PlayStation®Network General

[zinep]

An idea for the PS Store -- though I realize there are some technical issues involved; but it would be useful to be able to "buy PSN codes". Either you simply create a PSN code containing a certain amount of money from your wallet, or you can choose when you buy a game to either buy it for the account, or to a PSN code so you can give it away.

PSN gifts made easy.

I'm sure this has been thought of a million times before, but is there a reason it can't be done? (VAT rules, etc?)

[tomboland]

......no

[MissSouthampton]

This is already done though isn't it? Only specific amounts but you can buy the codes from the cards...

I seen in GAME denominations starting from £5 as a card and certain PSN titles are available too. 

[mid3get]

I think I'm confused

You want to buy a code that lets you fund your online wallet so that you can buy another code with the money you just deposited to fund your wallet with the same amount again letting you buy a game?

That's going around in circles a little don't you think?

[Mikal_Drey]

hey hey

as mentioned in many many other threads... THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ALREADY POSSIBLE.

1. PSN Cards : They provide a physical amount of money that you can add to a wallet. Whilst there is a limited choice in values they are still perfect for gift giving.
2. game.co.uk : Game are now offering digital downloads via the psn. The selection is actually pretty decent and will alow you to gift a specific game from their selection.

games offering of psn voucher codes proves conclusively that the whole system of psn codes for a specific game is well within sonys capabilities, also with games being given away on twitter and even on the blog. it would seem that there is most likely another issue preventing user generated.

if you really want to give someone a psn gift then use either of the above methods. Yes i'm fully aware that game.co.uk is a UK store and has the relative restrictions but as I dont live in other countries I cannot say how or what local stores are doing.

[Mikal_Drey]

@zinep

I kinda get where your going with the whole voucher code idea but instead of "creating" a voucher code why not have the store sell them directly and the purchase screen give you the option to download the code (via email ofc) or purchase the unlock key. the problem becomes what happens when you lose the code or it gets compromised in some way

[zinep]

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Mikal_Drey wrote:
hey hey

as mentioned in many many other threads... THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ALREADY POSSIBLE.

1. PSN Cards : They provide a physical amount of money that you can add to a wallet. Whilst there is a limited choice in values they are still perfect for gift giving.
2. game.co.uk : Game are now offering digital downloads via the psn. The selection is actually pretty decent and will alow you to gift a specific game from their selection.

games offering of psn voucher codes proves conclusively that the whole system of psn codes for a specific game is well within sonys capabilities, also with games being given away on twitter and even on the blog. it would seem that there is most likely another issue preventing user generated.

if you really want to give someone a psn gift then use either of the above methods. Yes i'm fully aware that game.co.uk is a UK store and has the relative restrictions but as I dont live in other countries I cannot say how or what local stores are doing.

---

Thanks for the info. I already knew about option 1, but for the specific use-case I needed it for, it was not applicable. I did not know about option 2 - probably because I have not seen it in any Swedish online stores I regularly visit - but it would have worked, I assume.

I did know that one can buy electronic vouchers (for money) online in the UK though, but one of the points was not to have to give out my card number more than I already have and - more importantly - I would want to reuse the already existing infrastructure PSN has (read: if I already have money in the PSN wallet, for instance).

After a quick and lazy check, it doesn't seem that any of the Swedish online stores I regularly use even support the most basic form of electronic vouchers, only the physical ones which have to be delivered by snail-mail before use.

In conclusion: While it can be done, it can't really be done using PSN exclusively (use your PSN wallet), and you have to go to a UK site (which I assume won't lead to region-related problems, though I'm not 100% sure (as I have seen game titles which are called either UK or EU)).

[Muttykins]

---

zinep wrote:

---

Mikal_Drey wrote:
hey hey

as mentioned in many many other threads... THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ALREADY POSSIBLE.

1. PSN Cards : They provide a physical amount of money that you can add to a wallet. Whilst there is a limited choice in values they are still perfect for gift giving.
2. game.co.uk : Game are now offering digital downloads via the psn. The selection is actually pretty decent and will alow you to gift a specific game from their selection.

games offering of psn voucher codes proves conclusively that the whole system of psn codes for a specific game is well within sonys capabilities, also with games being given away on twitter and even on the blog. it would seem that there is most likely another issue preventing user generated.

if you really want to give someone a psn gift then use either of the above methods. Yes i'm fully aware that game.co.uk is a UK store and has the relative restrictions but as I dont live in other countries I cannot say how or what local stores are doing.

---

Thanks for the info. I already knew about option 1, but for the specific use-case I needed it for, it was not applicable. I did not know about option 2 - probably because I have not seen it in any Swedish online stores I regularly visit - but it would have worked, I assume.

I did know that one can buy electronic vouchers (for money) online in the UK though, but one of the points was not to have to give out my card number more than I already have and - more importantly - I would want to reuse the already existing infrastructure PSN has (read: if I already have money in the PSN wallet, for instance).

After a quick and lazy check, it doesn't seem that any of the Swedish online stores I regularly use even support the most basic form of electronic vouchers, only the physical ones which have to be delivered by snail-mail before use.

In conclusion: While it can be done, it can't really be done using PSN exclusively (use your PSN wallet), and you have to go to a UK site (which I assume won't lead to region-related problems, though I'm not 100% sure (as I have seen game titles which are called either UK or EU)).

---

The you shouldn't suffer on region problems with games but currency instead.

As uk use pounds & pence where most of the rest of eu use the euro.

[zinep]

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Mikal_Drey wrote:
@zinep

I kinda get where your going with the whole voucher code idea but instead of "creating" a voucher code why not have the store sell them directly and the purchase screen give you the option to download the code (via email ofc) or purchase the unlock key. the problem becomes what happens when you lose the code or it gets compromised in some way

---

You are definitely right about the code getting lost or compromised being an issue, but I was thinking of it more as a short-term thing.

The real-wold example was that I talking to a relative on the phone who mentioned wanting to play a PSN game, and I was browsing through the store at the moment. It would have been so easy for me to just click "Buy [to Code]", and then read the code over the phone.

Then, again, the other night I was chatting with a friend who wanted to play a game which was on sale on PSN - it would have been a perfect gift, and it would have been so easy to just "buy to code" and then write the code in the chat window.

It was never a question about it being made possible to buy a voucher for someone else -- because that's been possible for a long time. It was simply a question of making it easier to do, and reusing the PSN infrastructure. (And in my case, making it an instant operation).

Anywho, I now know it can be done, albeit not as neatly as I would have wanted it, by going to UK sites.

Thanks Mikal and MissSouthampton for the informative replies.

[Mikal_Drey]

gamestop.com (us site) are also selling games and DLC to. They do have a Swedish website (http://gamestop.se/) and I've shot them off an email asking if the service will be offered worldwide. I'll post their response if one is forthcoming.