When it comes to loyalty programs for buying video games, rarely are participants ever reward with, say, free, meaningful games or even DLC. The Nintendo eShop points system is leading the pack in this regard, since any points you acquire by buying games (even physical games can be logged in the shop to redeem points) cab be dumped right back into getting a slight discount on the next new game you buy, which in returns grants you more points in a never-ending cycle of digital gold coins.
So with the announcement of Sony’s upcoming PlayStation Stars loyalty program, I was hoping for a model similar to Nintendo’s, though I was pretty sure this wouldn’t be the case. In fact, I assumed from the get-go that there would be little to write home about. And although it should probably go without saying, I was right in my supposition.
Well, mostly.
You can read the entire blog post here, but I thought I would run down some of the more notable details to help qualify my immediate reaction.
First off, when the program does go live later this year, it will be free to join. Members then get points for a number of activities, from winning tournaments to being the first person to “platinum a blockbuster title in your local time zone.” Which, seems a bit vague.
I’m sure there will be other ways to earn points, and the examples given will no doubt be further clarified or perhaps expanded upon as we get closer to the rollout. I guess this is cool if these are the sort of activities your engage in while gaming. I personally don’t, so this doesn’t much speak to me and my habits.
“But Julian, what will checking these boxes net someone?” you may be asking. Fair enough.
Well, for one thing, eligible participants can secure a number of “digital collectibles,” which are described 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.”
But wait, there’s more.
Points accrued from competing in Stars-themed or Stars-designated events can be redeemed for a multitude of items that will be collected in a sort of catalogue, which — and I quote — “may (my emphasis) include PSN wallet funds and select PlayStation Store products.”
Honestly, this would be the only “prize” that would move the needle for me. But prefacing that this may be a reward, and not clarifying whether the amount of the funds will be at all meaningful, doesn’t motivate me to get excited about this prospect. What does get me excited, though, is that PlayStation Plus members enrolled in the PlayStation Stars program automatically earn points for purchases in the PlayStation Store. So I guess just having a subscription will, at the very least, give subscribers some additional benefits above the “free” games specific to their tier, as well as the already beneficial extra 10% discount they are afforded in some store sales.
The post doesn’t specify if this is for all three PS Plus tiers, or if the benefits increase the higher up the tier totem you go. It also doesn’t specify how many points one earns for any of this, so I’m still gonna reserve that excitement burst until more info is released and the details become a bit more clear.
I’m sure most people will sign up regardless considering it is free to do so and there are some points or benefits to obtain from practically doing nothing more than you are probably already doing. I will more than likely sign up, since I am a PS Plus subscriber, and anything that might go towards reducing the cost of future game purchases is a boon in my book.
