Patent granted

Mar 22, 2010 13:39 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is looking for more ways to make gamers buy videogames their friends are interested in playing. A new patent granted to the company that manufactures the Xbox 360 and also has a presence in PC gaming through Games for Windows can help translate social pressure into a revenue stream.

The software giant has patented something called ATDDC, which stands for “AuTomated Direct transaction and Delivery system for digital Content.” The idea is that a player will receive an invitation to join a multiplayer game and if they lack all the content needed to get into the game, a prompt will appear, allowing them to buy the stuff they need and then quickly download it, so they can then jump right into the game they have been invited to. The process can also be used for small downloadable titles and it seems that both the Xbox 360 and the PC are targeted by Microsoft.

The patent application filled with the United States Patent and Trademark Office reads, “The ATDDC automatically detects that a player may not have installed particular required content or that a title update is required in order to participate in a media session or video game. Upon detection of missing content or resources the ATDDC provides direct bid to purchase the content or resources, provides for automatic download, installation and configuration of the content while allowing the player to remain in contact with other players within a party.”

It could be a clever move on the part of Microsoft, as pressure from peers is the best way of actually getting someone to do something. If all your friends are playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 and they send you an invitation allowing for the game to quickly be bought and downloaded, you might give in to the temptation faster than by going to a store and buying it. The downside is that such a system will require huge amounts of bandwidth, meaning that it might be some time until it is implemented.