PlayStation Stars is Sony’s new loyalty program that aims to reward gamers with digital collectibles, PlayStation Store products, and even PlayStation Network wallet funds. A PlayStation.Blog post offers a detailed introduction for the service that is currently set to launch later this year. This free program is not unlike Nintendo’s My Nintendo system and other point-based loyalty services, which encourage members to engage with a company’s products and offerings by dealing out digital — and sometimes physical — goodies in return.
In the case of PlayStation Stars, players will be able to earn rewards by completing activities that range from competing in tournaments to earning trophies. The announcement also specifically references the service’s “Monthly Check-In” campaign, which asks members to play a game to receive a reward. Loyalty points can be accumulated over time and then used to redeem items in an online catalog, such as the always-useful wallet funds to put toward a future PlayStation purchase. PlayStation Plus members will receive additional benefits from the jump, with every purchase they make yielding some points in return.
PlayStation Stars will also beget something new: digital collectibles. Sony describes the goodies as “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.” In other words, digital collectibles are intended to be a simple, fun way to express your love for PlayStation’s long history.
The Washington Post spoke with Sony about the digital collectibles and asked if any of the redeemable bonuses are non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Sony was quick to shut down any speculation that NFTs will be a part of PlayStation Stars.
“It’s definitely not NFTs. Definitely not,” Grace Chen, vice president of network advertising, loyalty, and licensed merchandise, said. “You can’t trade them or sell them. It is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs.”
PlayStation Stars is an exciting prospect, especially for those who are already firmly embedded in the PlayStation ecosystem. For more on the upcoming service, keep checking in for updates.
