NickFire
Member
Let’s not get carried away here being haters. A couple cool skins to match up against new players is a steal of a deal. Don’t mind if I do.More on the match making patent as it’s designed to influence MTX by pairing new players with players decked out in fancy gear to try to get the newer player to buy stuff and look like the higher level player.
Influencing Game-Related Purchases through Targeted Matchmaking
According to an aspect of the invention, microtransaction engine 128 may arrange matches to influence game-related purchases. Game-related purchases may include an acquisition by a player of an item in exchange for a fee, such as a real currency fee, a virtual currency fee, and/or other type of fee. The item may include an in-game item (e.g., a power-up, virtual weaponry, a virtual vehicle, an extra life, an extended life, etc.), a new level or map, and/or other item that may be used in relation to a game.
For example, microtransaction engine 128 may match a more expert/marquee or otherwise influential player (e.g., clan leader) with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases. A junior player may wish to emulate a marquee player by obtaining weapons or other items used by the marquee player. Other types of pairings and/or other groupings of players may be used as well.
Microtransaction engine 128 may analyze various items used by marquee players and, if at least one of the items is currently being offered for sale (with or without a promotion), match the marquee player with another player (e.g., a junior player) that does not use or own the item. Similarly, microtransaction engine 128 may identify items offered for sale, identify marquee players that use or possess those items, and match the marquee players with other players who do not use or possess those items. In this manner, microtransaction engine 128 may leverage the matchmaking abilities described herein to influence purchase decisions for game-related purchases.
In an implementation, microtransaction engine 128 may target particular players to make game-related purchases based on their interests. For example, microtransaction engine 128 may identify a junior player to match with a marquee player based on a player profile of the junior player. In a particular example, the junior player may wish to become an expert sniper in a game (e.g., as determined from the player profile). Microtransaction engine 128 may match the junior player with a player that is a highly skilled sniper in the game. In this manner, the junior player may be encouraged to make game-related purchases such as a rifle or other item used by the highly skilled sniper.
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