Sony has submitted a patent for an AI which suggests microtransactions to player who get stuck in-game. Yes, you heard that right. EA and Activision are not the only one pushing players to use microtransactions in game.
The patent aims to help players get past a specific section of the game when stuck. However, it doesn’t confine itself to helpful advice. The technology will also suggest players microtransactions to help get past that specific section. To quote the patent, “Often, there may be an in-game resource of the game environment that could aid the user in accomplishing the objective with the character. The in-game resource may be downloadable content (DLC), add-ons, upgrades, items, tips, strategy, communal data, etc. However, the user is not necessarily aware that such a resource exists.”
While some may say this is not completely aimed at microtransactions, the predominant emphasis on purchasable resources tells a different story. Sony describes this as in-game resource surfacing platform”. You can read the full patent here. Considering this is just a patent, we can’t say for sure whether it’ll actually ever be implemented. That being said, considering stuff like this has already been implemented in the past by other developers, it’ll be interesting to see what are Sony’s plans with this. The PS5 is just months away so we’ll know soon, for sure.
