Re: People Drop Their Spaghetti Over Skyrim
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:38 pm
We aren't quite done just yet, there is more. Can you figure this one out without googling it?
Probably not just from the word "microtransactions engine" so here is what is happening:
Probably not just from the word "microtransactions engine" so here is what is happening:
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.
The patent details how multiplayer matches are configured, specifically how players are selected to play with one another. That process used by Activision involves a computer looking at a wide variety of factors including skill level, Internet latency, availability of friends and other things. It then goes through a system to first soft-reserve a slot in a game for a player and then assign the players to the same match.
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."
"Doing so may enhance a level of enjoyment by the player for the game-related purchase, which may encourage future purchases," according to the patent. "For example, if the player purchased a particular weapon, the microtransaction engine may match the player in a gameplay session in which the particular weapon is highly effective, giving the player an impression that the particular weapon was a good purchase. This may encourage the player to make future purchases to achieve similar gameplay results."
The patent also makes it clear that while the examples used in the patent are all for a first-person-shooter game, the system could be used across a wide variety of titles.