Featured Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation
Topics: PlayStation, Sony
Out of nowhere, Sony has just announced a new, free-to-join loyalty programme called PlayStation Stars, which will allow players to earn points to redeem for select PlayStation Store products and even PSN wallet funds.
According to the announcement post on the PlayStation Blog, members will be able to earn rewards from completing “campaigns and activities”, which include simply playing any game as part of a “monthly check-in”, earning trophies, and winning tournaments.
Anyone with a PlayStation needs to make sure they play Stray, an adorable indie title launching next week (at no additional cost for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium tier members). Check out the trailer below.
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As well as all that, the programme will also introduce “digital collectibles”. The blog post states: “They are 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.”
I don’t know about you, but the phrase “digital collectibles” set off my flight or fight response. However, in an interview with The Washington Post, PlayStation’s vice president of network advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, Grace Chen, reassured fans that these rewards aren’t NFTs: “It’s definitely not NFTs. Definitely not. You can’t trade them or sell them. It is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs,” Chen said.
Presumably, these collectibles will be part of the catalogue of rewards that members can work towards, although I imagine many people will be far more interested in the potential free wallet funds. What better way to pay for new games than by playing your current ones? It almost sounds too good to be true. As a bonus, PlayStation Plus subscribers will automatically earn points for purchases they make on the PlayStation Store.
“We hope this new program brings to mind past gaming memories while making you excited for the future with PlayStation: commemorating the gaming eras we created together, charting new paths to explore, and bringing players together for global celebrations,” Chen wrote on the PlayStation Blog. “This is just the beginning for PlayStation Stars, and the program will continue to evolve over time. We’re currently doing some early tests on this program before launching it later this year in phased regional rollouts.”