Electronic Arts is now the owner of a new patent that could signal changes in the way players approach online game currency in the company’s franchises. The new patent, which focuses on facilitating multi-game currency across different online games, was granted to EA on January 19 and details a system that focuses on multi-game currency ease of use and third-party verification of the same currency.
EA’s experimentation with facilitating a broader use of online game currency may not come as a surprise to gamers familiar with the company’s past. The company became embroiled in a huge controversy back in 2017 concerning Star Wars Battlefront 2‘s heavy use of microtransactions and had to remove them from the game temporarily due to backlash from gamers. Though EA made improvements to Star Wars Battlefront 2 and the game’s reception since then has been more positive, the microtransaction mayhem left a bad taste in many a gamer’s mouth concerning online interactions with EA games. But EA’s latest patent seems to look away from microtransactions and shifts the focus to successfully implementing multi-game currency in online games.
The patent details a system where players use multi-game currency throughout multiple online games, and the spending of that currency is authenticated by a third-party. Basically, this means that players can accrue in-game currency for one game (maybe by completing in-game challenges or a certain number of online matches) and then spend that currency on cosmetics or other items in another game. A third-party such as Facebook or Google Plus will be used to authenticate the transactions as a medium between the player and EA.
This system might make it easier for gamers to get what they want across different franchises by EA, but it isn’t without its controversies. Though third-parties can act as an independent arbiter to ensure online currency is earned and spent appropriately, they might also abuse their power. For example, potential third-party Facebook is being investigated for blocking Oculus competition after it purchased the Oculus company back in 2014.
Though it’s unlikely Facebook would buy out EA, there remains the possibility that Facebook or another third party would require some form of registration in order to use the multi-game currency it will be monitoring. Facebook already requires Oculus owners to create an account with them, so this kind of forced association is not out of the question.
On the other hand, the patent could signal a positive change for EA’s online games. Imagine earning currency in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team and then using that currency in Madden NFL 21 or NHL 21. Players may even be more likely to buy multiple EA games to take advantage of the multi-game currency system. Other companies like small developer White Box Gaming already employ a kind of universal inventory system that its fans find enjoyable. If EA can find a way to emphasize the player-focused aspects of this patent, it might signal a change in the public’s perception of the company’s online gaming offerings.
Source: USPTO
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