I Knew This Day Would Come...PSN Store now REGION LOCKED :(

[hashiriya1]

I have a Japanese and American account on my PS3. If a game is available in both regions, I get the US version. Well, now I don't have that option. I am guessing because of the PSPgo and the influx of tons of digital PSP games that the store is now region-locked. When I try to access the US store, it says "Not Available In Your Region". This must have just happened within the past day or two because I just downloaded the Uncharted 2 demo the other day, and now when I wanted to go browse some PSP games, I was denied access. Oh well, woe is me.

I guess I better stock up one some Japan exclusives while I am still here.

end rant

[h8b1llg8ts]

*Another Notch on Sony's Belt*

Where can I get one of those F*ck 'em all belts, Sony?

[(-_-)]

i found out the bayonetta demo was out in japan so I went on this morning to go download it off my Japanese account. It said that psn was down for maintainance. I just read this post and I panicked because I find the lack of access to Japanese downloads devastating. However, I just logged on again and it appears to be working fine. I just downloaded the Bayonetta demo, so maybe only Japan is region locked?

[Ack]

*Another Notch on Sony's Belt*

Where can I get one of those F*ck 'em all belts, Sony?

That's easy. It's in the same store where you can buy the No Shenmue This Year and What Else Can We Do To Sonic belts that Sega likes, and the Death To The Hacking Community belt that Nintendo wears. You can also get the We'll Sue Your Ass For Copyright Infringement belt I've seen Squaresoft wearing around the place. Oh, and then there's that red ring belt for Microsoft in the back, but I'd avoid that one.

[fastbilly1]

If I still had access to smelting equipment I would so make a red ring belt buckle.

[Inazuma]

I only download things from Japan on my Japanese PS3, so I should still be OK, right? I just wouldn't be able to download anything from the USA region PSN store. Considering Sony made the PS3 region free, this would be an idiotic decision but I wouldn't put anything past them at this point.

[the7k]

Wow. That does suck. Seeing as I have four PSN accounts (US, Japan, Hong Kong and UK), I hope this doesn't become a trend.

[dsheinem]

I just downloaded (and ADORE!) the Bayonetta demo from the JPN store today. I am a huge fan of the DMC games, and this demo seems like such a better evolution of that style/those mechanics than the disaster that was DMC4.

Don't you need a credit card based on a foreign address to buy stuff from EU and JPN anyway? I have been wishing I could buy the EU only Outrun game for a long time, to no avail. I did hear that PSN cards would be sold in EU at some point, so maybe that will be an option...

Anyway, since I can still download demos, I don't see why this is a big deal. It's not like I could buy stuff from other regions anyway.

[the7k]

Are we sure that this includes buying stuff with PSN Cards? I know a friend of mine tried buying Japanese stuff with an American credit card, and got booted off. I, on the other hand, have only bought stuff with Japanese Network Cards, and I haven't been punished in any way.

[hashiriya1]

Maybe it is only in Japan, I haven't had one of my stateside friends confirm it. I tried it again, and with my US account, I have no access to the PSN Store. With my Japanese account, there is no problem logging onto the Japanese store obviously.

For my US account, I use my credit card but for my Japanese account I used to use PSN cards but now I do bank transfers (faster and easier and I am not forced to buy in increments).

I don't think it matters if you have a Japanese or US PS3, it just matters where you are.