For example, in one implementation, the system may include a microtransaction engine that arranges matches to influence game-related purchases. 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.
The microtransaction engine may analyze various items used by marquee players and, if the items are being promoted for sale, match the marquee player with another player (e.g., a junior player) that does not use or own the items. Similarly, the microtransaction engine may identify items to be promoted, identify marquee players that use those items, and match the marquee players with other players who do not use those items. In this manner, the microtransaction engine may leverage the matchmaking abilities described herein to influence purchase decisions for game-related purchases.
In one implementation, the microtransaction engine may target particular players to make game-related purchases based on their interests. For example, the microtransaction engine 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 (e.g., as determined from the player profile). The microtransaction engine 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 marquee player.
In one implementation, when a player makes a game-related purchase, the microtransaction engine may encourage future purchases by matching the player (e.g., using matchmaking described herein) in a gameplay session that will utilize the game-related purchase. Doing so may enhance a level of enjoyment by the player for the game-related purchase, which may encourage future purchases. 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.
El Pit wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 23:28:Well, it has been like that on mobile multiplayer games for a long time, so why not on the PC and consoles as well?tk0121 wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 20:05:El Pit wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 13:21:
Activision, you should also get a patent on "virtual lube". Don't let your customers get shafted raw. Also: additional $$$ for virtual lube (sold in portions per multiplayer session for additional PROFIT!).
Yeah. Then they can use the lube for the virtual currency.
"Oooooh..... biggggg crate drop! I'll need a lot of lube for this!"
Next step: paid aimbot crates. You buy them, you open them in a multiplayer session, you use them, you win! LEGAL aimbots for additional profit! Everybody wins: the company, the gamer, well, not all gamers... Damned losers, buy your own aimbot crates NOW and RULE!
tk0121 wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 20:05:El Pit wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 13:21:
Activision, you should also get a patent on "virtual lube". Don't let your customers get shafted raw. Also: additional $$$ for virtual lube (sold in portions per multiplayer session for additional PROFIT!).
Yeah. Then they can use the lube for the virtual currency.
"Oooooh..... biggggg crate drop! I'll need a lot of lube for this!"
El Pit wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 13:21:
Activision, you should also get a patent on "virtual lube". Don't let your customers get shafted raw. Also: additional $$$ for virtual lube (sold in portions per multiplayer session for additional PROFIT!).
Acleacius wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:58:CJ_Parker wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 14:52:No idea what this has to do with anything I mentioned. Take bioware as an example or anyone of the dozens of other developers during the 2000s. In case you were not paying attention to gaming back then, ea was hit hard because of their abusive treatment of employees, in near slave like conditions.Acleacius wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 14:34:
Think of all the developers they've killed off, most of them were hostilely taken over for their IPs, then treated like shit until the company was killed off.
Now this is bullshit. As much as EA and Actiblizz are fucksticks but let's stick to reality here. People like Roberts, Garriott or Molyneux (among others) are fucking sellouts who were very glad to hand over the keys for dozens of millions. Some of them are even repeat offenders like Molyneux who made a fortune from selling Bullfrog to EA and later Lionhead to MS.
There wasn't really anything "hostile" about it. They were laughing all the way to the bank.
It doesn't matter what you or I believe, it's reality it happened.
chickenboo wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 10:45:
The thing that irks me about this, is that this is once again simply common sense. It's already obvious that junior players are going to see the pros running around with their (a la TF2) iPod earbuds and hats for their hats and Santa Claus beards and want them too, and head off to the store. Activision is simply codifying this into a patent so they can get the jump on other devs/publishers in the industry.
It's just so sad watching the industry go this way.
Ozmodan wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:04:
How is this even patentable? The yahoos at the patent office must be drinking la la juice.
If only congress would fix our broken patent system.
RedEye9 wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:22:Beamer wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:15:It's a good thing patents can't be bought, sold or licensed.
I mean, the thing is, if they've patented this no one else can do it. And if they try to do it it will likely backfire, unless many other comparable publishers are doing it. And they won't, because they can't, because patent.
So... this is a really good thing they did for us, even if they did it for the wrong reasons.
CJ_Parker wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 14:52:No idea what this has to do with anything I mentioned. Take bioware as an example or anyone of the dozens of other developers during the 2000s. In case you were not paying attention to gaming back then, ea was hit hard because of their abusive treatment of employees, in near slave like conditions.Acleacius wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 14:34:
Think of all the developers they've killed off, most of them were hostilely taken over for their IPs, then treated like shit until the company was killed off.
Now this is bullshit. As much as EA and Actiblizz are fucksticks but let's stick to reality here. People like Roberts, Garriott or Molyneux (among others) are fucking sellouts who were very glad to hand over the keys for dozens of millions. Some of them are even repeat offenders like Molyneux who made a fortune from selling Bullfrog to EA and later Lionhead to MS.
There wasn't really anything "hostile" about it. They were laughing all the way to the bank.
Ozmodan wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:04:
How is this even patentable? The yahoos at the patent office must be drinking la la juice.
If only congress would fix our broken patent system.
RedEye9 wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:22:
It's a good thing patents can't be bought, sold or licensed.
Social media: Providers will be able to deliver a more personalized experience to their customers and offer more targeted reach to their advertisers.
Beamer wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 15:15:It's a good thing patents can't be bought, sold or licensed.
I mean, the thing is, if they've patented this no one else can do it. And if they try to do it it will likely backfire, unless many other comparable publishers are doing it. And they won't, because they can't, because patent.
So... this is a really good thing they did for us, even if they did it for the wrong reasons.
Gadzooks wrote on Oct 18, 2017, 12:36:
If there was ever any doubt before, there sure isnt any now:
Game Design is no longer about making good, fun, and entertaining games. Its pure sales now.