Sony earlier announced the new PlayStation Stars program where players will be able to earn points for completing certain tasks. Alongside the points, players can also earn a new type of reward called digital collectibles, and Sony has clarified that the PlayStation Stars collectibles are “definitely not NFTs” for those who may have been concerned.
Sony had described the new collectibles 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”. They also added there would “will always be a new collectible to earn, an ultra rare collectible to strive for, or something surprising to collect just for fun”, sparking worries that Sony may be moving into the NFT market. However, Sony’s vice president of network advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, Grace Chen, told Washington Post that the PlayStation Stars collectibles are “definitely not 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 also said the reason the program is launching now is that there is a healthy PlayStation player base, the PS5 is a “huge success”, and “we really wanted to do something that can honor and celebrate PlayStation’s history.” The program is also not intended to compete with Xbox Game Pass but will suit players both new and those “who have been with PlayStation for a long time.” The program will be introduced across various regions later this year.
In other news, pre-orders for God of War Ragnarok go live tomorrow. Elsewhere, Bandai Namco has confirmed they were victims of the ransomware attack but stated the leaked 2023 release lineup was fake.
