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[aristotle]

Since about January or so, the MVP program has been in a state of confusion. @Tolimo (the guy who talked to MVP members on the private forum) has been extremely silent. No one really knew what was going on, but we had assumed something would be changing. As of today this single post announced the death of the MVP program. I myself have been a member for years and I'll miss it and the benefits we had, along with helping the community.

As of Monday, April 18, PlayStation will no longer actively support the MVP Program. We want to thank you for your participation in the program and your enthusiasm in making PlayStation the best place to play. We will continue to explore ways to empower the vibrant PlayStation community across our on-console and digital ecosystem.



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Please note that this change does not affect the Support MVP Program. Click here If you are interested in learning more about the Support MVP Program.

R.I.P. Playstation MVP Program


For those that don't know, here is what the MVP Program was (It isn't mentioned below but we all had the chance to get a ton of free games as being MVP members, many times before they were released to the public and we usually got into most betas as well):

The PlayStation MVP program is made up of highly engaged PlayStation community members. Each member brings a unique perspective on what it means to be a PlayStation fan. It takes all types of fans to build the fabric of PlayStation, and as such there are all types of MVPs

Some are Curators of Reference Content: The type of fan that knows where to find the best walkthrough, or the latest fan art at the drop of a hat.
Some are Event Creators: These fans build, or help maintain, community events like Game Nights and multiplayer Tournaments.
Some are Critique PlayStation's Services: These folks give targeted feedback on Network services, or other brand related offerings.
Some are Social Conduits: These MVPs use their Social media prowess to bring communities together


Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:


What is an MVP?

An MVP is a regular and dedicated PlayStation user that helps to support PlayStation Network by playing proactive roles during events, generating useful resources for the community, and providing feedback to PlayStation from their perspective as engaged gamers on PSN. MVPs are not employees of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., its parent company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates (“SCEA&#8221. They don’t formulate policy, or moderate PSN. They are bound to the same Terms of Service and User Agreement as any other user of PSN. They are simply highly engaged gamers that care about PlayStation and the PlayStation community.


Do MVPs moderate PSN and the forums?

No. In fact, they are forbidden from attempting to moderate or police official PlayStation Community destinations in any way beyond reporting abuses they encounter. We encourage every user to do this when they witness behavior that is a violation of the Terms of Service and User Agreement.


How can I identify an MVP?

You can identify an MVP by their special rank on the PlayStation Community Forums. Their name will be bold, and they will have "PlayStation MVP" as their forum rank/title. They will also have a unique black trophy icon next to their forum handle.


How can I become an MVP?

Apply here: http://us.playstation.com/ps-mvp-program/

Participation is at the Community Management team and Moderation's sole discretion and any user that is found guilty of violating the Terms of Service and User Agreement while classified as an MVP will potentially be removed from the program.
There is no minimum or maximum amount of time that you must commit to spending as an MVP. Of course, we prefer our participants to be very active in their communities.


Do MVPs know more about what is happening with PlayStation than other users?

Yes and No. Community Managers will oftentimes communicate details about events, services, and the general status of PlayStation to MVPs before messaging the community-at-large. This is done to amplify the spread of informatoin to all users about our initiatives.


Do MVPs get their own private forum?

Yes they do. It offers us a very simple and easy means of communicating with them and maintaining a log of data as time rolls on.



If you have more questions, then I encourage you to seek out an MVP and ask them for some first hand feedback on what it's like to be in the program. If you have ideas about the program feel free to contact me with your feedback


Program Terms and Conditions
[Updated April 23, 2013]

 

[Jack The Nipper]

What is this

 

[coolasj19]

Noooooooo I didn't use or take advantage or participate in it at all even though I was an MVP !! Nooooooooooooo.

 

[BruceCLea]

Haha I was wondering why I haven't gotten any emails. Got an invite to PSX last year but couldn't make it! Super happy I got to share it with someone on GAF!

RIPPSMVP

 

[katsubento]

Yes, it's all over. But it has been silent for months so we kind of saw it coming.

I got to meet cool people, interact with the PS Community Managers (at the time of first PSX), and helped the at the Hawaii Sony E3 Theater Experience 2015 (I think I'm the only MVP in my State...or at least that was active).

It will be missed.

