PlayStation Launches Controversial New Loyalty Scheme Next Month

Back in July, PlayStation officially announced PlayStation Stars - a brand new loyalty scheme. PlayStation Stars will essentially allow players to earn exclusive digital collectibles, PSN wallet funds, and select PlayStation Store products. The scheme is totally free and whilst there’ll be a variety of challenges, some are as simple as opening up a single game. We now finally know when the scheme is launching, and it’s soon.

Speaking of PlayStation, excited for God of War Ragnarök? Check out this recap of the previous game.

If you’re located in Asia, including Japan, the service launches today on 29 September. North and South America will then gain access on 5 October, followed by Europe, Australia and New Zealand on 13 October.

You may think, what’s not to love? After all, everyone loves a freebie. The problem is, the exclusive digital collectibles are causing quite the stir but they really aren’t NFTs. PlayStation describe the collectibles as “beautifully rendered, digital representations of things that PlayStation fans enjoy, including figurines of beloved and iconic characters from games and other forms of entertainment, as well as cherished devices that tap into Sony’s history of innovation.” If you’ve played Astro’s Playroom, they sound a lot like the PlayStation themed collectibles you can pick up in that game.

There’s no value to these collectibles, much like there’s no value to unlocking a trophy. PlayStation went on to explain, “These digital collectibles are created just for our loyalty program, and while some can be rare, they are not one-of-a-kind nor does it leverage blockchain technology. They cannot be resold or traded.”

It’s also been revealed that PlayStation Plus subscribers will gain an extra advantage. All PlayStation Plus subscribers will earn extra points for all PlayStation Store purchases, including subscription payments.