The video game publisher Activision seems to be eager to confine the gamer in the matrix. It is replaced by a completely curated experience to satisfy users as long as possible.
PARENT COMPANY ACTIVISION's developer TREYARCH Call of Duty franchise boasts more than 50 games from World War I to future war titles.
Recent games are being carried budget ACTIVISION is everywhere between $ 450-70 million, focusing on improving games.
Developers actively monitor users, utilize user computing power, create NPC systems that cannot be distinguished from humans to use their products for longer and buy more items. I am.
However, these advances in user experience may be offered at ethical costs.
Many of the directions of the company in a technical sense can be found through patent analysis, and as gamers become more and more aware of these documents, what is the real experience of Call of Duty? The question continues.
In 2017, the critic pointed out A Patent The title is “System and Method for Micro Transactions in Multi Player Video Games.”
Gamers did not know that the activity was placed in a specially designed match, such as using more money, as the title was dead.
Patent description includes the following:
“A system that drives microtransactions in multi -player video games and methods and methods. This system may include microtransactions that arrange a match that affects game -related purchases. For example, this system. Make more expert/Marquee players match the junior player, and the junior player will promote the purchase of games owned by/used by the Marquee player. You may want to emulate the Marky Player by obtaining the item.
Activision Responded The criticism simply claims that the game studio is a “search patent submitted in 2015 by an independent R & D team”. “Not implemented in the game,” said the company.
2020, multiple players forum Activision was dissatisfied with changing the player's attributes in real time based on the skills to make individual exchanges with other players more competitive. For example, if a better player interacts with a low -skilled player, a better player, hit boxes, AIM assist, player health, and damage, will improve the chance to players with low skills.
However, the patent that these claims are linked is no longer accessible.
Happy gamer, happy developer
In order to start 2025, Activision has been accused of acquiring products in a very eerie direction, including face scanning and fake players.
YouTuber, named PRIMEPETE, deeply jumped into some unknown patents, revealing the strange way that the company is taking in that technology.
After pointing at the researcher At first glance it was proven Call of Duty: Black Ops was running a program to access the user's camera, YouTuber Activision patent In order to generate a three -dimensional image, it focuses on shooting two -dimensional images.
an image The patent describes the face of a video game streamer where “expression/reaction and movement” is tracked in real time. To put it simply, the image of the user's face has always been adopted to create a 3D model of his face and track his expressions in connection with the events that are occurring in the game.
A patent that pressed the microtransaction states that the satisfaction of the player is a factor for Activision to determine whether gamers are enjoying their experience.
This “player engagement factor” is calculated by some players' focus level. According to the patent, it is determined that “camera peripheral devices can show larger engagements a greater satisfaction.”
Furthermore, “biometric authentication factor[s]It is measured, such as “expression, pulse, body run gauge, sweat, etc.”
Return is accessing user cameras to ACTIVISION, whether or not to do so, whether this patent expression, body run gauge, or whether to access the user camera to measure sweat. I asked (US20160005270A1).
Activision did not respond.
Play with matrix
Another patent from ACTIVISION, which has not attracted the media, is entitled “System and Methods to System and Methods for Transparent Multi -Player Characters.”
This patent is concrete I will explain the styling NPC Therefore, “It is difficult to distinguish between human players and NPCs for computer control.”
NPCs can be “style similar to humans” in both player profiles and game play actions. Players can “do not recognize NPCs as computer -controlled players”.
This is linked to restricting information from player profiles to make it difficult for users to identify whether they are human or computer.
In Rayman's terms, Activision hides profile information that makes it easier to be NPC while implementing NPCs that look like humans to adjust the experience that is advantageous for users.
Activision knew how important skill -based matchmaking was, and opened the user experience results without matching the player based on the skill level.
If it doesn't match the players of similar skills, Activision claims more players Stop and don't come back。
If you use NPCS to specifically curate the game with the user's skill level, the player may not be aware of it, and the user will be kept significantly.
In relation to this patent (US10668381B2), Activision may not be aware that the player is not a human player, and in the multi -player match, select a scenario where the player only plays NPCS. I was asked if I was intended. 。
Activision did not respond.
Use a PC for you
To conclude a series of patents that are reliably disturbed is the method and system for continuing simulation after making resources offline.
This patent outline How to join a simulated NPC gameplay session using the “end user device”.
End user device is It is defined By law insider as “individual computer or mobile device”.
Activision patented a system that identifies the end user device that is still connected to the system but is an idol or standby state, and has participated in a simulation using customer computer.
“If you have sufficient computing skills, such as idol state and standby state, you may be able to participate in end user devices,” says a patent. “Therefore, the system may utilize the spare computing capacity of the networked end user device to execute the NPC on an end -user device that has been a networked end user device during the simulation.”
The reason for being provided was to reproduce the actual world conditions that affect gameplay, such as connection quality and device function.
In this case, Activision uses a gamer -available computer power supply to perform simulation for the company's benefit.
Return asks ACTIVISION patent (US11896905B2) and asks if the company runs simulations using customer computing power, performs other activities, and runs unexpected programs. Ta.
The company also asked where the gamers agree to the use of the end user device in the terms of use.
Activision did not respond.
All quoted patents are listed as “active” and have an expiration date by the end of 2034. The patent is related to the use of user end devices approved in February 2024.
It is reasonable to conclude that Activision is working on your customers.
The sum of all expressions and intended use of these patents cannot be distinguished from humans to actively monitor users, utilize user computing power, and use products longer to use products. You are creating an NPC system. Buy more items.
The result on the surface will be a happy gamer who plays a lot and sometimes buy on platforms.
The strict reality is actually a gamer played in an artificial environment to optimize income and time extraction, and his own computer is used to determine how it will be achieved. Masu.
