Imagine, you are good at the game but you are punished for being good. Imagine a competitive environment where the game actively works to give your “noob” opponent unknown advantages over you.
That’s what Sony’s new “balancing” system does to multiplayer games. According to a new patent filed at the
USPTO, Sony already has tech (not sure implemented in how many games already or getting ready to be implemented in upcoming games like Marathon) that checks if the difference between Player A and Player B’s performance is
within an acceptable range (called a
“threshold band”). What is an acceptable range? Who knows.
The band is based on each player’s global skill level so it’s not just about the current match, but their general ability. So whenever a highly skilled player comes up against someone with a low global skill level, the later may receive hidden advantages to balance the fight.
This adjustment could mean auto-aim assistance, bullet spread changes, damage output tweaks, etc.—the patent doesn’t say exactly how, but the goal is to level the playing field.
So basically, the concept of “may the best player win” goes out the door.
The patent document further explains that the changes can happen not only when a difference in skill level is detection but also if there is any type of platform advantage.
