A new EA patent seeks to give gamers greater choice over matching systems, enabling them to match with other players who share their tastes.
Electronic Arts are reportedly working on a new and revolutionary matching system that will allow users more choice over who they play with than in the past. In the past, developers have utilized various matching algorithms to automatically pair players up for an online multiplayer battle, but a recent patent filed by Electronic Arts wants to further tailor the matchmaking experience and put more control in the hands of the players themselves. Because this material is derived from a patent rather than an official news release from Electronic Arts, it should be noted that it is all subject to change.
Even if they don’t realize it, gamers are probably fairly acquainted with Electronic Arts’ matching systems. Matchmaking is used in games such as Battlefield 2042 and the FIFA series to facilitate online matches between players from all around the globe. However, much of this occurs behind the scenes, and players are eliminated from the matching process. This invention has the potential to alter that.
The basic purpose of matching is to bring together enough participants to start a game as soon as feasible. Electronic Arts’ latest patent intends to do this while also providing users more influence over the sorts of individuals with whom they are paired. The core concept, according to the patent, is that users would file a matching request with certain specifications. The system will then check the “Waiting Pool” to see whether another matchmaking request with the same or similar parameters has been received. If so, the “candidates” will be paired right away. Otherwise, the requester will be put to the Waiting Pool until another request matches theirs.
The main fear that players may have been that it would increase the time it takes to locate a match. After all, no one appreciates a sluggish matching system. To account for this, the patent mentions “distance” and a “distance threshold.” Essentially, “distance” relates to how dissimilar the parameters that two players have selected are, and “distance threshold” refers to how large a disparity between parameters may be before a match is created. The matching technology will analyze previous data and train itself in the hopes of finding the proper balance between an acceptable distance threshold and the time it takes to find a match.
Obviously, this works best when a huge number of people participate in and use the matchmaking system, but successful games from Electronic Arts usually have little trouble attracting a large player base. While the concept is intriguing, it’s crucial to remember that it’s based on a patent, and gamers should wait for an official statement from Electronic Arts on the impending matching system before becoming too committed.
