Key Takeaways
- Sony's new patent introduces a "soft pause" feature using AI and ML to help players manage interruptions during gameplay.
- The feature allows for gameplay adjustments like aim-assists, slowing game speed, and enhancing player health/resources to ease focus.
- Player reactions are uncertain, with concerns about fairness and limitations in competitive gaming modes.
- The AI technology may use a generalized model to mimic player actions, rather than learning from individual gameplay data.
- This patent represents a potential first for real-time AI management of gameplay, similar to Forza's Drivatar concept.
A recent patent submitted by Sony aims to let players keep playing even when faced with minor interruptions like messages or notifications. This new tech plans to use AI and ML to create a "soft pause" feature instead of just a standard pause button, allowing for a more flexible gaming experience.
Gameplay Adjustments
When this feature is turned on, it will lessen the game's intensity, making it easier for players to focus. It involves tools like aim-assists and other helpful features, as well as slowing down the game’s speed, adjusting the difficulty level, and enhancing player health and resources while this mode is engaged.
Gamer Reactions
It's hard to say how players will react to this feature, as it might seem to give some players an unfair edge. Additionally, competitive games will likely not allow this kind of feature, limiting it to non-ranked modes. Notably, the patent includes mentions of "enemy or friend," suggesting that it will be applicable to multiplayer games.
AI Technology
Whether the behavior-cloning model will learn from each player's unique gameplay data is still uncertain, but given the heavy computational resources required for such a task, a more generalized AI mimicking player actions might be the realistic path forward.
Although this concept is reminiscent of Forza's Drivatar, where AI opponents enhance the gaming experience, Sony's patent is noteworthy as it would mark the first instance of an AI model managing the game on behalf of the player in real-time.
Source: Link