Pocket Gamer: How to get Trophies in used Vita games [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/lbpvita18992puppetcircusfrontrearpuzzle.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/pocket-gamer-how-to-get-trophies-in-pre-owned-vita-games/)
We've seen Sony's own tips and tricks (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/26/sony-posts-official-tips-and-tricks-for-vita-comments-have-more/) for the Vita, but as the device ages (six days old already!) more and more will appear, as Pocket Gamer shows with its tutorial that explains how to renew trophy-earning functionality in used Vita games.

Upon booting up a pre-owned Vita title, players will get a screen that reads, "You cannot earn trophies in this application. Only the first player to use an application can earn trophies. To earn trophies, you must link the Sony Entertainment Network account of the first player to use this application with the PS Vita system." Pocket Gamer says the following steps (http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PS+Vita/PlayStation+Vita/feature.asp?c=38334) will render that warning useless:
Go to the main menu and hold down the screen for two seconds, until little bubbles appear on the upper-right side of each game's icon. Hit the bubble you want and click "Delete."
A screen reading "All data related to this application will be deleted" will pop up. Hit "OK."
Load the game and you should be good to go.
This process won't delete the previous player's trophies, Pocket Gamer adds.http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif (http://www.joystiq.com)Pocket Gamer: How to get Trophies in used Vita games (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/pocket-gamer-how-to-get-trophies-in-used-vita-games/) originally appeared on Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com) on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).

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More... (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/pocket-gamer-how-to-get-trophies-in-used-vita-games/)

[retroman]

That is why i always buy games new.

[Kitsune Sniper]

So, how long until Sony patches this fix out?

[substantial_snake]

Several in the linked article are suggesting that this is Sony blocking people from using others game data to bolster their trophies. I have no idea if this is the case but ill guess we'll find out soon enough if/when it is removed in a FW update.

That being said I don't really care, Trophies/Achievements are at best a small addition and at worst an intrusion into gameplay or key scenes in a game. I find it incredibly annoying when one pops up when I've gotten into a story element in a game..or even worse when you can easily deduce whats going to happen next by X or Y by a bad trophy listing. I always found it really odd that some really enjoy collecting them to the point of bitching when X or Y title didn't back-update support for some of the early PS3 titles.

[Emperor Megas]

Several in the linked article are suggesting that this is Sony blocking people from using others game data to bolster their trophies. I have no idea if this is the case but ill guess we'll find out soon enough if/when it is removed in a FW update.

That being said I don't really care, Trophies/Achievements are at best a small addition and at worst an intrusion into gameplay or key scenes in a game. I find it incredibly annoying when one pops up when I've gotten into a story element in a game..or even worse when you can easily deduce whats going to happen next by X or Y by a bad trophy listing. I always found it really odd that some really enjoy collecting them to the point of bitching when X or Y title didn't back-update support for some of the early PS3 titles.I've never played a PS3 game besides Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation (those were the free games I chose after the PSN fiasco), but I do hate it when the XBOX360's Achievement Earned graphic pops up during a scene that has text, or something else that I'd rather not be obscured by an opaque text bubble.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Several in the linked article are suggesting that this is Sony blocking people from using others game data to bolster their trophies. I have no idea if this is the case but ill guess we'll find out soon enough if/when it is removed in a FW update.

That's easy to stop. Just tell devs to make all saves tied to the user's PSN account. If the save data on the cart doesn't match the PSN account then don't load it. Or ignore the trophy stuff.

Why don't they just do that?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

So, how long until Sony patches this fix out?

Why on earth would they do that? This is a dedicated function of the OS/software to delete internal game card saves linked to a specific PSN account, not some kind of hack or trick.

Game save data on the card has data linked to the players PSN account. Obviously if you put that card in a system with a different PSN account it's going to say, wait a minute, something's not right here, deleting that save data allows for the current user to start fresh with their PSN info and accumuate trophies as needed.

