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Two new Sony Patents appeared today: Digital item trading, and Gameplay resuming across devices via "the Cloud"

Justified

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Seems they were filed some time ago, but just showed up in the patent filings today.

Makes sense with them ceasing 3rd Party selling of digital codes for the first Patent.

United States Patent10,238,958 Inagaki March 26, 2019

Tangible tradable collectibles having a digital copy

Abstract
Tradable physical collectible objects are described. In particular, systems and methods for using the tradable physical collectible objects facilitate generation of a digital copy that can be used within a network game. A user can use the digital copy and perform various modifications to the digital copy. A value can be determined for the digital copy based on the various modifications. At a later date, the user (e.g., owner) is free to give away, sell or trade the digital copy to another party in transaction with terms based on, for example, the determined value of the digital copy.

Inventors: Inagaki; Ken (Foster City, CA)Applicant:
SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC (San Mateo, CA)
Family ID: 1000003909808Appl. No.: 14/729,274Filed: June 3, 2015
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Edit Digital Trading Patent may be limited to "in-game items"
What is claimed:

1. A system for transforming a physical object for use within a digital environment, the system comprising: a physical object that is associated with a unique identification code; a graphics processing unit that generates a digital copy of the physical object based on an associated set of codes, wherein the generated digital copy is presented within the digital environment of a network game and assigned to a player of the network game, the player associated with the unique identification code; a client device that connects to the digital environment of the network game in which the digital copy is presented, wherein the client device receives customization input from the player selecting one or more modifications to the digital copy, wherein each modification is associated with a corresponding value; a collectible database that stores: the associated set of codes, information regarding an account associated with the player, wherein the player account includes the unique identification code associated with the physical object and the digital copy as modified in accordance with the player customization input, and an ownership history of the digital copy, wherein the ownership history is associated with a reward that is assigned to the player after the digital copy is subsequently transferred to a different player; a network game server comprising a communication interface that subsequently receives the unique identification code over a communication network; and a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to: retrieve the modified digital copy from the collectible database based on the unique identification code, provide the retrieved digital copy for inclusion in the network game, wherein the digital copy is tradable to other users within the network game based on a total value of the modifications selected for the digital copy, and assign the reward to the player in accordance with the ownership history after the digital copy is subsequently transferred to the different player.
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gofreak said:
Yeah, the accompanying images make it super clear. Here is an example about unlocking spaceships in a game, modifying them, and trading them with other players.

aLTU7W0.png


It's not at all about game trade ins.

The guy who filed it has worked on a variety of Sony games, including Helldivers around the time of this patent application. Maybe they were thinking of some kind of amiibo-style collectibles support for that game at some point.
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United States Patent10,238,965 Colenbrander March 26, 2019

Cloud gaming device handover

Abstract
Methods and systems to identify options of secondary client devices for a device handover of game play include establishing a session of game play of a game for a primary client device by executing the game on a server for streaming video frames to the primary client device. A request is received to generate a profile of one or more secondary client devices that are identified to be local to the primary client device. The profile is configured to identify device attributes for the secondary client devices. A handover option is provided to the primary client device during game play, identifying one or more of the secondary client devices, based on the profile. A selection of a secondary client device identified by the handover option received from the primary client device causes pausing of the streaming of video frames to the primary client device, saving a game state for the game and providing an option to resume play of the game on the secondary client device. A resume request received from the secondary client device causes the game state for the game to be accessed and game play resumed so as to continue streaming video frames to the secondary client device.

Inventors: Colenbrander; Roelof Roderick (Costa Mesa, CA)Applicant:
Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (San Mateo, CA)
Family ID: 1000003902621Appl. No.: 15/141,799Filed: April 28, 2016
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Didnt see this in any searches, so trade me in if old

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm&r=0&f=S&l=50&d=PTXT&Query="SONY+INTERACTIVE+ENTERTAINMENT+AMERICA+LLC"

Mod edit: updated title for clarification
 
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jonjonaug

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>Tradable physical collectible objects are described. In particular, systems and methods for using the tradable physical collectible objects facilitate generation of a digital copy that can be used within a network game. A user can use the digital copy and perform various modifications to the digital copy. A value can be determined for the digital copy based on the various modifications. At a later date, the user (e.g., owner) is free to give away, sell or trade the digital copy to another party in transaction with terms based on, for example, the determined value of the digital copy

Isn't this just what Valve already does with Steam.
 
kennyamr

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The Cloud thing is basically what Google showed at their presser. The game stays paused when you are not streaming it.

