New PS3 - Account Questions

Myrddin

Hi folks, I ordered a new PS3 there last week & it landed today. Quick couple of questions re setting up an online account for it if I may. I here talk of folks setting up the likes of UK/US/JP accounts...

What are the benefits of doing this?
How do you actually do it?
Can you have multiple regional accounts?
How do you pay for content from non-Irish accounts?

Any help would be appreciated

martineatworld

I'll try to cover this to the best of my ability:

Advantages of different regional accounts:
- Different store content, games, demos etc.
- PS1 games that run at 60hz
- Possibly cheaper prices

How you do it:
I did mine on the PC. Go to the regional psn website and set up an account with an American/Japanese address, then log in on the PS3. Someone might be able to link you to a step by step guide, it's been a while since I've done it so apologies for the lack of proper guide.

You can have multiple regional accounts.

The easiest way to pay for it is to buy US or JP PSN cards on ebay or one of those sites that sells PSN credit.

Myrddin

martineatworld wrote: »

Go to the regional psn website and set up an account with an American/Japanese address

I take it the address has to be from that region, ie setting up a US account won't work with an @yahoo.ie email address?

Varik

EnterNow wrote: »

I take it the address has to be from that region, ie setting up a US account won't work with an @yahoo.ie email address?

A house address, you can use the dot trick for gmail or any of the other compatible ones so you can have a load of accounts but they are all linked to the same email (each account needs a unique email otherwise).

Myrddin

Varik wrote: »

you can use the dot trick for gmail or any of the other compatible ones so you can have a load of account

Ok, I need the Internet for Dummies version of that one if you don't mind man

RedXIV

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/1-awesome-gmail-tip-you-dont-know-about-seriously/

EnterNow wrote: »

Ok, I need the Internet for Dummies version of that one if you don't mind man

Basically if you have a gmail address, any dot's put in it i.e.
myemail@gmail.com
vs
my.email@gmail.com
vs
m.y.e.m.a.i.l@gmail.com

will all go to myemail@gmail.com

gmail removes the dots automatically but they are all different addresses according to sony

Myrddin

RedXIV wrote: »

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/1-awesome-gmail-tip-you-dont-know-about-seriously/

Ah I see, cool. Don't suppose that works for yahoo?

RedXIV

EnterNow wrote: »

Ah I see, cool. Don't suppose that works for yahoo?

I don't think so but the only reference to that I can find is a 3yr old article so it could have changed in the meantime?

Would be 10 mins to check though if you were determined enough to find out?

Myrddin

RedXIV wrote: »

I don't think so but the only reference to that I can find is a 3yr old article so it could have changed in the meantime?

Would be 10 mins to check though if you were determined enough to find out?

Grand so will give it a shot & see. Just getting back to setting up an initial account though, am I ok to use a yahoo.ie email address to complete registration of a US psn account?

Myrddin

Also, say I set up a US PSN+ account, will it affect multiplayer etc given its a US account? Ie will my son be able to play online with his friends who have Irish psn accounts?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm completely new to PSN/SEN

johnny_ultimate

Multiplayer is free, so there shouldn't be a problem with just setting your son up a standard account. PS+ is not required for multiplayer, although you'll only be able to play PS+ games on a PS+ account. Region accounts don't make a difference playing online AFAIK, although some games like Demon's Souls do have separate region servers.

I'd stick with Irish PS+, though, think we tend to get a better selection of games. Just use the free accounts for multi region purchases. If you purchase games digitally (as opposed to the subscription PS+ games) they'll work on all console accounts. Again, just be aware your credit card might not work so you may need vouchers.

And welcome to the club, for a man so adamantly anti Sony

Myrddin

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Multiplayer is free, so there shouldn't be a problem with just setting your son up a standard account. PS+ is not required for multiplayer, although you'll only be able to play PS+ games on a PS+ account.

Ok, so all physical games should work with multiplayer regardless of the profile/account region - and all PS+ Games are locked to the purchasing profile?

I'd stick with Irish PS+, though, think we tend to get a better selection of games. Just use the free accounts for multi region purchases. If you purchase games digitally (as opposed to the subscription PS+ games) they'll work on all console accounts. Again, just be aware your credit card might not work so you may need vouchers.

Ok that sounds logical enough:

Set up an Irish PS account, & use that for PS+
Set up Regional Accounts for Regional Purchases
Purchased Digital Content will work on all local accounts
PS+ Content, will only work on the PS+ account.