Other than kooky theories that this is some clandestine measure to hurt used game sales, I see nothing that makes me believe that it's anything other than a feature of how the software works that hasn't been clearly communicated in instructional materials.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Why on earth would they do that? This is a dedicated function of the OS/software to delete internal game card saves linked to a specific PSN account, not some kind of hack or trick.

Game save data on the card has data linked to the players PSN account. Obviously if you put that card in a system with a different PSN account it's going to say, wait a minute, something's not right here, deleting that save data allows for the current user to start fresh with their PSN info and accumuate trophies as needed.

Other than kooky theories that this is some clandestine measure to hurt used game sales, I see nothing that makes me believe that it's anything other than a feature of how the software works that hasn't been clearly communicated in instructional materials.

This line.

"You cannot earn trophies in this application. Only the first player to use an application can earn trophies. To earn trophies, you must link the Sony Entertainment Network account of the first player to use this application with the PS Vita system."

The way it's worded, it sounds like nobody but the first person to ever use the cart can use it to win trophies. Sony's stupid enough to remove this feature just to try to stop used game sales. Because they're Sony. And they're stupidheads.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

This line.

"You cannot earn trophies in this application. Only the first player to use an application can earn trophies. To earn trophies, you must link the Sony Entertainment Network account of the first player to use this application with the PS Vita system."

The way it's worded, it sounds like nobody but the first person to ever use the cart can use it to win trophies. Sony's stupid enough to remove this feature just to try to stop used game sales. Because they're Sony. And they're stupidheads.

Time will tell, but since the ability to delete the save data and rectify it is presently a functional feature of the OS I'd like to think that it's just a matter of it just being a badly worded notification.

If the ability to delete save data linked to the ability to earn trophies is ever patched out I will second your claim of stupid-headedness.

[substantial_snake]

The more I look into this I think its likely that its an intended feature and that Sony is just trying to downplay it. It seems like something Sony felt they had to include something to prevent a heavy backlash but wanted to discourage people from buying used anyway. I spent a bit of time reading the manual and although with half a brain you could infer that this is what you needed to do to restore trophy support they never outright say that this is an intended feature.

[Leo_A]

It has nothing to do with discouraging used games. It's there to protect their trophy system's integrity.

If Sony didn't want people earning trophies with used games, they wouldn't be allowing people to reset their Vita games.

I have no doubt that Frankie is 100% correct here.

[dgdgagdae]

I read this as saying you cannot earn trophies that someone else had already earned in that game. You can only reset it to allow you to earn unearned trophies. Is that wrong?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I read this as saying you cannot earn trophies that someone else had already earned in that game. You can only reset it to allow you to earn unearned trophies. Is that wrong?

That's not wrong. That's perfectly fine.

What I have a problem with is them not making it clear enough that it can be done.

[dgdgagdae]

That's not wrong. That's perfectly fine.

What I have a problem with is them not making it clear enough that it can be done.

I meant, was my understanding wrong. If I'm understanding correctly, and Sony is locking you out of earning trophies in used games that others have already earned - I think that's wrong on Sony's part.

[Leo_A]

Nothing there says that you can only earn trophies that have been unearned by the previous owner. It doesn't even make any sense to be that way, so I can assure you that you read it wrong.

This system is in place so you can't load someone else's saved game on to your own Vita and automatically get all the trophies that the previous person already earned.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Nothing there says that you can only earn trophies that have been unearned by the previous owner. It doesn't even make any sense to be that way, so I can assure you that you read it wrong.

This system is in place so you can't load someone else's saved game on to your own Vita and automatically get all the trophies that the previous person already earned.

No?

"Only the first player to use an application can earn trophies."

That strongly suggests that only the first person to use the game can earn trophies. It doesn't mention saves. It only mentions PSN accounts and asks you to log into / connect that device to your PSN account. Sony doesn't say "other people can do this, just wipe the save data!" for a reason... to sell more new games.

[Leo_A]

Only the first player of this application can earn tropies is completelty different than "the following player can only earn tropies that have went unearned by the original owner".

And what you cited is precisely why they allow you to reformat it.