A trade/sell system over PSN would be an awesome feature to be honest. That would really make digital games much more enticing.
 

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This was one of the ideas I wish could have stayed when the Xbox One was launching! Interested to see if it becomes a reality!
 
Cess007

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Now, THAT'S how you made me a little more interesting in digital. Offering me the same rights I've with physical (selling, trading). I would still be weary of going full digital, but that sounds good at least.
 
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Justified

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kennyamr said:
The Cloud thing is basically what Google showed at their presser. The game stays paused when you are not streaming it.

The trade/sell thing over PSN would be an awesome feature to be honest. That would really make digital games much more enticing.
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The interesting this is Sony filed for that 2 years ago
 
Ichi

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interesting but i have zero idea how that would work...would i just trade a game in digitally and Sony decides how much it's worth?
 
TheFurizzlyBear

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I see value in being able to trade digital items between people. I dont understand the concept of a digital trade-in though.
 
Gradon

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How would digital trade ins even work?
Like a marketplace people have to buy your digital game like a transfer?
Or cash back into your PlayStation wallet straight from Sony?
 
J-Skee

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Well, that's one way to make me less angry about the whole situation. Still don't understand the move to stop selling digital games via retailers, but I can definitely get behind a digital trade-in program.
 
astro

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Digital trade ins would be incredible. I have so many digital games I'd gladly part exchange.
 

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Am I reading that right that owning a game physically would generate you a digital copy and if you own a game you would be able to stream to other devices?

The language is fairly technical.
 
jonjonaug

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Ichi said:
interesting but i have zero idea how that would work...would i just trade a game in digitally and Sony decides how much it's worth?
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"Another party" makes it sound like this can be any other entity, like other users. The way it talks about "modification" seems to imply that this applies to all sorts of digital items, not just software.

So, basically what Valve already does with the Steam marketplace.
 
DavidDesu

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I wonder if they could setup a digital marketplace that can guage pricing via supply and demand or if it would all be arbitrarily created pricing by Sony. I figure Sony and the publisher would take a cut of the trade in value and the user selling gets the money credited to their PSN wallet. The prices would probably be prohibitive (I'm thinking real life trade in stores in the UK who pay you £30 for a brand new game but list them to be sold on for £45 or even £50 making a huge markup for themselves).

However I think this could be a nice little way to promote more activity in general on the PSN marketplace if people can get some value back for long owned and played digital games that otherwise they won't play again. More sales ultimately means more money for Sony and publishers.
 
Ichi

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jonjonaug said:
"Another party" makes it sound like this can be any other entity, like other users. The way it talks about "modification" seems to imply that this applies to all sorts of digital items, not just software.

So, basically what Valve already does with the Steam marketplace.
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hmmm...so then you and i can trade digital games with each other?

wouldn't that create a very big hole in sales, though...I mean if I can just use my games to trade for a newer game or another game from another user...
 
HardRojo

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If digital trade ins become a thing, taking codes from retailers is a sacrifice I'd welcome with open arms.
 
Rosebud

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jonjonaug said:
"Another party" makes it sound like this can be any other entity, like other users. The way it talks about "modification" seems to imply that this applies to all sorts of digital items, not just software.

So, basically what Valve already does with the Steam marketplace.
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A user market of game items like on Steam would be huge
 
Jarod McChicken

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Digital trading was already rumored on the Microsoft side with the upcoming Xbox One All-Digital Edition, according to Brad Sams, so it looks like it's really a thing. Here is how it was described.

In addition to the new console, there will be a 'disc-to-digital' program that, as the name states, turns your physical games into digital downloads. The idea is that you can take your disc to a participating retailer (like the Microsoft store) and trade in your disc for a digital download.
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mmh looks like I read that half asleep
 
inner-G

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That second one could have implications for Stadia and the Xbox streaming services I think

Jarod McChicken said:
Digital trading was already rumored on the Microsoft side with the upcoming Xbox One All-Digital Edition, according to Brad Sams, so it looks like it's really a thing. Here is how it was described.
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I believe this is about trading in games that you bought digitally, not converting games to digital
 
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