Most convenient method to switch between PSN accounts to access PS Vita content from different Playstation Stores?

Question

I have a Japanese PSN account, as well as a US PSN account. On my PS3, I get the best of both world since I have access to Japanese Playstation Store as well as US Playstation Store. I can purchase and download new region specific demos and games, and use them from my both accounts.

I want to do the same on my PS Vita. However, it seems we do not have that much freedom on PS Vita. First of all, I cannot add a second Playstation account on PS Vita, therefore I cannot directly access a second store. I tried to download contents on my PS3 first, and then to send it to my PS3 : I obtained an error message telling me I could not do this because my PS3 Vita account was not the owner of that content.

I think there are two methods to get content from both Playstation Stores : - 1 : format my PS Vita and recreate the account info (as well as network connections info, etc) for the other region every time I want to use content from a different region - 2 : buy a new PS Vita Memory Card and save my alternate account information on this card, then save region specific content on this card. When I want to switch region, I then need to change the small memory card (so small.. hope I won't break it.. Or lose it) Am I correct ? Are there any restrictions or problems with these methods ? Is there a more clever or convenient way of switching between accounts ?

Thanks for any suggestion !

Asked by wil

Answer

You can have two different memory cards, one for each user, but you will need to do a factory reset each time you swtich your memory cards, see the following video, courtesy of IGN:

Answered by JohnoBoy

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Can I gift a game via the PlayStation Network?

Question

Is it possible to "gift" a game (e.g., Castle Crashers) to someone through the PlayStation Network? I don't have a PS3 but was considering buying Castle Crashers as a gift for a friend so that we could play co-op. Is this possible?

Asked by Zoot

Answer

No, there is currently no gifting option, available via the PSN.

But, there are a few other options you can use:

• Buy the game via Amazon, and get a online game code, which you then can give to your friend.
• Buy a PSN gift card, and give it to him.

Answered by mordi2k

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Can a PSP play PSOne Classics from PSN (e.g., Final Fantasy VII)?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a second hand PSP, the original one with UMD Drive. I just noticed that the PSN Store has many PSOne classics (like Final Fantasy VII and IX), but I wonder if that works on a PSP, or if it needs a Playstation 3, which I don't have?

Asked by Michael Stum

Answer

All PSOne Classics, are playable from both the PSP and the PS3, once purchased from the PSN store.

Answered by mordi2k

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Will playing offline affect trophy acquisition?

Question

I'm picking up Demon's Souls again so I can play through it before the servers close. However, while trying to plan for a trophy run and somewhat efficient playthrough, everything I've read recommends playing in offline mode in order to make it easier to get Perfect White/Black World Tendencies.

If I play offline, will I still be able to get the trophies? I'm wondering how exactly this works if I need to be signed out of PSN in order to play offline. If I don't get them while playing offline, it partially negates trying to go for an optimized run in the first place...

Asked by FAE

Answer

I've checked out a few sources, and it looks like it is possible to acquire PSN trophies while offline. They just don't sync up to your online profile until the next time you sign-on.

Answered by Wipqozn

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Purchasing PSVITA game / and its digital counterpart

Question

I purchased Uncharted and Rayman as my first two games for the Vita. Already I find it annoying to have to keep going back to my bag to get the game I want to play, whereas if I just installed it or digitally downloaded it to the memory card, I could just launch it. (Lazy, I know. lol)

My question is, if I buy a physical game, can I download it free from the PSN store, or is there a way to install it on the system itself from the PSV cartridge? I wouldn't mind trying it myself, but I don't want to make a mistake and buy it a second time.

Asked by somdow

Answer

No, possession of the retail copy does not automatically grant you access to its PSN digital version.

Currently, none of the PS Vita games are known to be installable and played directly and solely from system's internal memory or memory card (although many games require the presence of memory card for storing game-related content and save data).

Answered by sarmackie

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Are all PSN PSP games compatible with PS Vita?

Question

It is well known the PS Vita is not backwards compatible with any UMD-based PSP games, as it uses a different, not compatible storage media. Sony also confirmed that PSP games purchased through PSN's PlayStation Store will be compatible with PS Vita.

