Sony announced PlayStation Stars, a loyalty program for gamers

“We really feel like this is the best time to launch this kind of software, in terms of having the healthiest player base, obviously PlayStation 5 is a huge success and we really wanted to do something that could honor and celebrate PlayStation history, and now is the best time to do that,” Grace Chen, vice president of online advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, said in an interview with The Washington Post. “We wanted to create a program that honors that journey and the role that PlayStation might play in someone’s life. We wanted to do it in a way that only PlayStation could.”

The show was named after the stars because Sony liked its connotations of being unrestricted and unlimited, which is in keeping with the PlayStation motto that says “play without limits.” Later this year, it will roll out in regions around the world, including Asia, the Americas, and Europe, among others.

Chen said PlayStation Stars will not be a competitor to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s video game subscription service, and that the program is intended to attract new and veteran players.

“It is beneficial for all players. Obviously, for players who have been with PlayStation for a long time and have been on this game journey with us, we want to be able to recognize and reward them in distinct ways, but there will be a lot of aspects about this new software,” said Chen. Customers will enjoy, too.”

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All players will earn loyalty points that can be exchanged for PSN wallet money (therefore traded for items worth real money). Sony also subscribed players PlayStation Plus Online Service It will earn extra points for spending in the PlayStation Store, a feature that non-subscribers will miss.

Players can redeem points for indie games, bonus content, and themed collectibles in the rewards catalog. Sony plans to add new rewards, campaigns, and collectibles over time.

Although Sony has been vague about details about the program, it said there will be a monthly check-in campaign that rewards users for playing at least one game, as well as other campaigns to win tournaments and earn select prizes. Other campaigns may require players to play a specific game online.

The PlayStation announcement reflects a larger shift in entertainment toward subscription models and more consumer-oriented initiatives.

“With a wide range of entertainment services moving to subscriptions, loyalty is emerging as an important metric,” said Joost van Druenen, lecturer in gaming at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “By incentivizing gamers to check in regularly and making their membership more visible, Sony will likely improve brand retention and loyalty. It will prove essential during a period when inflation and economic downturn will affect consumer spending on games.”

As part of PlayStation Stars, the first player to reach platinum – completing all in-game achievements – at a mega title in a local time zone will also receive a reward, preventing others from winning it. Chen said the company will reduce fraudulent activities in the event that people cheat or buy and sell accounts with certain rewards attached.

Another type of bonus Sony offers is digital collectibles, which are 3D representations of things like video game character figurines and earlier Sony hardware. Some will be very rare and difficult to obtain. They are not non-redeemable tokens, although they are also digital and collectible.

“They are definitely not NFTs. Of course not. You can’t trade them or sell them. They don’t take advantage of any blockchain technologies and certainly not NFTs,” said Chen.