Sony patents bad actor detection system targeting toxic behavior in gaming
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It looks like Sony is trying to combat toxic players in multiplayer games with a new bad actor detection system patent. Submitted in October of 2024, the recently published patent aims to punish bad actors who act out against their teammates over an extended period of time that goes against the norm of typical behavior.
Curiously, in the description of the background of the patent, Sony outlines the use of anti-spam methods in emails to prevent targeting vulnerable users. But the same is not applicable to video games, and it’s not done so in the same methodology, so Sony’s patent aims to target, mitigate, and alleviate this issue in multiplayer situations.
With this tech, Sony will be able to track users’ behaviors across different games and score that, comparing it against the rest as a comparative base level. Able to punish them for this, but with the ability to learn and improve on it without permanent expulsion.
Bad actor detection system details
Sony bad actor detection system and method, Source WIPO Patentscope
Sony bad actor detection system and method Fig 1A, Source WIPO Patentscope
Sony bad actor detection system and method Fig 1B, Source WIPO Patentscope
Sony bad actor detection system and method Fig 1C, Source WIPO Patentscope
In the charts, Sony outlines the methodology for how it plans on achieving this. Starting by looking at the behaviors and each user’s connection to each other as seen in 1A. There, it might not be nefarious just yet, but the labelled users are making the most connections out of the lot.
In 1B, you can see user R adding another interaction with another user while keeping contact with the previous group, extending their range, and investing time into others. While Q has dropped its previous group and forms a new group, potentially indicating starting a new game or finding a new group. However, since it’s connecting to some of P’s group, it could be harvesting connections to further its connections.
Lastly, 1C shows a further point in the timeline. Here, P reinstates a previous link to show a normal-like behavior. R drops one connection for another, for a small turnover in contacts. In contrast, Q has displayed yet another odd behavior of dropping a group to make new contacts, furthering the idea that they are systematically going through the network rather than organic interactions.
This sort of behavior, along with other toxic experiences, will punish them with a lower score compared to the norm. This results in some punishments that can be lifted if the bad actor continues to exhibit good behavior, which can improve their score. It’s uncertain if Sony will follow through with this patent, but it would be good to see an investment into improving users’ experiences online on the likes of the PlayStation network, especially with younger gamers enjoying the PlayStation 5 and other online gaming experiences.
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