My question is: are all PSN PSP games compatible with PS Vita? If not, which games are specifically NOT compatible with Vita (preferably a list)?

Thanks!

Asked by sarmackie

Answer

No sorry, but Sony have said they are aiming to make as many compatible as possible. Heres a list of all the initially compatible games.

I found this FAQ which answers a few questions but I'm not sure if this is the definate answer you were looking for. It says (about half way down):

Q: Is PS Vita compatible with other PlayStation platform games like PS3, PS2, or PSP? Do you have any plan to support other PlayStation platforms in the future?

A: Users can play PSP titles, minis and PSone classics titles which are offered on PS Store. We do no have any plans to make PS Vita compatible with PS3 or PS2 titles at this point.

Q: Is PS Vita compatible with PSP content other than games such as video and comics available on PlayStation Store?

A: SCE plans to make those content available on PS Vita.

Q: Can PS Vita users continue using their save data for PSP games that they have also downloaded from PlayStation Store to PS Vita?

A: We are looking into the opportunity to do so.

The bolded would suggest no, only confirmed titles would be supported however this is really vague and still doesn't completely prove or disprove that the use unsupported games will work. However Sony have already said UMDs aren't supported and if the only way to get the PSP games onto your Vita is through the store then I highly doubt any unofficially supported games will work.

Sorry for not providing any concrete definiative sources I just couldn't find any.

Answered by Peter

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PSN Website My Lists Feature Doesn't Work

Question

I've searched for a similar problem and haven't had any luck. So here goes...

Signed in to PlayStation US, there is a feature called "My Lists". No matter which combination of filters I use I can't get any games to show up. A screenshot of this is below:

Edited as of 2012-02-20 this is still not working properly in multiple browsers...

Asked by Yuck

Answer

While surfing the (super slow) PlayStation website, you can come across game pages, for example, this one for Uncharted 3. If you look at the right hand side of the page, you'll see this box:

If you click any of the marked links here, you'll add them to your wish list and/or games list:

You can find game pages using the search function on the column on the left

Answered by JohnoBoy

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Do PSN games have some sort of ID number, like a barcode?

Question

I was recently building a small section which is basically a collection of video games (along with some books and movies) that I own. I was storing all these items by the UPC or ISBN number associated with it, but this only really works for physical products.

Currently, I'm just not listing PSN games because I don't really have any way to identify them. I was wondering if there were ID numbers such as barcodes for PSN-only games that could be found somewhere, either in the PlayStation store or on their website. For example, is there some sort of ID number for Okabu, which can only be bought and downloaded from the PlayStation Store?

Asked by animuson

Answer

According to this website:

Step 1: Log on to PSN (ON YOUR COMPUTER) for the respective region you wish to find the SKU for(in the US, for example, it's us.playstation.com).

Step 2: After that search for the game you want using the search bar on left side of the screen at the bottom of the buttons. After you have found the page of the game you are looking for, hit control + u to bring up source code of the page.

Step 3: Near the bottom of the source code, you should see something like this:

    <meta name="hasTrailer" content=""/>
    <meta name="gameRating" content="TEEN"/>
    <meta name="partOfGame" content="Prince of Persia® Sands of Time HD"/>    <meta name="SKU-ID" content="NPUB-30303"/>
    <meta name="last-modified" content="2010-12-27"/>

The second-last line of the source code is the SKU or game id of the game you were looking for (so for instance this would be NPUB30303).

Answered by Ashley Nunn

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Do PlayStation Plus cloud saves automatically update?

Question

If I put save games in to the PlayStation Plus cloud storage, will they be automatically updated if I play more of the game and save again? Or would I have to remember to keep updating the cloud saves?

Asked by jwaddell

Answer

Yes, they do automatically update. This feature was introduced in firmware update 3.70 which is super cool :)

Source

and one or two more, just to make sure.

Answered by Peter

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Is it still possible to get Diner Dash on the PS3?

Question

The IGN page for Diner Dash says it was released for PS3 in November of 2009, but I can't find any information about it in the PlayStation Store or on the PlayStation website (US & UK). Is this game no longer available for some reason? Is there still anywhere to buy a code for it or anything?

