loyalty program
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Sony's PlayStation loyalty program debuts in the US on October 5th
Sony is launching its PlayStation loyalty program in the US next month, and you can earn digital collectibles.
Sony’s first PlayStation loyalty program rewards you for earning trophies
PlayStation Stars includes wallet funds and digital collectibles, which are 'definitely not' NFTs.
Uber's expanded rewards program offers Apple Music and HBO Max perks
Uber's rewards program is now more flexible, including 'free' access to Apple Music and HBO Max.
Audi’s Silvercar rental service adds a customer loyalty program
Audi's premium rental service, Silvercar, just launched a customer loyalty program. All Silvercar customers will be automatically enrolled in the Premium Rewards Program. They'll earn one point for every dollar spent -- excluding those spent on taxes, insurance coverage, extras and fees -- and be able to use points on future rentals.
Forza Horizon 2 rewards series loyalty with sweet rides
Experienced Forza players will hit the ground running in Forza Horizon 2 this month, as Turn 10 Studios will carry on with the series' loyalty program introduced last year. Announced just over a year ago, Forza Rewards hands the keys to some sweet digital vehicles to players that raced in past entries in the series, and the upcoming game will offer up to five cars to returning drivers. Forza Rewards gives players points based on their in-game actions, starting with Forza 2 on. Earning points for owning a large number of cars in Forza 5, for example, will add to players' point totals and increase their reward level tier. Upon starting Forza Horizon 2 for the first time, tier two and above loyalty program participants will receive one car right away, depending on their reward tier. The five in-game cars include the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe (Tier 2), the 2013 Viper GTS (Tier 3), the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 (Tier 4), the 2014 Local Motors Rally Fighter (Tier 5) and the 2013 McLaren P1 (Tier 6). Forza Horizon 2 will launch on September 30 for Xbox One and Xbox 360. Microsoft also issued a launch trailer for the game today, found after the break. [Image: Microsoft]
Hyrule Warriors in the club get two legendary Ganondorf outfits
Nintendo introduced Ganondorf as a playable character for Hyrule Warriors during last night's Nintendo Direct livestream dedicated to the game. As it turns out, Club Nintendo members will have access to two special outfits for Ganondorf in the game as well. Those that buy Hyrule Warriors and register the game with Nintendo's loyalty program between September 26 and October 23 will receive a download code for the DLC, which features costumes inspired by Ganondorf's appearances in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. As the primary villain of the Legend of Zelda series, "The Demon King" Ganondorf will annihilate hordes of enemies with dark magic-like moves and his great sword. Hyrule Warriors will launch on September 26 for Wii U and will feature local cooperative multiplayer and some form of online play, though it won't have an online campaign. [Image: Nintendo]
Club Nintendo adds accessory box, pouches, eShop games to catalog
Club Nintendo is offering new rewards for loyal customers, namely the sort of rewards you put other items in. Those with 700 free coins can pick up a green Mario-themed accessory basket that measures just under a foot wide. Don't be fooled by the name, as Nintendo can't stop the rebels among us from putting anything other than accessories in the basket, like cats. Or other, smaller baskets. Club Nintendo's two other new physical rewards are Animal Crossing-themed pouches. Available in both pink and blue, the pouches store handheld systems as large as the 3DS XL for 500 coins. We're eyeing up one of the pouches to store candy instead, because Nintendon't tell us what to do. As for the loyalty program's featured eShop game downloads, players can pick between four games until April 6: Kid Icarus of Myths and Monsters on 3DS (150 coins), Number Battle on 3DS (200 coins), Yoshi on Wii U (200 coins) and Bonsai Barber on WiiWare (250 coins). [Image: Nintendo]
Wurm Online launches new loyalty bonus program
Wurm Online has begun a brand-new loyalty bonus program for the faithful as well as plans to allow players the ability to pay for a subscription through Xsolla. The new loyalty program is made of two parts, a legacy bonus and future bonus. The legacy bonus is for players who have subscribed in the past and will be rewarded for this by a bounty of Seryll bars. The future bonus encompasses all of the rewards going forward, including titles, achievements, and illusion potions. The recent Wurm newsletter also announced that players can now choose to pay for the game via Xsolla, a payment provider that is used by, among other companies, Wargaming. [Source: Wurm Online newsletter]
Earn credits to get dollars in relaunched Xbox Live Rewards service
Microsoft phased out Microsoft Points in favor of what we call "real people dollars," and is now re-launching its Xbox Live Rewards service. Now, when players use Xbox Live to perform actions like renewing their Gold subscription or referring friends, they will be rewarded with hundreds or even thousands of credits. Once players haul in at least 5,000 credits, the earnings are converted to local currency and deposited into their Microsoft account around the 15th and 30th of each month. Players that have earned at least 1,000 credits can request an early deposit. The conversion rate is $5 for every 5,000 credits.
