Apparently, Activision has patent on a matchmaking system that actually encourages the players to indulge in the malicious microtransaction practices. What a surprise, right?
Originally filed in 2015, the patent outlines a matchmaking system that would allow players to have an advantage in the game based on the kind of purchase they make. The text reads, “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. This may encourage the player to make future purchases to achieve similar gameplay results.”
It goes on to say, “For example, microtransaction engine 128 may identify a junior player to match with a marquee player based on a player profile of the junior player. In a particular example, the junior player may wish to become an expert sniper in a game…Microtransaction engine 128 may match the junior player with a player that is a highly skilled sniper in the game. In this manner, the junior player may be encouraged to make game-related purchases such as a rifle or other item used by the highly skilled sniper.” I’m not sure if anyone takes a problem with that, but to me it sounds a little creepy and insidious.
In a statement to Kotaku, an Activision spokesperson offered some clarification, saying, “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.” Additionally, Bungie dev David Dague wrote in a post on Twitter stating that Destiny 2 does not use the aforementioned system.
None of this functionality appears in Destiny. https://t.co/IXlR05tZ1c
— DeeJ (@DeeJ_BNG) October 17, 2017
To be fair, it’s completely possible that such a matchmaking system may not have been implemented on a major scale YET. However, the mere existence of this patent and the underlying thought process is the perfect example of how greedy publishers will stop at nothing to make profits, even if it ruins the player experience. Almost every AAA game these days comes riddled with loot boxes and in-game purchases, and this will only make it worse.
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