author: Zuzanna Domeradzka
Sony Claims to Distance Itself From NFTs, but Keeps Testing the Waters
When Sony recently announced the PlayStation Stars program, which smelled a bit of NFT, the company vehemently denied any desire to introduce the system. However, surveys presented at the EVO 2022 event somewhat undermine these assurances.
Some time ago Sony announced its PlayStation Stars loyalty program. It is supposed to consist of receiving loyalty points for performing specific activities. Points can be used for, among other things, buying products from the PS Store or reclaiming "digital collector's rewards." The latter evoked associations with NFT, but the company assured that the rewards would not be tradable or sellable. It was emphasized that they would not be NFTs. However, it seems that despite these assurances, Sony is carefully testing the waters of this system.
At EVO 2022, part of one of the tasks in which you can win a T-shirt is to fill out a survey titled "What do you collect the most?". One of the questions refers to NFTs, and reads as follows: "Which of these NFT/digital collector prizes would you be interested in?". You can choose from items related to your favorite game character, favorite musical artist, favorite esports player/team, branded EVO, as well as PlayStation-related items. However, asking players about NFTs may indicate that Sony has some interest in introducing the solution in the future.
Of course, this is nevertheless just a survey, and Sony may simply be familiarizing itself with the topic and trying to understand what the players like. However, this does not rule out the fact that the company is serious about NFTs, even if it shied away from it in the PlayStation Stars program.