You'd be hard-pressed to find any gaming site without a guide or two floating around these days, and it appears that Sony has been taking notes. With the PlayStation 5 slated for release at the end of the year, Sony has filed a patent for a system that will allow players to purchase hints if they become stuck while playing a game.
According to Gamerant, the patent was filed through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and would essentially monitor the player's performance and what it is they are attempting to do. It would then refer to the methods and tools other players have used to successfully complete the task, and present that solution to the player - for a price.
This is probably a good time to point out that filing the patent doesn't mean this is something that will be implemented with the PlayStation 5. It just means that Sony has the technology or system to make it work. And you should probably take this one with a grain of salt - I mean, why would you pay money for a hint in a game when you can just lean over, type your woes into Google, and be presented with hundreds of answers for free?
Advert
There is one line in the incredibly wordy filing that hints at a possible - if admittedly weak - reasoning behind the system (aside from, you know, just making more money): "When players become frustrated with their repeated failures to accomplish some objective, there is a higher likelihood that the player will quit the game and not experience the totality of what the game is intended to offer."
But again, that's assuming the player doesn't have access to the internet, and with most games being online these days, that seems like a weird assumption. Sony is clearly underestimating the (minuscule) lengths gamers are prepared to go through to find answers. I mean, these days we don't even have to scroll for years on GameFAQs to find a specific boss strategy or item location.
Love them or hate them, guides have come along way over the last decade and it seems hard to believe that's something that Sony has completely missed.
Advert
Other recent PlayStation 5 news includes the new controller features that may be implemented - it's a patent leak, so not confirmed - and the rumoured price and release date. But again, with the release of Sony's next-gen console getting closer, it's not surprising that everyone is jumping on any potential information out there, especially with the lack of concrete details thus far.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: PlayStation 5, guides