Emotion-Based Game Selection for Faster Player Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulties in selecting games from large libraries or choosing online gaming partners due to impractical conventional methods like game reviews and skill comparisons, which do not effectively consider emotional compatibility.

Innovation Solution

A game selection system that predicts emotional outcomes based on user mood and game descriptors using emotion processors, machine learning, and psychometric tests to recommend or launch games that align with desired emotional states, and a player matching system that pairs users based on emotional compatibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional methods (game reviews, trailers, screenshots) are used to assess games, then users can evaluate game quality, but it becomes impractical for large game libraries of several hundred titles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegame assessment accuracyVSAvoidtime required for game selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical assessment methods (reading reviews, viewing trailers) with an automated emotion detection system using machine learning algorithms that process user emotional state data to predict game outcomes, eliminating the time-consuming manual evaluation process while maintaining assessment accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service game selection by automatically analyzing the user's emotional state and predicting which games will produce desired emotional outcomes, allowing users to select games without manual intervention or extensive review reading

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If conventional skill-based matching is used to select online gaming partners, then users can assess player capability, but it fails to capture emotional compatibility which is crucial for positive gaming experiences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayer compatibility assessmentVSAvoidemotional state information

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces emotion detection as an intermediary layer between players and the matching system, where emotional state data serves as a mediator to bridge the gap between players' emotional needs and the matching algorithm, enabling compatibility assessment beyond skill levels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the matching parameters from traditional skill-based metrics to include emotional state parameters, transforming the matching criteria to account for emotional compatibility by detecting and processing emotional data from players

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12528019B2Player selection system and method

Publication Date: 2026.01.20 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC

AI summary

A game selection system includes an emotion processor configured to obtain a current emotional state of a user; a descriptor processor configured to obtain one or more emotion descriptors associated with one or more games; an evaluation processor configured to predict an emotion outcome for the user for the or each game, based upon the user's current emotional state and the one or more emotion descriptors of the respective games; and a selection processor configured to select one or more games in response to whether their respective emotion outcomes meet at least a first predetermined criterion.