Sony has just patented a special system that allows streamers to receive some form of in-game help from their viewers.
While virtually every gaming company is keen to privatize an idea potentially defining the industry well ahead of time, none of them have recently been as prolific as Sony. The company has submitted a plethora of unique patent cases over the past few weeks and months, and while many of them are relatively uninteresting to the average gamer, others have the potential to make waves well and truly.
One of these potentially prospective patents of Sony has been filed very recently, and refers to a special feature that allows streamers and their viewers to interact with the scope of the game they are playing and watching, respectively. The so-called “Helper Mode” essentially allows viewers to assist players in real time, according to the list in question.
According to the patent description, Sony’s idea for “Helper Mode” supports a number of unique implementations that appear to differ from game to game. In some cases, this may mean pulling certain meta-data from the game, while in others, you may rely on custom tools provided by developers to correlate streamers and viewers, perhaps through the use of a solution. Cloud Games This list may even relate to Sony’s player interaction tracking patent, which is intended to be used for real-time harassment and abuse management.
Many of Sony’s feature use descriptions talk about the use of machine learning algorithms to facilitate interactions between services, in particular. As the company now seems fully dedicated to expanding the PlayStation PC gaming service offerings, investing in advanced streaming technology seems like an obvious step forward. Especially since Sony seems to be thinking outside the box with such widespread patent lists that allow them to really dominate the niche if the features are executed correctly.
It’s worth noting that Sony intends to move the industry forward without making it too complex for casual gamers to interact with its advanced releases. In fact, Sony has recently patented an explanation of the hardware features that can greatly improve how players get acquainted with new gaming hardware. Better yet, this could open up the industry to an even larger range of gamers who may not have had the chance to previously learn the various gaming tropes that are relevant today.
Of course, not every modern Sony patent is about making the industry move forward significantly. Sony recently published a patent for the front of the PS5, for example, which was little more than a simple and direct way for the company to stop copiers in their tracks. In addition, it remains to be seen what will come, if anything, from Sony’s recent patent lists. Even in the best scenario, it can take months or years before the first developments are shown to the wider audience, thus stopping any potential excitement in its tracks for the time being.
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