Sony has filed a patent which seems to allow stream viewers on Twitch or any other platforms to actually kick the players they're watching mid-game.
The patent, which was reported on by PC Gamer, was filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is officially called "Spectators Vote To Bench Players In A Video Game."
You can check out the official page for the patent itself, which is clearly filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
With the Sony patent, stream viewers will be able to remove players even in the heat of the action either by vote or by simply paying for it.
According to the filing, streaming platforms such as Twitch have gained the interest of more and more people. As such, Sony apparently wanted to "enhance" these viewers' experience by offering them "increased functionality and interactivity."
Aside from potentially benching the actual Twitch streamers, Sony is also enabling viewers to send players messages if they, say, want them to improve, writes IGN.
A streamer can only be kicked out if the vote reaches a consensus, like 60% of all those watching. There's also allegedly a "weighting system" which would give even more power to viewers who are classified as more skilled spectators, as per the original IGN report.
Viewers can earn the "skilled spectator" title based on factors like personal stats, accomplishments, and in-game level in the specific game that they're watching live.
As for the "paying to kick somebody out" part of the patent, viewers can choose to pay a fee that could be preset or auctioned. Potential accepted payments could range from real money to in-game currency, or even cryptocurrency, reports Eurogamer.
What Happens To The Streamer Voted To Be Kicked?
As per the original PC Gamer report, the penalty for the player voted out could depend entirely on the game they're playing.
They could be kicked off the server completely, have their controls disabled, or perhaps even moved to a new group of players where they're "a better match."
This could massively affect those who play online as "smurfs." "Smurf" is a gaming term referring to a highly skilled player (sometimes even a professional-level gamer) playing in matches with or against lower-ranked players, which they obviously outmatch.
What's Next for the Sony Patent?
Sony has so far not commented on this news as of this writing.
But should this system be implemented, its most obvious use case is only for negative player actions. As per the original PC Gamer report, it looks like the patent won't be working both ways--as in, players who do well will not be rewarded.
Still, this is right in the wheelhouse of Sony's newfound focus on integrating streaming platforms such as Twitch within their current technological umbrella. A lot of gamers, specifically the biggest streamers, could likely have something to say about this.
For more updates, check back here at Tech Times.
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Written by RJ Pierce
