Since January, Sony owns a new patent that will let the company create an AI that helps the player while playing on a PlayStation console, for money. Well, it's not like the new system gets paid for answering questions or for lending a helping hand in a co-op encounter against a boss. Rather, the AI will advise those who find themselves stuck in a game in what to do, and according to the patent imagery, the AI could potentially recommend a purchase. This new assistant could very well be used on PS5.
The idea behind this patent (via patent) filed by Sony last year was explained rather well by the image filed with the patent.
When consulted by the player, the AI will inform the player how to defeat a boss according to statistical data gathered from previous players that made it through the encounter. Thus, reads the text, "the player can make a more informed decision to select the resource or not and can be confident in their selection". Those resources, however, as to how they were designed by game developers, are not always free:
"In some embodiments, selection of various resources may require a form of payment, for example by using virtual currency or real money. In some embodiments, the selection of various resources may be in the form known as a"micro-transaction," which deal with relatively small sums of real money. In other embodiments, selection of various resources may not require payment of currency, virtual or real, but the game system may limit the number of resources the player can select."
Researchers came up with the solution to a problem though. The disconnection "between players and the resources available to them within a game, and more particularly those resources most suitable for the individual player's circumstances, character, and playstyle". A problem that can cause many frustrated players to quit a game before experiencing the core mechanics and content.
Would you ask your console for help even though the answer implies spending money on micro-transactions?
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