"The patents potentially reveal how data tracking is used by a developer to acquire and transform your player's activity, playstyle and more - insight that has thus far has remained elusive.
"The premise behind their Virtual Coaching System (VCS), mentioned in the patent, is to merge players of similar abilities into the same lobby, with the hope that player will enhance their skillset through in-game feedback."
"Within one of the patent applications, it states: "Stored statistics are analyzed to determine one or more of the player's traits. Determined traits are used to determine the player's playstyle," which implies that more than in-game metrics (such as kill-to-death ratio) are tracked to measure player behavior."
"For example, the Reddit user points out that the patent monitors player strengths/weaknesses based on (and not limited to): how player's respond to scenarios, changes in strategy in response to scenarios, usage of weapons, etc. In short, the tracking system develops a profile of player traits to better map how players will respond versus opponents of a similar profile. Meaning that (in theory), the game's servers should place you in a lobby with players who exhibit similar tendencies."
"According to the Reddit user, the system culminates data on basic in-game parameters (such as kills, deaths, damage per minute), all the way up to how a player navigates a map (such as movement speed and area covered).
After all data is monitored, it is lumped into an algorithm that calculates "various models for different games/levels/modes/contexts of what statistics/traits are important to being successful within each playstyle."
"Alongside gathering player data for the benefit of 'player improvement,' Activision have hinted towards eyeing the potential for matchmaking models to influence player behavior outside of the game. As stated in patent three, "Conventional systems further fail to leverage matchmaking processes in other contexts, such as influencing game-related purchases."
By this logic (and hypothetically speaking, of course), the Reddit user points out that players could be matched with individuals who have purchased in-game cosmetics in a bid to entice them to fork-out themselves."
So disclaimer for all of this is that just because these patents exist, doesn't mean they're in use for MW or other Activision games.