I know that some games occasionally get removed from the store for legal reasons or whatever, but does anyone know why this game, specifically, got removed?

Answer

It is no longer available - both the PSN and XBLA versions were removed in April of 2011. No reason was ever given, although there were rumors about it having to do with Konami's takeover of Hudson (who produced the PSN and XBLA versions) and Konami not wanting to pay the license fees for Diner Dash.

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What is the difference between Breath of Fire III for the PSX and for the PSP (or PSPGo)?

Question

I am aware that some games (like the early Final Fantasy titles, Disgaea) which are on PSP (more appropriately, PSN) are later versions with a small amount of extra content. Normally it is fairly easy to find this information out with a bit of searching.

However I have not been able to find anything on the differences (if any) between Breath of Fire III as a PSN download for the PSP go and the original on PSX. Can anybody enlighten me? Also, is there some better way to find out this kind of information than blindly searching the internets with Google?

Answer

AFAIK it's the same with better graphics, picture gallery and the ability to share fishing minigames with friends.

EDIT: Someone made a list of the differences:

• The title screen is different

• Some slowdown before attacks until you've had the game on for a bit.

• The electric room with the machine soldier in the "Factory" has permanent slowdown which actually makes it a lot easier to do that sequence of lever presses. I think this was done on purpose because there's no other parts like it in the game.

• Hachio's name is "Haochi"

• The room with the block puzzle in angel tower has one of the passages decreased in width and you can't get into random battles to teleport to the top to skip the puzzle.

• Stallion's color scheme is completely different. He is Brown, white, and yellow if I recall.

• "Utmost attack" had its name changed to "Vacuum Wave". I think it is because Stallion was supposed to look like "Ultraman", a Japanese hero. Utmost attack must have been one of his techniques?"

• In the Desert, getting into random encounters does not turn Ryu in a random direction. Turning right once, then walking straight until you reach Manmo still works thankfully.

• Dupe glitch does not work anymore.

• The Holy Mantle seems to work better. If you walk perfectly straight, you will go a while without fighting. Take a single turn, and it's battle time though. I remember it doing absolutely nothing.

• Finally, all of the music has added instruments which in my opinion make the music in the game a LOT better. I have never heard those extra sounds even on my I-pod. When I play my PSP on TV, you can still hear the new sounds. I wonder if the music had some sort of error in all of the tracks to begin with? Every song I can think of has something new in it.

Source: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/196817-breath-of-fire-iii/55291244

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Downloading games to PSVita from other stores than the Japanese

Question

Is it possible to download PSVita games to an imported device without using a Japanese account? That is, before its launched in EU for example.

Answer

I can confirm the US and EU stores are not live. Attempting to access the PSN store with a US profile on a Vita as of 12/31/2010 will encounter a cannot connect error until they are launched along side the Vita rollouts in those markets.

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Is there a way to use Netflix on PS3 without PSN?

Question

When I initially heard of the PSN outage, I thought it would be no big deal for me. After all, I don't play a lot of multiplayer or online games on that system. For that matter, it's been awhile since I've played any games on the PS3. Mos of the time I'm just using it for... oh... right... Netflix.

Why there is any reason for me to log into PSN to use Netflix is beyond me. For some reason it's required, but at the same time content will still load in the background even if I don't log in. I found that out myself on accident today, while trying to cancel the login and get back to the PlayStation menu (a process which in itself is annoyingly painful).

So, is there any way to actually use Netflix on the PS3 without having to log in to PSN? I imagine there might be some means of doing it through rooting the system or other similar hacks. However, I'd much rather avoid this as it is quite probable that Sony will eventually ban such devices from the network. (Though I don't often use it for much other than Netflix, I'd still rather not lose it.) So, I would like an answer that provides the simplest, most "legal" method available if there is one.

Answer

If you click cancel when it asks you to log into PSN you will be fine. It usually takes 2 or 3 cancels but I am able to log into netflix just fine. I have heard on some of the older model systems, this will not work but there is a trick. If you clear out your BD-Data folder for some reason or another this seems to take care of it.

