Sony filed a patent that uses adaptive difficulty calibration that uses a generated user profile through a data collection system. Read on to know more.
Sony Files Patent for a Dynamic and Responsive Difficulty Adjustment System
Sony filed a patent for a system that observes how someone plays a game, compares it to "user expectation levels," and adjusts the game difficulty accordingly.
The patent is named ADAPTIVE DIFFICULTY CALIBRATION FOR SKILLS-BASED ACTIVITIES IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS. Sony also filed a similar patent published in 2021, titled USE OF MACHINE LEARNING TO INCREASE OR DECREASE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY IN BEATING VIDEO GAME OPPONENT
The Adaptive Difficulty Calibration patent outlines the integration of machine learning to dynamically adjust the difficulty levels of games based on an individual user’s skills.
Tailors a User Profile Through Data Collection
The patent establishes a "user profile" through a data collection system that encompasses various aspects related to the player's skills. It analyzes a user's performance in real-time (i.e. the system looks at data from how the user plays the game to figure out their skill level).
It then compares the user's skill level to what they're expected to achieve in-game, and the feature then identifies the gap. Once certain parameters have been taken into account and this "identification" is completed, the feature then suggests a difficulty adjustment based on the user's performance. It also keeps track of other user information, like their username and login details.
The patent reads:
"The presently claimed invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, or an apparatus executing functions consistent with the present disclosure for helping users improve their performance when playing a game."
Difficulty adjustment is based on game parametric data collected as the user plays games
The patent details the identification of 'user skills,' such as a user's proficiency with specific aspects of a game based on an evaluation of accessed gaming performance data.
Game parametric data, including various metrics like speed, sensitivity, and proficiency, is used to determine whether the difficulty settings should be maintained or changed.
The patent reads:
"A series of steps that may be performed when parameters associated with the difficulty of a game are maintained or updated based on how well a user performs when playing the game. This user information may uniquely identify a user and may include a username and/or login information."
"This user information may be stored as part of a set of user profile information and then data may be collected as the user plays one or more games. [It] may also include monitoring and collecting metrics associated with game performance.
This may include identifying whether objectives of a game that is currently being played by a user meet a threshold level or some predetermined level (i.e. an expected user performance level)"
This hypothetical feature looks to be optional in-game
The patent emphasizes using machine learning algorithms to continuously refine and modify the difficulty based on the user's skill. As stated in the patent, changes may be authorized based on user feedback, allowing users to confirm or initiate adjustments in gaming difficulty.
It shows a prompt to the user identifying that the game difficulty can be either increased or decreased. The user could then confirm whether or not difficulty adjustment should happen. Alternatively, a user may provide commands that change difficulty parameters, as provided in the patent.
The patent reads:
"Here a user may simply press a button to instruct a gaming system to update a difficulty level. In yet other instances, gaming system difficulty parameters may be updated automatically based on rules of a machine learning or artificial intelligent set of program code."
Looks to be implemented in Playstation consoles, PCs, and virtually any gaming device
The patent does not provide specifics on its integration into Sony gaming consoles or titles. However, Sony proposed that this could be implemented in various devices. Devices "such as personal computers, home entertainment systems (e.g. PlayStation2, PlayStation3, or PlayStation4, etc.), portable gaming devices (e.g. Sony PSP or Sony Vita)" and even devices from different manufacturers i.e. gaming handhelds, consoles, and any gaming hardware that aren't of Sony's make.
Source:
SONY PATENT AIMS TO CHANGE GAME DIFFICULTY IN REAL TIME AS YOU PLAY
