From time to time a videographer may lack the inspiration to formally revive the pseudo-debate about the difficulty of video games. But Sony could end the discussion for a while with a new patent.
Since our modern and connected consoles (some would add “and not found”) make it possible more than ever to analyze our behavior as more or less experienced gamers, Sony filed an amazing patent in the summer of 2020 that has just been published. The website of the Patent and Trademark Office allows us to learn a little more about the manufacturer’s method to help those who want to bolster their game.
The patent of the colleagues
It’s hard not to care about skill when starting your new console with the remake of a particular demon soul. The more vigilant of you will likely remember another patent that would make it possible to drive out trolls from online gaming by giving more weight to what are known as “qualified” players.
This time the 45-page document describes a new method of “coaching”, which therefore depends on the perseverance of the players:
This method aims to identify a game phase that has been recognized as being below a predetermined skill threshold. It generates a record and telemetry readings to identify the margin of progress and the appropriate time window. The self-coaching interface displays highlighted cues as the game sequence is played and provides tips and hints for the player to cross the pre-set skill threshold.
Appears to the skill
By reading the diagrams and the details of this patent, one can visually discover the Sony coaching method, which quite by chance takes the example of a game in which you can shoot or … build walls:
Here the dying player is invited to re-enact the sequence in which a damned ball ends the win and thus explicitly shows the options offered (jumping or building a wall) as well as the timing of the action via a timeline.
Some would say that this is what looks like some tutorials in the versus combat genre, and they would be right. except that the goal here isn’t necessarily to face Justin Wong, but rather to avoid frustration and abandonment.
Defeating an AI controlled opponent or an opposing player can be a challenge. Players keep trying to do this, slowly improving their level of play. Certain more difficult situations may arise where it can be difficult to remember lessons previously learned. Some players then become frustrated with the time it takes to advance.
This could perhaps end a debate … endlessly.
What do you think of this new patent? Could Sony’s method prove effective? Let us know your expert opinions in the comments below.
