Activision Granted Patent that Pairs Players to Increase Microtransaction Purchases - General News

SBFord · October 2017

Activision Granted Patent that Pairs Players to Increase Microtransaction Purchases - General News

According to Rolling Stone, a new patent has been granted to Activision that may dramatically increase the odds for players to purchase microtransaction items. The patent, filed for in 2015 but granted just today, pairs gamers together to

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SomeHuman · October 2017

Maybe this current trend is the pendulum beginning to swing back toward solid B2P games. I don’t see how any gamer can like how things are going now.

SBFord · October 2017

You know, it's one thing that we "understand" we're being manipulated by microtransactions, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame when we see it so blatantly placed before our eyes in cold black and white.

Hopefully, this will turn the tide. I wonder what, if any, impact recent legal maneuvers overseas with regard to loot chest odds and so forth will have on this which obviously wasn't present in 2015?

Of course, we also have to be careful in assuming they'll actually use the patented process. It's possible that things have progressed beyond its capabilities over 2 years after filing.

Forgrimm · October 2017

Putting whales together so they'll be even more inclined to keep up with the Joneses...

Albatroes · October 2017

Maybe I had rose-tented glasses on when I think back to the old days of gaming, but I dont remember the scene being so money hungry 10+ years ago. I remember devs not just saying that they were gamers but actually would talk about their times in various games as well as top titles they played or co-op moments they had with people, etc. Now, with them pretty much just being blatant about how much they want us to give them more money, its honestly just pushing me to quit the entire scene together. Call me a fool but I'm honestly MORE inclined to give a company money when I dont feel like they are trying to pull out my wallet and open it for me every few minutes in their game especially if I've already gave them money upfront just to play it. We hardly get demos anymore and pre-order was shoved down people's throats in the past 5 years. Heck, even the Assassin's Creed: Origin's pre-order tells you up front you wont get access to a mission if you dont pre-order. That's straight up completed content that they are saying you wont get unless you give them money first. I dont know about anyone else, but if you can already say what extra you're going to release for the game before its even released, that should just be included. The only thing I can kind of let slide is if its something cosmetic. Lets not forget that SE is working on a SECOND season pass for FFXV supposedly, cause you gotta milk as much as you can I guess.

Manestream · October 2017

I dont like the sounds of this. 1 person bought their items and gear gets to show it all off by being placed with people who dont have that stuff in teh hopes that it would encourage them to buy it.

Hmmm that would be pure P2P and P2W, what would be the actual point in playing the game if the best items are bought.

I like the B2P buy the game and expansions and dont get to fork out for anything else as everything can drop from kills/chests or be made by other players.

This whole Item Store shit is getting out of hand now. GREED aimed at the ones that have the wallet and funds but those may buy, rest wont but still wont save the games.

Octagon7711 · October 2017

Use or license it out. One reviewer I once watched on YT said he was afraid that one day it would get to the point in which companies would charge gamers on a per-skill-use basis. "42000 melee coins if you want to try and take down that world boss." "Don't worry, on sale."

Albatroes · October 2017

Octagon7711 said:

Use or license it out. One reviewer I once watched on YT said he was afraid that one day it would get to the point in which companies would charge gamers on a per-skill-use basis. "42000 melee coins if you want to try and take down that world boss." "Don't worry, on sale."

You could argue that its already been a thing since a lot of f2p games sell dungeon charges/resets, which pretty much give you as many shots at a particular daily/weekly instance as you're willing to spend. But its spreading to almost every game though. I mean people do have to realize that some practices are fine in certain payment models for various reasons, but there is a line. Companies are just pushing and it feels like they are working together to do it. What makes this kind of funny is that this is news a week or so before Destiny 2 is going to be live on pc (which of course has micro-transactions)

Talonsin · October 2017

When I look back at game devs from the past like Richard Garret who are still living today from the large amounts of money they made 20 years ago, it makes me wonder how much is enough? Activision made over 6 BILLION last year in revenue but it still isnt enough for them. Instead of investing in making good games which was what brought them to this point, they plan more devious ways to milk the players.

What a sad industry this has become...

SpottyGekko · October 2017

The genie is out of the bottle, and it's never going back in...

Iselin · October 2017

SBFord said:

You know, it's one thing that we "understand" we're being manipulated by microtransactions, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame when we see it so blatantly placed before our eyes in cold black and white.

Hopefully, this will turn the tide. I wonder what, if any, impact recent legal maneuvers overseas with regard to loot chest odds and so forth will have on this which obviously wasn't present in 2015?

Of course, we also have to be careful in assuming they'll actually use the patented process. It's possible that things have progressed beyond its capabilities over 2 years after filing.

Just another step from the now common method of game broadcast announcements that games like Neverwinter use when someone gets lucky with a loot box prize.

What's next? Walmart Online: The Game

Gdemami · October 2017

DMKano said:

It won't change anything - because people have become completely numb and even if they get alarmed - what do people do? Make some angry posts on social media - and in a few days - zero action and back to normal, and all is forgotten.

