Sony Working On AI Assistance For Struggling Players In Games

Estimated read time 5 min read

Rundown:

  • Sony Interactive Entertainment recently unveiled a patent describing a system that leverages players’ historical gaming behaviour to offer assistance during gameplay.
  • The system uses a player’s gaming profile to analyse history, contexts, interactions, and performance, generating predictive indicators that offer assistance before players attempt specific in-game tasks.
  • The player’s gaming profile incorporates a neural network trained with past gaming experiences, creating a personalised profile model that captures gaming tendencies and potential weaknesses.
  • The system identifies similarities in the current video game context and trained instances, offering assistance through controller input, light control, on-screen text, and audio cues for an enhanced gaming experience.
  • Continuous learning adapts to the player’s style, and an “assistance mode” allows the system to take control, providing calibrated help aligned with the player’s preferences.

Today, we encountered a newly released patent from Sony Interactive Entertainment titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING PREDICTIVE ASSISTANCE DURING GAMEPLAY,” filed in May. Published yesterday, the patent outlines a system that utilises players’ past gaming behaviour to provide assistance during gameplay by comprehending their skills, tendencies, and weaknesses.

Diagram of an embodiment of a game context to illustrate multiple activities presented to a user to enable a play of a game by the user. | Source: Patent Public Search

“A method for providing assistance during gameplay is described. The method includes accessing a profile model associated with a user account of a user. The profile model is used to generate one or more predictive indicators based on a plurality of game contexts of one or more games,” reads the patent’s abstract.

“The method further includes receiving a request for accessing a game for a game session via the user account and generating assistance input for the user responsive to the one or more predictive indicators that the user will be unable to complete a task in the game. The task is associated to a game context. The assistance input is provided before the user performs the task.”

The patent outlines a system that involves accessing a player’s gaming profile to generate predictive indicators. These indicators are derived from an in-depth analysis of the player’s gaming history, including video game contexts, player interactions, and performance metrics.

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s objective is to anticipate moments where a player might face challenges and offer assistance even before they attempt a specific task within the video game. One of the patent’s key features is the incorporation of a neural network in the player’s gaming profile.

Sony
Diagram of an embodiment of system to illustrate use of the game system and a hand-held controller (HHC) to provide assistance input data to the user via the HHC based on the predictive indicators. | Source: Patent Public Search

This neural network is trained using the player’s past gaming experiences, performing labelling and classification of various elements such as video game contexts, player interactions, and performance metrics. The result is a personalised profile model that captures the player’s gaming tendencies and potential weaknesses.

The system excels at recognising similarities between the current video game context and instances used to train the profile model. When a match is detected, the system generates assistance input for the player, encompassing controller input data, light control for gaming peripherals, on-screen text suggestions, and even audio cues.

This proactive approach ensures that players receive timely support, contributing to a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience. One of the patent’s significant advantages lies in its potential to increase network traffic efficiency and reduce server load.

Sony
Diagram of an embodiment of a system to illustrate that the assistance input data is generated and sent to one or more different regions of the HHC. | Source: Patent Public Search

By predicting and mitigating potential challenges, the system minimises the generation of incorrect inputs from players. This not only enhances server efficiency but also contributes to a more streamlined gaming experience by reducing the risk of network traffic congestion.

Sony Interactive Entertainment introduces an adaptive learning mechanism where the system continuously refines its understanding of the player’s gaming style over time. It takes into account the player’s mood and intensity level, adjusting the gameplay mode accordingly.

This dynamic adaptation ensures that assistance is not only predictive but also aligned with the player’s emotional state, providing a more immersive and tailored gaming experience. Players are given the option to activate an “assistance mode,” essentially allowing the system to take control and assist in completing challenging tasks.

This autopilot functionality steps in when the player is struggling with specific inputs, automatically executing actions based on predicted intentions. Once the player feels confident to resume control, they can deactivate the assistance mode.

The system goes a step further by calibrating itself to the player’s gaming style. Through various tests and interactions, it learns the player’s preferences and video game style, saving this information in the player’s profile. This calibration ensures that the assistance provided aligns with the player’s unique approach to gameplay.

While Sony Interactive Entertainment sets the stage for a more interactive and adaptive gaming experience with this patent, it’s important to note that the publication of the patent does not guarantee implementation.

What do you think about this? Do tell us your opinions in the comments below!

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Huzaifa Khan

Started out penning short stories in my room, then stumbled upon my real passion for video game and technology journalism. Now, I’m all about playing and writing about them. With experience from VeryAliGaming, eXputer.com, and TheNerdMag, I’m currently dishing out news on Gamesual from my place.

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