A recent patent from Sony appears to be looking at claiming ownership of a widely used feature in online systems, though the wording might be specific enough not to apply for every use. The way that it's described, however, could make rating games on the PlayStation Store a lot easier and letting players search through the PlayStation Network's library of games in a more streamlined way.

The patent itself is specifically looking at implementing a "Like Button" into Sony's virtual controller in order to let players share with the community which games they enjoyed. It isn't clear if this will also have a "Dislike Button" as well, which can both be beneficial for aggregating a more accurate score, but also opens the door for toxicity and review bombing.

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Filing a patent for a "Like Button" appears a bit egregious at first, considering how many websites and social media systems currently use this function to share and promote user content. The specific wording, however, does clarify that the intention of Sony's planned function is specific to letting the online community rate games via these likes and then search through the library by the number of likes each game collects. So, the patent does differentiate itself from websites like Twitter or Instagram, making this liking system much more specifically tied to the PlayStation Store than to other social sharing functions.

In addition to the previously stated features, this patent also indicates that there is an unpopular level of monetization being drawn from the "Like Button" function. The way this appears to work according to examples in the patent is that any likes registered by a user will be saved and sold as traffic data with the intent of delivering tailored ads. This does mean that users concerned about online data being acquired by third parties might not be entirely comfortable with engaging with the "Like Button," though.

As far as improving the PlayStation Network goes, this "Like Button" feature appears to have plenty of benefits, especially since the current rating system on the PlayStation Store is often ignored by players. A simple button to indicate that a player likes a game can increase ease of access and incentivize more players to give much more accurate ratings of the quality of a game. Of course, the monetization being tied to ad data is concerning in a time where protecting online data has become its own industry at this point.

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Source: WIPO