It seems that we've become a fatalist and apathetic society - completely unwilling to do anything beyond our immediate self-serving interest.

...yep, once people do not share your view, they must be completely numb, fatalist and apathetic.

Sound logic. But hey, common sense is treated as offense on these boards...

Mykell · October 2017

The next step is to team up with a data collection company like Facebook and target the masses through social media.

Imagine the peer pressure to buy when someone in your social circle is spending up big in a game you play.

Micro transactions will just become the norm and only crusty old vets will remember when gaming in its more pure form.

MadFrenchie · October 2017

Did we expect publishers would sit idly, satisfied with the new status quo when they can simply keep pushing to get us to spend more, down to using algorithms to push players towards microtransactions?

Must be more of that "need" from the increased cost of doing business, yeah?

Siveria · October 2017

SBFord said:

You know, it's one thing that we "understand" we're being manipulated by microtransactions, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame when we see it so blatantly placed before our eyes in cold black and white.

Hopefully, this will turn the tide. I wonder what, if any, impact recent legal maneuvers overseas with regard to loot chest odds and so forth will have on this which obviously wasn't present in 2015?

Of course, we also have to be careful in assuming they'll actually use the patented process. It's possible that things have progressed beyond its capabilities over 2 years after filing.

IMO Loot boxes/gacha bags should be aganst the law in the first place, as its essentally gambling no matter how they try to sugarcoat it. The odds of getting anything decent are so low its like hitting the jackpot on a slot machine, the diffrence is alot of slot machines aren't 5 dollars a pop like most of the scam boxes are.

Sadly how it is now won't change, it'll only get worse because the devs and publishers know most players are stupid and will buy into microtransactions like a fly to crap. Gamers today that started in the ps2 era have killed gaming as they are the main ones who buy into all this microtransaction crap, because they do not know how it orignally was and they think its normal.

The worst offenders are the games that lock content ALREADY ON THE DISC behind a paywall, today its very rare to actually get a complete game out of the box, most big name games have a large portion of the game behind a paywall, stuff like other game modes and such that in the past would have been a default option, but now a days they want you to pay extra for it, even though its already in the game. I personally find this thing with on disc dlc digusting, and you know what I do to fight it? I just torrent the damn game for spite and tell them to shove it up there ass. Saves me money and it shows that I ain't going to support that crap. Mind you, I feel most AAA games today are garbage so I rarely if ever actually bother with any of them. If you've played 1 fps game, you've played pretty much every AAA fps game out there.

MadFrenchie · October 2017

Gorwe said:

It seems that in this day and age we must cherish our gems. I already mentioned that, but it needs to be said 1000 times if need be. Games like Dark Souls. The Witchers. You know the type. The real game type.

Just look at the shit we're bombarded with. It's almost like it's 1983 and the clock's ticking before the crash.

They won't make money off of this from gamers who frequent forums like this. These things aren't meant to be something the player consciously thinks about while playing.

It will have the largest effect on strictly console players, the gamers who aren't generally plugged into gaming websites like this one to see such news snippets. Who have no idea why they all of a sudden are the only one in the lobby without all the store-bought guns and equipment.

gervaise1 · October 2017

SBFord said:

You know, it's one thing that we "understand" we're being manipulated by microtransactions, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame when we see it so blatantly placed before our eyes in cold black and white.

Hopefully, this will turn the tide. I wonder what, if any, impact recent legal maneuvers overseas with regard to loot chest odds and so forth will have on this which obviously wasn't present in 2015?

Of course, we also have to be careful in assuming they'll actually use the patented process. It's possible that things have progressed beyond its capabilities over 2 years after filing.

The impact of overseas - as in not US - actions are "mainly" around how games are marketed to "younger" players.

Now as is pointed out you its "impossible" to enforce this but it does influence how a game can be marketed, what sites can be used to advertise the game on etc. - which they can control. Same deal for 3rd party retailers as well. And one thing that games need to thrive is publicity.

And potentially there could be legal issues:

Prosecution: you should have stopped minors playing etc. etc.
Defence: impossible, we had no way of knowing.
Prosecution: you should have ensured you didn't pair an adult (with high disposable income!) with a minor (no disposable income of their own).
Defence: impossible we had no way of knowing who was playing.
Prosecution: Yes you said. You knew and accepted that there might be minors playing and went ahead anyway with promoting your loot crates. Prosecution rests.

barasawa · October 2017

Further down the sewers goes the game industry

Dagon13 · October 2017

Gdemami said:

DMKano said:

It won't change anything - because people have become completely numb and even if they get alarmed - what do people do? Make some angry posts on social media - and in a few days - zero action and back to normal, and all is forgotten.

It seems that we've become a fatalist and apathetic society - completely unwilling to do anything beyond our immediate self-serving interest.

