free games in a physical format. PSN is a fairly important service, but I still expected it to have some limitations or differences compared to things which don't require network features, which in this case, includes that. If it were a Vita specific feature and not servicing other PlayStation products (which do have region limits, don't they?), then it might be different.

Then again, there are different sections, so you could arguably have multi-region Vita games up without affecting the rest.

(I don't know if I'm making sense outside of my thoughts though; if it needs rewording, tell me.)


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## p1ngpong (Aug 29, 2012)

Being able to use multiple PSN accounts on one memory card was never ever advertised as a "core feature" of the Vita.


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## Guild McCommunist (Aug 29, 2012)

p1ngpong said:


> Being able to use multiple PSN accounts on one memory card was never ever advertised as a "core feature" of the Vita.



It's a core feature of soulx complaining however.


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## GameWinner (Aug 29, 2012)

People are making a big deal out of this.
If you want to play Japanese games than go out and buy a 4GB card that will only cost you about $15 (Amazon, Gamestop, whatever). At least the console itself is still region free unlike a certain handheld on the market now.


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## ProtoKun7 (Aug 29, 2012)

p1ngpong said:


> Being able to use multiple PSN accounts on one memory card was never ever advertised as a "core feature" of the Vita.


This _was_ a point I had made. It only worked thanks to a loophole, and now people are complaining about losing what they shouldn't _really_ have had in the first place.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

p1ngpong said:


> Being able to use multiple PSN accounts on one memory card was never ever advertised as a "core feature" of the Vita.


The fact that the Vita was region-free is a core feature, though. That includes _PSN_.



GameWinner said:


> If you want to play Japanese games than go out and buy a 4GB card that will only cost you about $15 (Amazon, Gamestop, whatever).


Because a 4GB card is MORE THAN ENOUGH SPACE to store all your games.


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## p1ngpong (Aug 29, 2012)

soulx said:


> p1ngpong said:
> 
> 
> > Being able to use multiple PSN accounts on one memory card was never ever advertised as a "core feature" of the Vita.
> ...



The Vita is still region free, nothing has changed despite this update. You can still access foreign PSN accounts with the Vita, you just need a separate or reformatted card to be able to do it.

Face facts, your whining is more retarded than usual, and this update has not removed a single "core feature" from the Vita. 

Stop crying.


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## Deleted_171835 (Aug 29, 2012)

p1ngpong said:


> soulx said:
> 
> 
> > p1ngpong said:
> ...


The whole getting another memory card for another region thing is a loophole anyways. What other reason could Sony have for removing this feature other than pure greed? Some have lost their save file to this over a feature that Sony should have clarified. The only thing at blame here is Sony.


And are you still going on with that p1ngpong? Find something new to say instead of repeating the same boring shit again and again.


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## p1ngpong (Aug 30, 2012)

soulx said:


> And are you still going on with that p1ngpong? Find something new to say instead of repeating the same boring shit again and again.



The irony in that statement is quite simply hilarious. 

And on that note thread closed.


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## MelodieOctavia (Aug 30, 2012)

Haha. Region Free was never a "core feature" of the Vita. A feature? Yes. An advertised feature? Well, that depends on your definition of advertised. Neither in any Vita ad, or on any of the game boxes I have seen does it say "HEY THE VITA IS REGION FREE! COOL HUH?" I have only seen it on some blog on the Internet, where some Sony exec supposedly said so, when he was asked point blank if the Vita is region free.

But I don't think it can be argued that it was ever a "core feature" of the Vita.


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