Gaming Route.
“Odds for various propositions concerning the play of a computer simulation are determined and presented to a viewer for pecuniary or non-pecuniary wagering purposes. The odds may be determined using past game analytics, or may be determined parimutuelly,” the patent description reads.
Now Sony filing patents is not unusual, it’s a practice they’ve done multiple times in the past either for upcoming hardware or the ridiculous concept of allowing PlayStation players to use a banana as a game controller. The eSports betting system patent is more realistic as Sony has been investing more time into eSports as of late, especially now after welcoming EVO into the PlayStation family.
It sounds like the patent would be applied at an event like EVO. Sony would collect data of who won or lost while people at the event bet money on a team or player they think will win. Like regular gambling, they would be rewarded or lose the money they wagered at the end of a match. For eSports, this is a first, as no company before Sony—if the company plans on making eSports betting a reality—has officially created a platform or system for eSports betting.
It remains to be seen if players at this or any event would be using real money or in-game currency. Either way, it feels like the discussion of gambling mechanics in video games would increase more so. Loot boxes have gotten a lot of attention and legislation over the past couple of years in relation to the mechanic being harmful to players at a young age. If Sony actually makes eSports betting a reality, let’s hope they make it hard for little Timmy to bet on Sonicfox in the Dragon Ball FighterZ finals.
Until then, the next EVO event is planned to take place this year from August 6th to the 8th. We’ll see if Sony integrates the eSports betting system there or not.