 

[MastaKilla]

Is the MVP program what all the douches on the PS forums are a part? Those guys are such trolls, if you have a different opinion then them you get bashed like hell

 

[D1renegade]

Thanks Yoshida

 

[jormungand]

Same path as the PlayStation Rewards program I see....

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

By 2020: Sony cancels PlayStation Plus free game program.

 

[Flandy]

Writing has been on the walls for months. No surprise it's over. RIP o7

 

[impact]

By 2020: Sony cancels PlayStation Plus free game program.

For most users, they already did.

 

[5taquitos]

Same path as the PlayStation Rewards program I see....

You should be using Sony Rewards, you can redeem points for PSN vouchers and earn points with PSN purchases.

 

[Kenshin001]

Good. Sony needs constructive criticism, not adulation.

 

[LewieP]

All signs pointing to Sony getting out of the console business.

 

[Rellik]

For most users, they already did.

Beat me to it.

 

[Quadraphonic]

I was in it, but quickly found myself not enthused since a large part of it revolved around streaming games to your "audience" and manually tracking and reporting how many viewers and engagements you had. It was less a rewarding system and more of a weird version of a sponsored Let's Play.

 

[TimeEffect]

Noooo. I was a member. The community just wasn't strong or active on the private forum, unfortunately, but there were some good members who made the most of it.

Guys like Tolimo were pretty supportive.

 

[AmuroChan]

By 2020: Sony cancels PlayStation Plus free game program.

As long as I still get the PS+ discounts that's fine.

 

[TimeEffect]

I was in it, but quickly found myself not enthused since a large part of it revolved around streaming games to your "audience" and manually tracking and reporting how many viewers and engagements you had. It was less a rewarding system and more of a weird version of a sponsored Let's Play.

This was more to stop people from using the program strictly as a "give me free beta codes and games" purpose

Doing all that was really annoying, but I can see why they did it.

 

[Soulflarz]

I hear the rewards were actually pretty good in the MVP program vs the effort you had to put in to get in. Wishing I applied.

For most users, they already did.

Wait, was this what he was banned for?
I dunno, seems a bit harsh for an offhand joke, but not my place to say I guess.
*not asking to contest it, am just curious, moreso for reference so I don't make an offhand joke like that at one point.

 

[Walpurgis]

By 2020: Sony cancels PlayStation Plus free game program.

I'm thinking they'll drop PS3 this E3 and quietly cancel it for PS4 during the PS5 reveal. To make it up to us, they'll promise us God of War 5 PS+ edition which is like basically the full game....until it's not.

 

[Kyrios]

So was this basically the Gamer Advisory Panel that Sony disbanded after discontinuing the original PlayStation Underground?

I remember I got this special invite back in the day, think I still have it lol

 

[katsubento]

So was this basically the Gamer Advisory Panel that Sony disbanded after discontinuing the original PlayStation Underground?

I remember I got this special invite back in the day, think I still have it lol

It was similar in some ways.

 

[Amir0x]

For most users, they already did.

You mean for some PS+ users, they decide not to play numerous highly scoring videogames because you don't like the selections and because their budgets don't go north of some laughably arbitrary number. Tough shit, suck it up.

 

[NCR Redslayer]

Does this mean that one sony MVP gaffer is out of a job?

 

[mercenar1e]

Does this mean that one sony MVP gaffer is out of a job?

former sony MVP tag.

 

[OmegaDL50]

Is the MVP program what all the douches on the PS forums are a part? Those guys are such trolls, if you have a different opinion then them you get bashed like hell

I had a support query once and I got a reply that was equivalent to "That's too bad, it's not my problem"

I'm sure some might be disappointed with discontinuation of the MVP program, but I've never really found an issue MVP support could handle that I wasn't better off calling official support to begin with.

 

[coolasj19]

Does this mean that one sony MVP gaffer is out of a job?

Awwww I liked him!
I haven't seen him in a while and I liked every time he said, "I forwarded this thread to Sony". Now how do I know they're listening?

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

Awwww I liked him!
I haven't seen him in a while and I liked every time he said, "I forwarded this thread to Sony". Now how do I know they're listening?

They were never listening

 

[spawnsniper]

I still miss the OG PlayStation underground.

