Sony announced via email January 20 that Latin American consumers are no longer allowed a choice in what language they navigate the Playstation Store.
Instead, language will be dictated by the location the consumer accesses the store from.
Before today, Latin American consumers had the option to navigate the Playstation Store from the english version if they so wished. This provided a helpful alternative to non-native Portuguese speakers, or English speaking Latin Americans who might prefer the English version. As is the case with many international translations, some words or phrases do not translate perfectly into other languages. Having the choice to switch to the English store provided an additional option for consumers that were interested.
Sony's reasoning for forcing Latin American consumers to use their respective languages is "to better serve consumers in Latin America." In Sony's frequently asked questions page, the question "Can I still create an english language account?" is answered as "Yes, but we recommend creating a Spanish or Portuguese account for your region so that you can access a supported Playstation Store." In translation. you are free to make an English account, but Sony won't let you use a Playstation store if you do.
Sony also stated that if consumer switch their languages, their trophies and downloaded content will not be affected. However, Sony did not mention if Latin American consumers would be completely barred from English language versions of games. Games are often recorded originally in English, and later rerecorded for other languages, often in detriment to the voice acting quality. As of now, it appears Latin American consumers will only have access to Latin American Playstation Store supported content.
The playstation store began in November 2006 for the PS3, and many subsequent Sony devices have followed suit in connecting to it. The online digital media store has gained some notoriety for its infrastructure being the target of a number of hacking attempts over the years, the most recent of which being the raid by the infamous Lizard Squad.
The FAQ can be found here.
What's your take? Do you think it's a big deal, or really not much to care about? Sound off in the comments below!
