is it true that activision/blizzard patented a microtransaction matchmaking system? by this i’m asking if:
new players who don’t have skins are paired with more experienced players with skins to encourage new players to buy skins?
is this the reason why sr and mmr are hidden for 7 games?
is this the reason why ranking system seems so ridiculously unbalanced?
should we boycott blizzard and everything they stand for and do?
The U.S. patent office shows that the intellectual rights to our beloved gaming company has it filed under US20200114268A1.
If they deny it is not this. Awesome. I will go spend a few thousand and file it as my own.
so what you’re telling me is that overwatch 2 is actually a money scam and we should boycott blizzard forever? as i’ve said in literally every other post i’ve made in this forum?
…if you feel that way and the gameplay is somehow an illusion to sell you skins than sure, make that decision and find a game that makes you feel like you’re not being marketed to…? 
you sound like you are on blizzard’s payroll.
…by that logic, speaking negatively about OW would mean the person is on another game’s payroll…?
…I’m sure people don’t do that but I wish you well finding a new game to play! 
Yes it’s true, and the patent is explicit in how it operates. However it should be noted that just because a patent exists doesn’t mean it’s being used by the company that patented it.
Pretty sure that it’s also been officially stated that while the patent exists and owned by Blizzard, Blizzard has gone on record outright saying it’s not in use.
This is generally what the idea is. Therefore it should be easy to test.
You can assume, but there’s no definitive way of knowing for sure.
Considering that it’s relatively simple to gauge where you’re at by who you’re being matched with, I’d assume it’s more so hidden for other reasons like suspense or just because it doesn’t really lock you in until you place.
Probably not, considering that the ranking system was despised for other reasons in OW1 well into the parent’s existence. I’d wager it’s just a bad matchmaking system because it bares the hallmarks of a bad matchmaking system.
Never attribute to malice what can be explained through incompetence.
If you find proof of the patent in use, by all means go right ahead.
Seeing as the patent has been a contentious subject well before you started posting here with the exact same reaction to it as you are expressing, with no actual proof or evidence of the patent in use within the half decade it’s been known about, the basis for the boycott is pretty much nonexistent.
Find proof of the patent’s existence in game, and you’ll have done something nobody else has done in 6 years, it might just start something big.
wow i didn’t know that they actually stated that it hasn’t been implemented. good to know
I mean plenty of corporations have also said they aren’t doing something and have been caught doing exactly the opposite.
Regardless, the patent does explicitly state how the system works and what it does. It should be relatively simple to identify this in practice if you ever wanted to test for it.
They could be lying. Corpos tend to do that.
Again, the patent states explicitly how it works and what it does.
Feel free to expose it and their ‘lies’ using the patent itself.
We don’t even know if they are using the patent yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they are in Unranked and Arcade modes. I highly doubt it’s being used in competitive because the risk is just too great if it got out and you know it would get leaked by somebody inside Blizzard if it was. The matchmaking is bad to be sure in Comp, but I doubt it’s because of this patent.
So “Patent” translates to integrity? Interesting.
Even if they actually use it, it doesn’t automatically mean that they sacrifice actual matchmaking for it.
No
Patent is a specific blueprint and in depth explanation of the mechanic in form and practice.
The patent describes exactly how the system functions, using that information you should be able to identify with some testing and observation whether Blizzard is lying or being truthful about the patent’s use (or lack there of).
It’s like being given a detailed map of every single enemy fortification and weakness along a line. You simply need to act upon the intel and put it to use.
Or don’t, that’s your call. But it could mean the difference between gossipy baseless assumption and validated point of contention.
Perhaps, if the intel is legit. If they tell you where to look, they control what you see.
The US patent office has a history of taking aggressive action against fraudulent or purposefully misleading patents. While it’s always possible that the patent is a red herring, it’s highly unlikely given the potential of serious pushback.
It’s more likely that Blizzard is using this to simply call financial dibs on a pretty simple mechanic that nobody else called dibs on first. Hypothetically anyone who uses a similar mechanic would be subject to copyright infringement, or could simply purchase the patent from Blizzard instead.
Think of this like the Bandai Namco patent that allowed for mini games to be incorporated into loading screens. It was a very simple mechanic that was copy-written from 1995 until about 2015. The implementation was very easy, but BN called dibs first, and for 20 years the mechanic was under an expensive lock and key.
I mean parents are multifaceted, it can be used to make money off of selling the concept, or to make money off of the concept itself. The patent holder ultimately decides.
“Trust us”
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Again, all the information that you need to test the theory is in the patent.
Yeah the matchmaking is shady. The moment I reached a specific rank it feels like the game is rigging games against me.