It sounds scary at first, but if you think about what Sony is doing, there is a rationale behind what the company has recently patented.

OP Attack reported on the trademark that Sony registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in January 2020, but only recently got accepted. The patent is essentially a way for viewers of a live broadcast to vote, possibly pay, to remove a player from a game. It also touches on how a video game is portrayed to viewers, but the point lies beyond that.

The amount of voting should reach a set limit, after which you can remove the player in question from the game being broadcast. That rate is at least 60%, so it’s not just a simple majority vote to be voted out… and here’s the interesting thing: if someone is banhammered (not a very apt definition, since it’s not a ban), the “loser” can be moved to another match. The spectators can either join in an auction or as a group for or against the elimination.

“Online platforms such as, for example, Twitch, have made it possible for spectators to stream live and recorded video of top video games and electronic sports events. As more and more people have become interested in watching video games and esports events, game developers have sought to enhance the viewing experience by providing increased functionality and interactivity for spectators,” Sony wrote.

And this is where you have to think about the strategic purchases Sony has made this year. Earlier this year, Sony Interactive Entertainment bought Evo, the biggest fighting games league, with a new eSports company, RTS. It’s not hard to connect the patent with the Evo interest: they want to implement a way to punish individuals who cheat or play unfairly to play appropriately, according to the rules.

But the question is whether Sony will use this patent…

Source: Gamesindustry