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PSN sharing games

Question

I buy & download a game from PSN on my user account on PS3 #1. Then I switch to PS3 #2 and login with the same PSN account. Can I download the same game without paying twice?

Answer

Yes! Just go to your download list and redownload it on your PS3 #2.

Since November 18th, PlayStation restrict sharing from 5 devices down to 2.

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Buying from PSN

Question

I buy & download a game from PSN on my user account on PS3 #1. Then I switch to PS3 #2 and login with the same PSN account. Can I download the same game without paying twice?

Answer

Yes! Just go to your download list and redownload it on your PS3 #2.

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Problem with PS3 games sharing

Question

My brother got a PS3 and I want to share my PSN games with him. When I connect on my account and I go on my list of download, when I try to download a game, I got a message telling me that there's already 2 PS3 activated with this account. I need to desactivate one of them to continue.

Everywhere on the internet, I always find that the number of PS3 activated that I can have with the same account is 5.

So, what can I do for share my game without desactivate any other PS3? If it isn't possible, how can I desactivated a PS3?

Answer

They changed the rules in November to restrict sharing from 5 devices down to 2. If you purchased content after November 18th, then these new rules are in effect.

To deactivate a console, visit this page, which contains detailed instructions for both PS3 and PSP.

If you've got the PS3 you wish to deactivate, the instructions are:

• From the XMB, choose Playstation Network and then Sign In.
• Choose the Account Management option
• Choose System Activation
• Choose PS3 system
• Choose "Game"
• Choose Deactivate System

This system is now deactivated.

If you don't physically have the console you wish to deactivate, you can do so via the web. Detailed instructions for this process are on this page.

Essentially you will need to log in to the PSN website, then go to Account, then choose Media and Devices, and from there you can deactivate all of your devices. Note that you can only do this once every six months and it appears from their help pictures that it will deactivate all the devices on your account.

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Where can I find my Playstation Plus expiration date?

Question

I have a Playstation Plus account in the US market since july 2010. I purchased a whole year and I believed that it will expire around october 2011 but even today in december the wallet was not charged with it. Where can I look for my expiration date? Is somewhere in the market, in some webpage? Thanks in advance.

Answer

You can see it under :

Account Management -> Transaction history -> List of services -> Playstation Plus

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Is there any way to move trophies and save data between accounts in one PS3?

Question

I have two accounts in my PS3, one for playing and another one for use online. I want to move the game saves and trophies from the playing account to the online and get rid of it. Is there any way to do this? Thanks in advance.

Answer

You cannot move trophies from one account to another. The account is intended to represent you and your achievements. If you were allowed to transfer trophies, you could theoretically sell your trophies to people for real money, which would introduce a problem for Sony.

You can transfer trophies to another console, which works just by moving your account to the new console. The trophies are linked to your PSN identity and should load with no problems in that case.

Edit: Totally missed the save data part of the question. According to PS3Explained.com, it seems that PS3 saves are specific to user accounts. PS1 and PS2 saves are shared by every user on the system. However, a user in this Playstation.com thread encountered a message that said he was attempting to copy saves to another account when he was attempting to copy saves between consoles. Since he received it seemingly as an error message, it seems you can't copy saves either. Someone with more experience with this might be able to give you a more thorough answer though.

References for trophy moving:

• Neoseeker Forums
• PS3 Trophies Forums

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Where can I see all available Playstation 3 avatars?

Question

I'd like to find a better PlayStation Network avatar than the ones that come stock and standard with the PlayStation 3. Where can I go online to find and view all that are available?

Answer

There are several available on the PlayStation Store. Most of them are not free ($ 0.49), but it is possible to find free. You have only to run on the PlayStation Store, select Themes and avatars, and then selects Avatars. The ranking is depending on the game.

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Can I rename my PSN account?

Question

Is it possible to change the online ID associated with my PSN account? If it's possible, how do I go about changing it?

Answer

No, it's only possible to change your display name in Japan. Otherwise, you'll have to make a new PSN account. If you do, you can keep the same email address, by changing it before making the new account, but there's no way to keep your trophies or online stats.

Support Link: http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=254

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