Activision patents "System and method for driving microtransactions in multiplayer video games"

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Via Glixel
Activision was granted a patent this month for a system it uses to convince people in multiplayer games to purchase items for a game through microtransactions.

But Activision tells Glixel that the technology is not currently in any games.

"This was an exploratory patent filed in 2015 by an R&D team working independently from our game studios," an Activision spokesperson tells Glixel. "It has not been implemented in-game."

Bungie also confirmed to Glixel that the technology isn't being used in Destiny 2.

This patent, though, specifically discusses how that system for pairing up players can also be used to entice a player to purchase in-game items.

"For example, in one implementation, the system may include a microtransaction engine that arranges matches to influence game-related purchases," according to the patent. "For instance, the microtransaction engine may match a more expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player. A junior player may wish to emulate the marquee player by obtaining weapons or other items used by the marquee player."
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More at the source link.

Absolutely disgusting, and a situation in which both sides suffer through uneven matchups. Loot boxes/microtransactions keep getting worse and worse.
 
Sigh from a business perspective it makes so much sense but as a gamer I absolutely hate it. Intentionally matching you against superior opponents. Tbh I would be surprised if this isnt already implemented in some games.
 
Activision have long been at the top of my list of publishers who have utter disdain for their customers and believe in milking them hard rather than delighting them with good content at a good price. Bobby Kotick famously bragged how he thought he could monetise the average COD player to the tune of $100/game back in the MW2 days. Other publishers have followed, especially as they've seen the value of microtransactions in the mobile gaming market.

I'm all for a publisher making sure they've made not only enough money to fund future development and corporate growth but to make a good profit as well (they have shareholders after all), but to treat customers as cattle who are there to be milked is a different matter.

Other publishers seem to be do a "me too" now (See EA with SWBF2 and also the shutting down of Viseral as their SW game wasn't designed to milk customers).
 
I'm slightly surprised the last step isn't the same whether or not player 1 buys the item. i.e. Reward for purchase, Punish for failure to purchase.
 
Activision seems like they've piling points into their advertising skill level. I think it would annoy me to no end, I'd just end up not playing. I could see this coming to Overwatch at some point.
 
meh, not arsed. if a bunch of kids want to waste mum and dads money on micro transactions wtf do I care.

no grown ass adults are going to care or feel obliged to spend more money just because they get matched against someone who has some in game gear they don't have... and if they do care then they deserve to get mugged off for being such a bunch of sad biffs.
 
They should patent all forms and methods of DLC, microtransaction, Pay-to-Win, etc, and then just sit on it.... or charge publishers a stonking fortune every time they want to use it!!
 
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