Your Goofy Username Could Cost You Your Account
Sony is notoriously tough when it comes to banning PSN accounts, especially in regards to inappropriate usernames. And no matter how stupid your first one was, you’re stuck with it unless you create another account.
But this is the first time we’ve heard of a ban stemming from a username eight years old.
Here’s what Khurram Imtiaz says happened:
“This morning I received an e-mail from PlayStation informing me that my account was permanently banned due to violations of the PlayStation Network Terms. Of course they didn’t bother to inform me in the e-mail why exactly I was banned so I had to call PlayStation Support. In that call they told me that my account I was banned for life because my online ID violates the Code of Conduct.
“My online ID is (was) KingMADAFAKA. I admit that it is a stupid username, but I created when I was only 12. I asked them if there was a way to change the username in order not to loose every game that I had on my account (my FIFA account was amazing, I had a really good Ultimate Team) and all the money that I invested in the account, but they said that I can not change the online ID, therefore my account is banned for life and I have to create a new one from scratch.”
Creating a new PSN account is a hassle, and there are tons of people stuck with that stupid name they picked years ago. But now it looks like you might want to consider creating a new one if you’re attached to anything particularly offensive.
Since PSN accounts can only be assigned to one user account per console, you need to wipe current users before assigning another. This means there’s no way of moving your precious data from one account to another.
To use another user on your account, you have to create a new user, then use System > Delete to erase the user currently linked to it. Only then can you link to a new user.