In any case, this is what a patent filed by Sony in January 2020, focusing on PS4 consoles and PS5 and validated this week, suggests.
More specifically, this patented feature would allow spectators, especially on Twitch, to send a warning to players for their poor performance and possibly pay to get them out of a game.
Modern Colosseum Games
After the filing of numerous patents focusing in particular on the possibility of posting in-game advice on PS5, or the use of the console's SSD on the PlayStation Now service, a new patent has surfaced at Sony. This one is interested in a certain power given to the spectators during the viewing of a game on a PlayStation console.
In a given situation, the latter will be able to access a menu allowing them to vote for a player to be removed from the current game. More specifically, four options will be offered to spectators regarding a particular player: "remove him from the game", "warn him to improve", "send him a personalized message" or "keep him in the game".
Each vote will thus be counted and if the option "remove a player from the game" reaches a certain threshold, this player will be irrevocably removed from the game in progress. The patent also indicates that an animation or a visual cue can be provided to spectators and players during the game, indicating the withdrawal of a participant.
The patent, however, adds some framework to such situations, including the assessment of the level of spectators to determine the weight of their vote to remove a player from the game.
Will the people's vote soon pay off on PlayStation?
In itself, however, the functionality is enough to raise questioning eyebrows. It is common knowledge that many spectators can be somewhat "toxic". Such a practice could thus lead to excesses and ruin the experience of a player who is the victim of such a vote. To another extent, the streamer or streamer offering this power to their viewers can influence them to vote arbitrarily against a given opponent.
In addition to this fear, it is also the way in which the vote can be conducted that is questionable. Indeed, the patent offers a paid alternative to voting to remove a player. Spectators would be invited to go to another menu to oust a player whose performance they dislike for in-game currency or real money. This payment has even been divided into three forms: flat rate, percentage or auction.
A questionable practice, but which is part of Sony's efforts to carve out a more important place in e-sport, in particular with the acquisition of EVO, one of the most prestigious fighting game tournaments. in the world. Remember, however, that this is currently only a patent and Sony may never implement it.
