A patent filed by Activision has revealed that the company is taking a look at how gamers pre-order their games. The patent details a number of new features that Activision could be bringing to the experience in the future.
Companies file new patents frequently, and Activision is no different. The company has seen a good number of its patents being published, such as Activision looking at a new way to increase the size of game worlds as well as innovative ways to deliver gameplay from live esports events for a better viewing experience.
The newest patent, however, looks to give consumers more options when pre-ordering a video game. The largest change in Activision's patent is the ability for buyers to cancel their pre-orders. While this is not an exciting feature, it is something that is lacking in most video game storefronts and would put a lot more power into the hands of gamers who have pre-ordered an upcoming title.
The new feature could have quite an impact due to Activision publishing some of the most popular titles in the games industry, such as new entries in the Call of Duty series. With Activision having its own storefront through Battle.net, the feature could very well be implemented via that program.
The patent also looks at other options for consumers, primarily through allowing them to customize their pre-orders in more detail. One curious example of this is a diagram showing a mock-up of a store menu that lets the purchaser choose which engine they want to buy the game on, id Tech 3 or id Tech 4.
Other features include allowing purchasers to modify their pre-order to get additional content or a more expensive version after the purchase, or sending an e-mail before launch to confirm the pre-order. It is common for the industry's biggest games to include bonuses for pre-ordering, and the patent looks to give consumers more options to get the bonuses they want.
Many patents never lead to any meaningful hardware or software releases, and it is very possible that that will be the case here. However, the patent does not contain any concepts that are too revolutionary, and with Activision already running its own storefront, it does seem plausible that these features will be added. It will be interesting to see if the features do end up being implemented in the store, and if they are, how they will impact Activision's biggest upcoming titles, such as Overwatch 2.
Source: USPTO