Sony Introduces PlayStation Stars Loyalty Program For Gamers

NEW: I talked to a friend of Varun Chheda, the student killed at Purdue. Andrew Wu says Varun was kind, smart and passionate. As for Varun's roommate, Pkvgames now arrested for his murder, Wu says Varun never said much about him. Live reports coming on

The PlayStation Stars program will launch later this year, though an exact time frame hasn't been provided yet. CNET reached out to PlayStation, but the gaming giant didn't immediately respond for comment.

On PC gaming platform Steam, Cult of the Lamb has seen hundreds of thousands of downloads, and while Wilton can't reveal the exact figures due to Massive Monster's backing by UK-listed Devolver Digital, pre-sales numbers show the game has already recouped its investment costs.

Sony on Thursday introduced its PlayStation Stars loyalty program for PS5 and PS4 gamers. It'll be free to join, and players will be able to earn loyalty points by completing a variety of campaigns and activities. Players can choose from a catalog of options to redeem points, including PlayStation Network wallet funds and select PlayStation Store products.

Real estate consultancy Leechiu Property Consultants estimates that a complete exit of the POGO industry would leave vacant 1.05 million square metres (259 acres) of office space - a third of the size of New York's Central Park - and 8.9 billion pesos ($151 million) in foregone annual rent.

'He was destined to make a large impact in our world and while we have been robbed of this opportunity, I am still highly appreciative to have known him since 1st grade. Rest in peace, Varun. We will miss you dearly.'

Campaigns will include PlayStation's "Monthly Check-In" campaign, where you can earn points just for playing any game on your console. Other activities will require you to win tournaments or unlock trophies to earn points -- or even be the first player in your local time zone to make it to platinum for a blockbuster title (which indicates that a player has achieved 100% completion in that game).

Digital collectibles are also on their way to the PS5 via the Stars program. Collectibles could be figurines of iconic characters -- think Solid Snake or Ratchet & Clank -- or they could be representations of famous Sony devices throughout history. 

'We played games together all the time, video games, card games, you name it. Even hundreds of miles away, for the past four years in college we still kept in touch. We'd hang out six to seven times a week just to play games together,' Wu said. 

The POGOs targeted for closure had licenses that either expired or were revoked, for violations like non-payment of government fees, Clavano said, adding the deportation of the Chinese workers would start next month.

Chheda, 20, suffered multiple sharp force injuries to his body inside his dorm room at McCutcheon Hall after midnight on October 5. His roommate, Gji Min Sha, 22, has since been arrested for the crime. 

MANILA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The Philippines will stop operations of 175 offshore gambling firms and deport about 40,000 Chinese workers, a justice ministry official said on Monday, part of a crackdown on the notoriously opaque online gaming industry.

'Varun Chheda was a very kind, gentle young man with an absolutely brilliant mind, and he would have done amazing things in and for this world,' Laughner wrote on Facebook. 'It's a tragedy that his life was senselessly taken before he had a chance to do so.' 

Some students said they heard Chheda's distant screams throughout the building, but fellow student Andrew Wu heard him echo in his ear, he told Arunabh Sinha, a childhood friend of Chheda, further confirmed to that Chheda was playing with his friends and chatting through Discord when Sha allegedly killed him.

'We extend our deepest condolences to the entire Chheda family. Park Tudor counselors are available to assist any members of our community who may require support; please keep the Chheda family in your thoughts and prayers.' 

The sector employs 201,000 Chinese and 111,000 Filipinos, according to Leechiu's data, which estimates POGOs deliver 190 billion pesos ($3.22 billion) to the economy each year, a boon to the property and retail sectors.
Sha was an international student from South Korea studying cybersecurity. He was arrested after he called campus police to report Chheda's death at 12.44am on Wednesday, Tim Doty, Purdue's director of media and public relations, told the