Introduced during the PlayStation 3 generation, Trophies have become integral to the gaming experience of Sony’s consoles. Some gamers strive to earn the most Trophies, focusing on completing easier lists to raise their Trophy level. Others aim to collect the most difficult trophies on PlayStation, taking pride in collecting the toughest digital badges of honor available.

So much about the PlayStation Trophy system works well, from the various rarities and Platinum Trophies to the simplicity of a Trophy count over gamerscore. For all its strengths, though, PlayStation’s approach to Trophies could still be better. There is untapped potential in a proper reward system for Trophy hunters, and with Sony dabbling with the idea in the past, there is clearly interest in giving gamers another incentive to hunt them down. Rewards could take a few forms and be implemented in a few ways, though they would be a welcome addition no matter how they are introduced.

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Sony’s Past Attempts At Trophy Rewards

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In the past, Sony has tried to reward PlayStation users for earning the Platinum Trophy in the platform’s exclusive games. Usually, these rewards have taken the form of a special theme or avatar. Once players Platinumed a PlayStation exclusive that had this kind of reward, they would be sent a special code via their PSN account’s e-mail address. The code would let them download and use a special theme or avatar as a reward for getting every Trophy in the game, and while this was undoubtedly a nice gesture, the fact that it was limited to PlayStation exclusives showed its limitations.

Another attempt at Trophy rewards came via the Sony Rewards program. On the website, which provided players reward points for seeing Sony movies or making PlayStation Store purchases, there were badges that rewarded players with large chunks of points for earning Trophies. After hitting milestones like 10 Platinums or 25 golds, players could finish the badge and get their points. These could then be spent on PSN codes, essentially letting gamers earn PSN money for Trophy hunting. Unfortunately, these badges were removed, likely because players were completing them far too often and getting more reward points than Sony originally intended.

One final attempt at a Trophy reward was a bit stranger, with a unique program seeing Trophy hunters being entered into a sweepstakes for a LEGO Miles Morales mini figure. To gain entry, players needed to acquire the “End Game” Trophy for completing Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4. While a sweepstakes like this was an interesting reward, as a chance at a physical item was surprising, this kind of sweepstakes is rare. Trophy hunters who dedicate their free time to collecting would benefit from more consistent rewards to strive for, and a new system could provide that.

Introducing A New Reward System For Trophy Hunters

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Realistically, the rewards that Sony previously tried out were solid enough. Being able to get PlayStation Store credit from Trophy hunting, even at low amounts, would see players being encouraged to reinvest in more games with fresh Trophy lists. This could be profitable for Sony, as it could push users to buy more games through the digital marketplace, while players could actively work toward discounts on their purchases. Further, exclusive profile avatars and themes are great, and should not go away. Instead, Sony needs a better system to hand these rewards out.

Intriguingly, the struggling Destruction All-Stars could provide the perfect blueprint for a new Trophy reward format. Prior to release, the game received some extra attention for how it provided in-game rewards for Trophy unlocks. For example, players who unlocked the “Rookie” Trophy would get an in-game profile banner, and the reward could be viewed via the Trophy card. This underused feature could be the perfect foundation for a major Trophy reward system.

Despite being one of the more easily forgettable parts of the PlayStation 5 UI, cards could be a great avenue for Trophies going forward. Sony could introduce two types of Reward cards; one for each game and one that serves as an overall Milestone card. The game card could have an avatar, theme, and in-game item to unlock. These could be acquired at different completion levels, with 25%, 50%, and 100% being possible options. As for the Milestone card, it could work like the badges from Sony Rewards. After players earn 10 Platinums, they could unlock a 10% discount code for their next PlayStation Store purchase. Vouchers for $10 or $25 PSN Store credit could be rewarded when players hit new level milestones like 100, 200, and so on.

Special Trophy cards could add a lot to the Trophy hunting experience, as players could check how close they are to the next Milestone reward whenever they want. If PS Store discounts were on the line, or exclusive in-game items like a suit for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, those that usually ignore trophies could have a reason to collect them. They would not need to navigate to an external website like Sony Rewards, either. With the card system available to developers of every game, Platinum-exclusive themes and avatars could be unlockable for all titles, not just PlayStation exclusives.

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Making Trophy Hunting More Engaging For Competitive Gamers

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In addition to improving PlayStation’s Trophy system with reward cards, Sony could lean into the competitive side of Trophy hunting. Leaderboards, a feature already available to Xbox achievement hunters, could be perfect for such an approach. While PlayStation fans can use external websites to see leaderboards, having the option available through the PS5 console itself would be a game changer. Not only could players actively compete against their friends, but Sony could give players a chance to get some more rewards.

Major Trophy competitions could be hosted by Sony, with a leaderboards feature letting players see how they are performing against the rest of the world. Players could be tasked with getting the most Platinum Trophies in a month, seeing how many Ultra Rare trophies they can get, and so on. The top 10% of users could get a special accolade on their PSN profile, among other rewards. Seeing how rarely the current accolades are used on PS5, and how they often feel like wasted space on player profiles, Sony could rework the feature to be a showcase for Trophy-related accomplishments. Though they may never come, official Trophy competitions with some rewards tied to them could be another way for Sony to make Trophies more meaningful.

While many love Trophies already, many others see no reason to care about the feature. A complex reward system could change that, however. Competitive players could be motivated to face off against their friends and random gamers online to win something unique. Those who prefer to collect Trophies casually could do some Trophy hunting to unlock special items for the games they love, or they may do some Trophy grinding to earn discounts on their future purchases. Currently, PlayStation Trophies are their own reward, but they have the potential to be something more.

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