Activision Patents Manipulative Microtransaction-Based Matchmaking

Destiny 2 _ game director Christopher Barrett and project lead Scott Taylor have gone on record confirming the death of the game's beloved Cayde-6, an Exo Guardian who has played a major role in the game's narrative up until this point, in the upcoming _Destiny 2: Forsaken expansion. Cayde-6 also happens to be one of the series' most iconic characters, voiced by Nathan Fillion of Firefly and Castle f


This paragraph is the very definition of pay-to-win, with in-game purchases resulting in the reward of manufactured victories. The patent goes on to suggest a deeper level of specificity to the system, suggesting that it could deliberately manipulate beginners into purchases by matching them with expert players with a playing style that the beginner wishes to emul

The Destiny endgame features a variety of activities and playlists that we want to remain relevant to players as they grow more powerful. In Destiny 1 , as your character grew more powerful throughout each expansion, some of our best content, like Vault of Glass , was left behind and lost its relevance for players. We wanted a better solution for Destiny 2 , where all of our Endgame activities could stay relevant as each Expansion causes your Guardian to grow more and more power


This system will affect the matchmaking process in games, factoring in player skill level, Internet lag, availability of friends, preferred playing styles, and so on. At face value, the system should improve gameplay, making matchmaking more personalized than ever. However, this patent is specifically concerned with using this matchmaking in order to push in-game sales. Part of the patent re


The latest game in Ubisoft's signature series, Assassin’s Creed Origins , is included at 40% off regular price. Set in Egypt, the 2017 game of the year contending stealth title offered up a new combat system and role-playing game elements that helped freshen up the long-running series. Other major games seeing notable discounts include Destiny 2 , Divinity , EA Sports UFC 3 , and many m


The weekly Xbox **** deals are now live and they include dozens of different Xbox One title at a discount price. There are even some Xbox 360 games that are incredibly cheap and serve to highlight the system's unique backwards compatibility. Similarly to the PlayStation Store sales this week, Ubisoft steals the show by offering many Assassin's Creed titles on sale at a hefty reduct


Call of Duty WWII __ developer Activision have been granted a patent for a new matchmaking system - one that analyzes player behavior and tweaks their gaming experiences to encourage microtransactions. Loot Boxes and in-game purchases have become increasingly controversial, with more triple-A games releasing with some variation of this component. The recent beta for Star Wars Battlefont II raised the issue of how monetized loot boxes have become problematic. Likewise, the full release of Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been criticized for being pay-to-win, with a Loot Chest system that allows players to use real-world money to purchase followers, gear, and even


This is a great time to stock up on any Assassin's Creed games, but there's plenty of other great titles on sale this week. For example, Thumper is one of the best rhythm games released this generation and is 60% off. Additionally, the recently released Burnout Paradise Remastered , an undeniable classic, is 30%


The element of chance inherent in these systems led gamers to question their nature as a form of gambling. The ESRB has since weighed in on the debate and decided that this is not the case. While their legality has apparently been clarified, the morality of targeted microtransactions remains up for debate. Now, Activision is looking to take the next big step of in-game marketing, via a system that can deliberately enhance or reduce your gameplay experience to encourage purchases of in-game cont


In the interview, conducted by Eurogamer , Barrett and Taylor were asked about the decision leading up to Cayde-6's death . The duo explained that the character is known for his witty one-liners and campy behavior even in the face of death, and that Destiny 2 : Forsaken is Bungie's earnest attempt to steer the series away from that action-hero trope. The studio is hoping the expansion will set a darker tone for a series that grapples with a lot of big, brooding questions, and it appears Cayde-6 was a necessary fatality to ensure that the Guardians' nadir was successfully reached. When asked if Cayde-6 was really dead or dead "like in a superhero movie," Taylor said, "No, he's definitely de


A spokesperson for the developer clarified that this system has not been implemented in-game as of yet, referring chiefly to the recent release of Destiny 2 collectibles|https://destiny2mix.Com/ 2 and the forthcoming release of Call of Duty W


Microtransactions, the in-game purchase of virtual goods with real money, has becoming increasingly prevalent in recent years. First appearing in free-to-play mobile phone games such as Farmville and Candy Crush , recent years have seen microtransactions incorporated into console game series such as Guitar Hero Live and Deus Ex . Microtransactions, it should be noted, differ from traditional downloadable content (or DLC) in that they typically offer players a concrete advantage over other players, such as better weapons and armor, verses the different costumes and character skins commonplace to traditional