...yep, once people do not share your view, they must be completely numb, fatalist and apathetic.

Sound logic. But hey, common sense is treated as offense on these boards...

I notice you LOL'd everyone that posted negative feelings towards this information. Pot, meet Kettle.

I wonder what implications something like this could have on match/party finder mechanics. Intentionally match people with whales in an attempt to advertise? How about charging a premium just to have someone OP in the party?

Margrave · October 2017

That sounds like pure evil.

Might be time to start the Activision boycott.

MadFrenchie · October 2017

Dagon13 said:

Gdemami said:

DMKano said:

It won't change anything - because people have become completely numb and even if they get alarmed - what do people do? Make some angry posts on social media - and in a few days - zero action and back to normal, and all is forgotten.

It seems that we've become a fatalist and apathetic society - completely unwilling to do anything beyond our immediate self-serving interest.

...yep, once people do not share your view, they must be completely numb, fatalist and apathetic.

Sound logic. But hey, common sense is treated as offense on these boards...

I notice you LOL'd everyone that posted negative feelings towards this information. Pot, meet Kettle.

I wonder what implications something like this could have on match/party finder mechanics. Intentionally match people with whales in an attempt to advertise? How about charging a premium just to have someone OP in the party?

Gdemami is the bar on these forums for knowing when you're logic and reasoning is sound. Whenever you get an LOL, you know you're on the right track.

When you get an Agree, you know you need to reconsider your entire position on the subject.

Sovrath · October 2017

Talonsin said:

When I look back at game devs from the past like Richard Garret who are still living today from the large amounts of money they made 20 years ago, it makes me wonder how much is enough? Activision made over 6 BILLION last year in revenue but it still isnt enough for them. Instead of investing in making good games which was what brought them to this point, they plan more devious ways to milk the players.

What a sad industry this has become...

But they don't just make money for "them". They make money for investors. Very few investors (or a small percentage) invest money to make "just a little to tide me over".

So if they can make 12 Billion they are going to make 12 Billion.

Now, I think this practice is disgusting. But not in a "I"m going to rage on public forums" way but in a "I just won't buy these types of addons". Especially because the guy who won in the above scenario is also going to be "buying" so he can maintain his place in the winning ranks.

As far as this turning the tide, I doubt it. The same type of people who bought gold and items in early games so that they could "get ahead" are the same type of people who would buy gold and items today.

acidblood · October 2017

Siveria said:

Sadly how it is now won't change, it'll only get worse because the devs and publishers know most players are stupid and will buy into microtransactions like a fly to crap. Gamers today that started in the ps2 era have killed gaming as they are the main ones who buy into all this microtransaction crap, because they do not know how it orignally was and they think its normal.

I feel like this is the real problem; a new generation of gamers, brought up on F2P mobile games, brainwashed into thinking that microtransactions are somehow 'just the way it is', or dare I say it 'justified' even in full priced games with optional subs, founders packs, season passes, and 10 different pre-order 'collectors' editions (half of which don't actually include the game)...

For now I've got the likes of Divinity: Original Sin 2, Battlechasers: Nightwar, Grim Dawn (with new expansion), and upcoming games like Battletech to keep me going... though what things could look like in a few years in rather scary, especially if the likes of Battlefront II and Shadow of War are well received :S.

Wizardry · October 2017

I will first copy/paste,i hope people can see the problem before i spell it out.

[UPDATE] In a statement, Activision confirmed that this patent was only "exploratory," and such a system has not been used in any games.

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

Additionally, Bungie community manager David "Deej" Dague confirmed on Twitter, "None of this functionality appears in Destiny."

Keywords....working independently.

So how does an independent research and development team file for a patent on behalf of Activision,while Activision is claiming they are not of the same entity?

You see this is the kind of crap devs/publishers are trying to pull on us.Furthermore,how could a Patent be issued based on something NOT fully disclosed and only meant to be EXPLORED?How would they even word it and how did the governing agency/court decide an exploratory idea is fair game for a patent?

Furthermore on the account of "non-obvious",to me this is a very obvious tactic,so to someone skilled in the field of human manipulation or even simple marketing or whatever skilled technician you want to label as here could think of this.SO how did it get a patent if really this is a very obvious tactic?I am assuming there is no official title given any person with this kind of skill,therefore nobody to relate the non obvious to.

Sandmanjw · October 2017

All the above posts and not a one about the most alarming item in the article... they got a patent.

They will apparently issue patents on anything now. Such a dangerous thing to allow corp's, or really anyone, to gain patents on things like this.

Something i bet they might never use...but anything like this that even has anything to do with marketing and matchmaking i bet they will come along and stick out their hands and ask for a share, claiming patent infringement.

People should really go read the info, the vast majority is about matchmaking and making "matches" that will increase the players enjoyment. Just a bit about the marketing part.

Jamar870 · October 2017

Well I got this kind of thing beat: I just don't have the disposable income to indulge in such transactions.

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"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey