Today, Sony introduced a new loyalty program called PlayStation Stars that will give gamers loyalty points and rewards. The program is free to join and launches later this year, the company announced. PlayStation Stars members can redeem points for PSN wallet funds, the payment method for game purchases and select PlayStation Store items.
With the program, PlayStation also unveiled digital collectibles for loyal members to earn. To answer what everyone is thinking — No, it’s not an NFT.
Grace Chen, vice president, Network Advertising, Loyalty & Licensed Merchandise, writes in a PlayStation blog that 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.” PlayStation Stars members can collect tons of collectibles, including ultra-rare ones.
To earn rewards, members must complete tasks or “campaigns” where they can win tournaments and specific trophies. Players can even earn rewards if they are the first player to platinum a blockbuster title in their local time zone. There will also be a monthly check-in campaign that requires you to play any game to receive a reward.
This is PlayStation’s first rewards program, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.
The introduction of PlayStation Stars comes a month after Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription launch. PlayStation Plus members enrolled in the loyalty program automatically earn points for PlayStation Store purchases.
The two announcements reflect the growing effort in the gaming industry to delve deeper into subscription offerings and consumer-facing strategies.
PlayStation hopes by introducing this new program and digital collectibles, gamers will be “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 added.
The company said that the program is currently being tested and will continue to evolve over time. Later this year, it will launch in “phased regional rollouts” such as Asia, the Americas, Europe and more.