Makes sense then to have the main user account as an Irish one. Cheers JU

And welcome to the club, for a man so adamantly anti Sony

I've mellowed in later years, & who can deny PS+ is a pretty attractive business model?!

johnny_ultimate

EnterNow wrote: »

Ok, so all physical games should work with multiplayer regardless of the profile/account region - and all PS+ Games are locked to the purchasing profile?

Yep, barring potential 'online pass' related shenanigans, but that's par for the course these days. But yeah it should all work pretty straightforward enough!

Ok that sounds logical enough:

Set up an Irish PS account, & use that for PS+
Set up Regional Accounts for Regional Purchases
Purchased Digital Content will work on all local accounts
PS+ Content, will only work on the PS+ account.

That's the way I do it anyway, works well

I hope Journey is downloading as you type, by the way

Myrddin

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Yep, barring potential 'online pass' related shenanigans, but that's par for the course these days. But yeah it should all work pretty straightforward enough!

So onlne pass wise, I'd need an EU copy of that game for the pass to work is that what you mean?

I hope Journey is downloading as you type, by the way

Just got it all set up there, Journey will have to wait for another evening. Cann't wait though!

johnny_ultimate

EnterNow wrote: »

So onlne pass wise, I'd need an EU copy of that game for the pass to work is that what you mean?

All new games with 'online pass' content will come with a pass, regardless of region. I'm not sure how it works if you're importing titles, never encountered it with the handful of titles I have imported. I'd assume you'd still be able to download the pass somehow, but maybe someone else can answer that question from experience. All digitally purchased content will come with the pass though, so no worries there, only potential concern is if you're importing retail releases from companies that use said pass system.

Apologies for how many times the word 'pass' was used in this post.

Varik

EnterNow wrote: »

all PS+ Games are locked to the purchasing profile?

No they're not locked.
The PS+ just needs to be activated on the console, you can have 2 consoles active at a time and any account can log in to play them.

As long as there's an account that has the content and is activated on the console then the rest of the accounts can play it, this is not limited to plus and any downloaded content will work this way.

EnterNow wrote: »

Ok, so all physical games should work with multiplayer regardless of the profile/account region

Almost all, the only time you'll have a problem is with DLC (not limited to paid DLC as it can affect free DLC). While patching is fine and will not be affected by account region, there is a chance content from the store will be. If you have a physical Irish game it may need DLC from the EU store.

EnterNow wrote: »

Set up an Irish PS account, & use that for PS+

Irish or UK, I'd say keep Irish as the main plus account as I think the UK are going to get a nasty price hike compared to the rest of Europe next gen.

EnterNow wrote: »

Set up Regional Accounts for Regional Purchases

I've a JP/US/EU, some people have 2 European accounts for € and £.

EnterNow wrote: »

Purchased Digital Content will work on all local accounts
PS+ Content, will only work on the PS+ account.

No, all local content as long as it was activated and the purchasing account is on the console will work.

EnterNow wrote: »

I've mellowed in later years, & who can deny PS+ is a pretty attractive business model?!

You'll have to video it, the moment you click agree on the TOS and sign over your soul.

EnterNow wrote: »

So onlne pass wise, I'd need an EU copy of that game for the pass to work is that what you mean?

Put in EU game, log in on EU account.
Enter EU online pass on EU store.
Buy/get EU DLC on EU store.
Change account if you want
Play game with US/JP/EU account normally online.

Put in US game, log in on US account.
Enter US online pass on US store.
Buy/get US DLC on US store.
Change account if you want
Play game with US/JP/EU account normally online.

Myrddin

Cheers for all the info guys, very much appreciated. Sounds like the system is the same as the 360, whereby when a purchase/download is made, a license is issued to the purchasing profile & there's also a secondary local license issued to the console itself to facilitate two players etc etc.

Signed up & made an Irish account to begin with. I then downloaded a couple of demos to make sure everything was working which it is Now, to install what little PS3 games I actually have, & then begin amassing a collection...starting with Journey

Varik

EnterNow wrote: »

Cheers for all the info guys, very much appreciated. Sounds like the system is the same as the 360, whereby when a purchase/download is made, a license is issued to the purchasing profile & there's also a secondary local license issued to the console itself to facilitate two players etc etc.

It's a bit different.

The 360 allows all accounts on the console where the content was purchased to play it, and the account that bought it can play it on any console. (may be wrong).
1 local console specific licence and 1 account specific licence.

The PS3 has up to 2 local licences issues (2 PS3 & 2 Portables), as long as the purchasing account in on the PS3 and it's active you can play any account on both.
2 local console specific licences, you can change the console by activating and deactivating them on the purchasing account

You download a game on your Irish account onto 2 PS3s and then log into 2 other accounts and play, as long as the origonal purchasing account i