In the past, most PSN purchases have been accessible to all users on the console, and in some cases even being able to be shared (regardless of the legal ramifications, it’s technically possible) – but this latest trick goes one step further.
Basically, if you buy the DLC (which features a new track, amongst other items) it’s tied down to the account used to make the purchase.
No sub account will be able to use it, so that locks out your kids, housemates etc. not to mention some people, including myself, make all purchases with a different account than they use to play online, for a number of reasons.
This isn’t a mistake – it’s mentioned right here on the Gran Turismo site. “The DLC released on October 18th is tied to the Account ID used to purchase the DLC. It is not possible to use the DLC with accounts other than the one that was used to make the actual purchase.”
“Therefore,” it continues, “please make sure to purchase the DLC with the account that is used to play Gran Turismo 5.”
Understandably, this hasn’t gone down very well with consumers caught out by the strange limitations, with GTPlanet.net setting up a petition and gaming forum NeoGAF users are also up in arms.
It doesn’t seem necessary and it certainly doesn’t seem fair. Polyphony, Sony, we urge you to rethink this rather draconian decision.
Via GamingBolt.
A2J7C
Won’t buy this… I’ve changed country last year and my credit card doesn’t work in my original account.
hazelam
i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again.
greed will destroy this industry.
i would like to see this dlc sell dismally.
but sadly it’ll probably sell by the boatload.
there is this weird stockholm syndrome thing some among the gaming community seem to be suffering from.
they screw over the gamers, and people love them for it.
and single use paints?
somebody tell me that’s a joke, please.
ms suggested something like this a few years back called consumables, and they were rightly slated for it, so much so that they never actually implemented it.
if ms are turning down a money making opportunity because of negative public opinion, it just has to be universally despised.
right?
i know ms and sony are in this whole console war and all, but is there a bonus prize for the most avaricious company as well?
colmshan1990
The single use DLC is a joke.
It’s the kind of thing that can really burn through a wallet.
Thank God it’s just the paint, but again it begs the question: why?
There’s no need for it.
I also have to question people who feel the need to pay for a paint colour for a car that isn’t real… WHY?
hazelam
i can understand buying items for a virtual car or avatar, i’ve done it myself.
it can be to imprint some of your personality into your online presence, or you just think it looks cool.
but placing usage limitations on it like it was a real item is ridiculous.
you have to rebuy real items because when you use them, they’re, usually, gone, with digital items they can be copied infinitely for no extra cost.
tantalus_blank
Too right, greed will be the end of them
Severn2j
Absolutely agree, this is just the latest in what’s becoming a regular butt-f*cking of customers by the industry, and it does shock me how many people seem perfectly happy with it..
It’s kind of understandable from the “Doesn’t affect me, so I don’t care” crowd, although that’s a self-defeating attitude as well (because by the time you do care, it will be too late as the precedent is already set). I notice that it seems to be the younger gamers who are more accepting of this tho, and the older (30+) gamers, who remember what the original concept of buying a product actually meant, are the ones who are mostly raging against this.
As for boycotts, most peoples’ attitude seems to be that “everyone else is going to buy it anyway, so I may as well too”, which is a totally self-fulfilling prophecy. If everyone refused to buy games that had an online pass when they first came out, they wouldn’t exist today. Instead, look where we are, with elements of single player games being locked out. The thin end of the wedge is starting to get thicker…
enroene
This is very bad news.Not consumer friendly at all.
colmshan1990
This isn’t really surprising for me.
Didn’t the PSN download version of GT5: Prologue do the same?
I think that and Warhawk are restricted to one account per 24 hour window or something.
If you’re going to go that far, might as well go the whole hog.
I’m not impressed though- at least with an online pass, it applies to all accounts on the PS3. This is too much.
xdarkmagician
At this rate the PS4 is going to be encoded with the buyers DNA at purchase, and will use DNA sensors in the controller to verify that only the original owner is playing it. Seriously though, I don’t understand how people can defend actions like this. It’s your PS3, it’s your copy of GT5, Sony permits multiple accounts, they advertised gamesharing as a launch feature. The average consumer has done nothing wrong, yet they get treated like criminals by Sony. Actions like this only punish the people that actually buy things. Even if it’s gameshared 4x, theres still one legitimate sale. DLC is over priced, that’s why people gameshare. If DLC is going to be locked to one account, then it should be because with every new purchase you get all DLC for FREE.
Forrest_01
“At this rate the PS4 is going to be encoded with the buyers DNA at purchase, and will use DNA sensors in the controller to verify that only the original owner is playing it”
I quite like this idea – Would be quite a good anti-theft device.
Not as good as the one at the beginning of Robocop 2 though.
Reality Check
This site loves moaning about the PS3 & SONY LoL If you read the Xbox 360 News bits MicroSoft & their Xbox 360 can’t do no wrong.
Severn2j
Up until fairly recently, this was a purely PS3 site, so it stands to reason that most of the community is talking about Sony..
tantalus_blank
Care to try that again? It looks like either your keyboard is broken or you never learned how to construct a comprehensible sentence.
BIGAL-1992
Leave this place. I’ve had enough of you reality check to last a lifetime.
bunimomike
*starts to dig hole in the woods*
bunimomike
But not for BIGAL! :-)
BIGAL-1992
Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Can’t say i’m sorry for him.
Forrest_01
Unfortunately, neither can i – I understand people feeling the need to ‘protect’ their brand of choice, but it was just the same old tripe again & again.
I simply started to ignore the comments, but i suppose there is a limit!
BIGAL-1992
I agree forrest, I agree.
Sympozium
needed a reality check..
Ba Dum Tish!
tantalus_blank
Sony, I will kill a puppy every day you carry on this ridiculous charade. Like with piracy and second hand sales, the big company fatcats need to understand that not every pirated/preowned/shared use represents a sale. Of course, they won’t see that logic and will continue to drive customers away, pushing down sales.
dnjeremy
Oh well… I’m not buying it unless they change it.
joro550
I would like to take time out from my life here and say a PERSONAL thank you to Sony.
Thank you Sony for releasing a product that was faulty (60GB Ps3 if you don’t know) and have them YLOD on me.
Thank you for not providing any support with my account on those Ps3’s.
Thank you for giving me 5(!) Ps3’s that happen to get the YLOD so my account can’t be accessed from any other Ps3 from now on.
Thank you Sony for making this DLC one account only making me annoyed at you.
I am now going to hunt down the guy who had this idea and PERSONALLY chop each of his fingers hand him back one and say “Oh, no, no, you can’t have these fingers all to your self that’s just greedy.”
three_leg_jake
This is mucho disappointo as they say in Mexico.
The slippery slope is fully greased and we are about to take our second step down it.