 

[katsubento]

Does this mean that one sony MVP gaffer is out of a job?

There was more than one MVP Gaf person. Not all of us took such a "public" approach to the position. Several Gaffers actually.

 

[Vire]

Most PlayStation MVPs I have come across on forums have acted like self important jackasses so I can't exactly say I will miss it. It's like HOA board members who go on a power trip over a meaningless position.

 

[v1lla21]

Ayyy. Time to get to work.

 

[franknbeans]

I still miss the OG PlayStation underground.

I loved PS underground. I remember getting random stuff in the mail every now and then.

 

[Hexa]

So was this basically the Gamer Advisory Panel that Sony disbanded after discontinuing the original PlayStation Underground?

I remember I got this special invite back in the day, think I still have it lol

Yeah. I think is the third iteration. I remember being in GAP back in the day. It was a pretty interesting message board. Wonder what they'll call the next one. xD

 

[half a moon]

I remember that gaf poster helping out. I never read the official forums or seen any others on GAF.

The Blizzard MVP's all seemed like apologist tools on the Blizzard forums. Every decision Blizz made was gospel.

 

[katsubento]

Most PlayStation MVPs I have come across on forums have acted like self important jackasses so I can't exactly say I will miss it. It's like HOA board members who go on a power trip over a meaningless position.

Those were the ones that thought the position gave them some kind of power. Most MVP's don't do things like that, and are supposed to help bolster the community, not destroy it. I do wish the members that did that were not a part of it, as it gives us a bad name.

Of course it's rather moot now.

 

[Walpurgis]

I tried to get in on this for the betas but that forum was incredibly boring. It's a near-dead fanboy congregation with some weirdos. Last I saw, there was a thread about some guy who thought Ellie was hot. There just wasn't enough to talk about to prove my "dedication" to the community.

 

[Silphonica]

I had been an active member of the playstation community on the EU forums way back in the old blue forum layout (2003 i think), and i've slowly watched the playstation community dwindle in terms of actually feeling like a close community to the point I no longer post on the eu forums anymore. It feels so... bland, the mvps have been around for so long, its weird to see them go and yet im not even surprised.

 

[Sarobi]

I am/was an MVP (Don't think I'll call myself one after this), and can safely say their was a fair share amount of members who felt entitled just because they got a special rank under their name on the forum. We never did anything special, and we never had any power. They sent me and others to E3 for a few years, though, and that is all I can really say was cool about the program.

Anyone else want to send me to E3 now that my free ride is over?

 

[Blablurn]

end of an era

 

[GnawtyDog]

Finals MVP is the one that always mattered.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Never heard of this program.

Some are Social Conduits: These MVPs use their Social media prowess to bring communities together

Sounds like the guy who posts a thread here for every mundane PS blog update. Lol.

 

[Morning Star]

Guys like Tolimo were pretty supportive.

It was my understanding he was the exact opposite.

 

[msdstc]

Lol its been dead forever. Its amazing how many apologists there were for the community manager when he basically faded to the back while it fizzled out.

 

[zulux21]

can't blame them.
they try to do cool inside info.
it gets leaked.
figures out who might have leaked it, removes them. tries again.
it gets leaked.
tries once more..
it gets leaked.

it was nice being on the insidish for a bit, but people really can't keep their mouths shut when under a NDA :/

but yeah since they stopped sending me emails about surveys and what not I figured it would be completely done soon.

 

[Sarobi]

can't blame them.
they try to do cool inside info.
it gets leaked.
figures out who might have leaked it, removes them. tries again.
it gets leaked.
tries once more..
it gets leaked.

it was nice being on the insidish for a bit, but people really can't keep their mouths shut when under a NDA :/

but yeah since they stopped sending me emails about surveys and what not I figured it would be completely done soon.

Exactly. I mean I would say "F**k these guys" as well after people kept leaking information.

 

[Poster#1]

As long as I still get the PS+ discounts that's fine.

" Let me get less for a service I pay for"

smh

 

[HarryDemeanor]

Never really liked MVP programs. Blizzard MVPs were the worst back in the day.

 

[Frosta]

Good riddance the whole program seemed pointless to me and it locked actual fans of franchises out of betas.

Also the PlayStation forum community is toxic.