Activision was granted a patent this month for a system it uses to convince people in multiplayer games to purchase items for a game through microtransactions: in one implementation, the system may include a microtransaction engine that arranges matches to influence game-related purchases. The microtransaction engine may match a more expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player. Thanks cageymaru.



The system can also drop players into matches that will make use of an in-game-related purchase, according to the patent. “Doing so may enhance a level of enjoyment by the player for the game-related purchase, which may encourage future purchases,” according to the patent. “For example, if the player purchased a particular weapon, the microtransaction engine may match the player in a gameplay session in which the particular weapon is highly effective, giving the player an impression that the particular weapon was a good purchase. This may encourage the player to make future purchases to achieve similar gameplay results.”

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Activision Uses Matchmaking Tricks to Sell In-Game Items