The Daily Grind: Do you subscribe for loyalty bonuses?
Just because a game labels itself free-to-play doesn't mean that it lacks the option to subscribe. In fact, many so-called F2P titles offer a hybrid business model that seeks to attract the bees with the free honey and convince them to eventually rent out a spot on the honeycomb. As a frugal eagle, I don't like to subscribe if I can help it. Yet once in a while I do, either to support the game or (far more likely) to nab some of those sweet loyalty bonuses that subscribers get. Whether it's extra currency, boosts, cosmetic items, or that fancy forum title that makes me the envy of absolutely no one, subscription has its perks. So do you subscribe to an MMO to enjoy those extra frills? Are you eager to see what the next round of veteran rewards will give to you? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can't run it
Unofficial rumblings have pointed to Isis Mobile Wallet's trial getting close. If you've remained skeptical all the same, we're pretty sure that seeing Isis' Android app in Google Play will change your mind. The currently T-Mobile-only software confirms that pilot program members will tie their American Express, Capital One or Chase card (as well as a unique card) to Isis for paying through NFC at stores with a SmartTap terminal. We're also promised streamlined loyalty cards and coupons. Before anyone rushes to try the app at the local shop, remember that it's just one piece of the puzzle on top of the special SIM card, one of three NFC-equipped phones and that small matter of living in Austin or Salt Lake City when the service goes live. Having the official app at least lets those who qualify get a head start on what could soon be the only major alternative to Google Wallet in the US.
IBM Labs pitches the future of augmented reality shopping with mobile app prototype
From the same company that brought you the ThinkPad and the tank of a keyboard known as the Model M, today IBM is demonstrating its latest consumer development: a mobile shopping app. As odd as that sounds, it's no secret that Big Blue employs some rather brilliant folk, and now the company is looking to combine augmented reality with your everyday shopping habits. While still merely a prototype, the app will allow consumers to pan product aisles with their smartphone camera and view additional details on the screen. As IBM puts it, shoppers may input their own needs and preferences into the app, which can accommodate a wealth of information such as allergens, sugar content and bio-degradable packaging. Through partnerships with retailers, IBM also hopes to integrate promotions and loyalty schemes into the app, which it states will help stores better understand the buying habits of individual consumers. So there you have it, the future of shopping, as brought to you by IBM. As for the full PR, you'll find it after the break.
Toys R Us revamps loyalty rewards program
Toys R Us' loyalty program will undergo a few changes starting July 1, as announced in a press release today. The Rewards "R" Us system rewards buyers with points for each dollar spent online and in stores. Points no longer expire in the revised system, and there are no more exclusive periods of time (like holidays) where points cannot be earned.In the new program, every dollar spent on entertainment products (such as video games) is rewarded with one point. Members receive a $5 certificate every time they reach 500 points earned.To put that into perspective, rewards program members get $5 in "R"Us reward money for purchasing 17 Nintendo DS games at $30 apiece. Totally worth it, right?
Xbox Live Rewards to (somehow) tie into Achievements this Fall [Update: MS statement added]
Soon you'll have new ways to earn Xbox Live Rewards. The official Twitter account for Microsoft's wing that incentivizes friend referrals and surveys with free MS Points has announced Achievement functionality is coming this fall. The problem is we don't exactly know what that means right now.A tweet issued earlier today simply promises "a new way to earn Rewards based on your Achievements," coming this fall. We hope this means difficult Achievements will net us MS Points – we definitely deserve a bonus for earning all of the Achievements in Avatar: The Legend of Aang: The Burning Earth – but that's speculation until Microsoft gets back to us.Update: Microsoft wouldn't go into specifics and instead offered us the following statement: "We don't have many details to provide at this time, but can say that based on our member feedback, we're constantly looking for ways to continue enhancing and improving our Xbox Live Rewards program."
EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)
A joint venture of Canadian carriers Rogers, Bell and Telus called EnStream is in final talks with the country's leading banks (likely CIBC, TD, RBC, Scotiabank and BMO) to bring a mobile wallet solution to the Great White North within six months. The system, which was demoed at the CWTA Wireless Showcase last September, enables mobile payments by storing a user's financial credentials on the SIM located inside their NFC-capable phone. It aims to replace credit and debit cards at first -- perhaps even driver's licenses and loyalty programs down the road. Carriers plan to charge banks a flat rate instead of a per-transaction fee. According to Almis Ledas, EnStream's COO, "banking machines will become the payphones of the future". While we command this attempt to standardize mobile payments in Canada, the time frame seems rather optimistic in light of the slow progress AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made with Isis in the US so far. Different countries, different rules of course -- still, we think it's going to take quite a while to make loonies obsolete. Maybe this is the perfect window of opportunity for Google Wallet and Square to jump across the border, eh? Time will tell. Check out EnStream's mobile wallet in action on video after the break.
SOE showers Vanguard loyalists with gifts
While many newcomers to Telon might be checking out Vanguard for the first time when it goes free-to-play this summer, loyal subscribers wondered, "What do we get, apart from an influx of newbie chat questions?" To that, SOE replied: "GIFTS. And lots of them." The studio announced a series of loyalty rewards for current subscribers that can be grabbed in-game by going to a Herald of Telon in a major city. The first rewards are a "Loyal" title, a Banshee pet, and a Bracelet of Lucky Charms. Currently only players on Halgar can obtain these rewards, with Telon's inhabitants gaining access tomorrow. Each set of rewards will only be available for a limited time, with more sets to come between now and the F2P relaunch.
Square Enix Members server hacked, personal info possibly compromised
Square-Enix has sounded the klaxons and let out the guard dogs in response to an "unauthorized access" on one of its Square Enix Members servers. The web service was taken offline in North America and Japan while the company investigates the situation and determines how serious the problem is. Fortunately, it doesn't appear as if credit card information is at stake, although some users' personal information may be: We are assessing the full extent of this potential breach to determine what data, if any, was compromised and will provide more details as soon as possible. While some personal information may have been accessed, we can confirm that there is no possibility of any credit card information leak from this incident, since the server in question stores no credit card information. We estimate that the suspension will continue for a few days until we complete our investigation and counter-measures. We will update you as we learn more. Square Enix Members is a loyalty program that dishes out rewards in exchange for players who register Square-Enix games with the service. The website does store users' names, addresses, usernames, and passwords.
City of Heroes announces 2012 loyalty program
Paragon Studios has announced that, beginning next month, it will be introducing the 2012 Salute to Statesman Loyalty Program. As a part of this program, City of Heroes players will be rewarded with unique costume parts, emotes, and more just for staying subscribed to the game. All players have to do in order to get their shiny rewards is ensure that their subscription doesn't run out between December 1st and March 31st of next year. For the full details on the promotion, head on over to the official City of Heroes site.
Sprint axes Premier program, no more annual upgrades for Gold customers
Well, hope as you might that it was untrue, Sprint has killed off its Premier program and is putting an end to annual upgrades for Premier Gold customers. Premier subscribers will still be able to take advantage of the perks provided by their accounts through the end of the year, but once the calendar flips to 2012 you'll be thrown back in with the rest of the riffraff. Gold members, who previously enjoyed discounted handset upgrades every year, will have through the end of 2012 to take advantage of one more subsidized phone. But, after that, they'll be on the same 22 month schedule as everyone else. Sorry folks, dem's da breaks. Check out the FAQ at the source link for more details. [Thanks, Eric]
Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Starwood Hotels reward your loyalty with free WiFi
Free WiFi is practically a given at coffee shops and motels, yet lots of luxury hotels hit you with an extra $10 - $15 a day to ride their waves of wireless internet. Good news is, well-heeled world travelers won't be paying those fees much longer, because several high-end hotel chains are now giving temporary tenants complimentary wireless internet. Loyalty program members for Hilton, Hyatt, and Starwood Hotels get online gratis if they have Gold or Platinum status, while Marriott lets all who sign up for its rewards program get WiFi for free. Seems ridiculous that some folks still pay extra for internet when a room runs several hundred dollars, but a little free websurfing is better than none. We can only hope that towel retention technology will provide a sufficient boost to their bottom lines to eventually allow access for all.
