Microsoft trademarks streamlined Xbox 360 DLC purchasing system

by Griffin McElroy on Mar 17th 2010 3:00PM

Nothing derails the excitement of playing games online with your friends quite like finding out that you don't have a certain piece of DLC required to join their game. The USPTO recently approved a Microsoft patent application (filed way back in August 2008) for a system that would enable users to seamlessly purchase and download game add-ons from the Xbox Live Marketplace when alerted by an in-game prompt, provided the content was required for a particular online game they attempted to launch.

The process would allow you to make purchases without being forced out of a game lobby you might be sharing with friends -- though, really, what kind of "friends" wouldn't warn you about your game's newfound incompatibility before inviting you in? Inconsiderate friends, that's who.

[Via Eurogamer; BrokeMyController]

Source

Tags: dlc, microsoft, patent, trademark, uspto, xblm, Xbox-360, xbox-live-marketplace

Reader Comments (39)

I hate patents like this....

You know there's a patent for loading screen minigames? It's owned by Namco. That's why you don't see it in more games.

Things that make the consumer experience better... especially if they're just a "concept"... shouldn't be patentable...

I use loading screens for trips to the loo, keeping me there playing a mini game wouldn't be fun for anyone.

@swagman

Either you misread his commented, or you overreacted. I believe his "no fun for anyone" is in reference to the fact that with the mini-game loading screens he would be compelled to play instead of going to the bathroom, therefore possibly (jokingly) making his friends suffer.

@ Swagman... Way to find a way to randomly add in some "OMG TEH 360 IZ TEH WINZORZ!" comments....

real smooth!

I always loved the minigames in Tekken loading screens. Namco is a fool for not trying to capitalize on their patent. It's not like people are buying their games because of the great loading screen experience.

I'm not a big fan of patent abuse or patenting the most common of tasks. I think some companies file patents just to stop competition from using certain functions, or if they do, get compsensation for such, or simply acquire patents to protect themselves from the competition filing a patent on something they're already doing.

In the case of Namco, I believe that patent expires in 5 years.

I wouldn't mind something to do while my games install, or during loading screens.. Phantasy Star Online you could move the epicentre of the 'fireworks' around.. save me wanting to skip them O_o

Microsoft is making it easier for you to spend money?

Huh..

(I'm kidding though, really, this sounds like a good idea.)

i think a better patent would be letting gamers seamlessly download the dlc and use it if the party host has it, while not having to purchase it.

They're not happy about EA/BioWare's Cerberus Network and it's free DLCs.

Depending on the file, your friends may be done playing by the time that the download finishes, anyway.

i didnt think of that, good point

"Microsoft trademarks streamlined Xbox 360 DLC purchasing system"

You mean PATENT, good sir.

For a second there I thought it was going to streamline 3rd party registration DLC that now seems to be too common.

At least then I wouldn't have to have a separate EA/Ubi/Whatever account when it could just be accessed through the marketplace with everything else, using that "one profile name for everything" concept that MS already has working pretty well.

Doesn't the PS3 (and I'm guessing the 360) already do something like this? I bought all of the Burnout Paradise DLC using the Burnout Store.

Upon further inspection, you guys really need to be more careful about this stuff, this patent application has merely been published, it's not an issued patent yet. It hasn't even been examined yet.

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220100056268%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20100056268&RS=DN/20100056268

Wow, there editor of this article must be on vacation. You caught two errors: Confusing a trademark with a patent and misreading a patent application with an approval.

I was confused when the article said "filed way back in August 2008". Most patents take 5 to 6 years for approval. Even Microsoft can't speed up government bureaucracy.

This is pointless, you have to go to the dashboard to download while most games are running. What's the problem with taking a few extra seconds just to find it in the marketplace.

Why would you complain about something that makes games and their DLC more accessible?

if he doesnt, then who will

Rock Band has it's own in-game store as well.

The best system, IMHO, is the one in Uno. If the host has the DLC, then everyone gets to play with it as long as they are in the host's game, but the other players get an ad letting them know that it's out there for purchase.

I fail to believe that that type of situation happens often enough to actually be considered a problem.

It used to happen to me all the time in Halo 3 or MW1. We'd join a game and say "Everyone got the DLC? Yeah? Okay great." then get a message about how SOMEONE didn't have the DLC. And there would be a "Oooohhhh there's new DLC???" moment.

It's actually happened a whole bunch of times.

This is a great idea but generally people know what they are missing already. Then again not everyone is up to speed on DLC releases. But let's say you're in a GoW2 lobby, prompted for a DLC download, it would be hard to obtain large files such as map packs before the game starts. Maybe I am not entirely understanding how it works, just seems back and forth with me.

It may be for the Joy Ride game

Don't make me spend more money! >:|

well their not forcing you to buy anything their just giving you a pop up saying "hey you don't have this DLC to play so and so game with these people, would you like to buy it?" you can just as easily hit no if you don't want it, its just streamlining it so you can do it faster instead of having to go to the dashboard, going into marketplace, finding it, and downloading it.

I know its not forcing me, but its asking me "Hey, would you like to spend more money?" That offer is far too tempting if you know you need the expansion to play the game, at least as it is now on the way to spend my moeny I have time to think and contemplate the repercussions of my actions and change my mind, thinking my money would probably be spent better on a new game or a bus ride somewhere :D Now I will buy something without time to think and only regret it after when I can't get a refund, lol

In reality, I do like the idea, I have nothing against it at all, makes my life much easier :)

Oh, and think about the beer! The beer! If I buy without thinking, I won't have enough money to have a beer! Therefore I will not be able to socialy drink with my mates! This will lead to a profound state of depression. Do you want to see what a depressed gamer looks like? :D

Its the old "well all your friends are doing it" peer pressure angle. Your friends want you to join game, but you can't because you refuse to buy over priced map packs. So you're forced to choice between your friends and your personal values....the drama unfolds.....on Xbox Live!

Thank you sir, I will take your word on that! It still seems weird to me that MS is spending time and resources on something like this. Of course, like someone else said, this is just them streamlining their system so you can spend money faster and easier. Thanks for the reply!

Is it just me or do I read the word 'DLC' almost daily now?! *sigh*

Is it just me or do I need more Borderlands?

So true, everybody things DLC means Downloadable Content. It really stands for Developers Love Cashflow. Now before you get all, but some of it is free, find me one game that has DLC that does not have at least one paid DLC.

Until they can figure out how to authorize/deauthorize the use of DLC on multiple consoles without being signed into Live, they can piss off. And I'm not talking about the DRM tool that you can only use once a year.

Exactly, 5 to 6 years of pendency is quite common.

This is exactly the kind of spontaneous, fun, and consumer friendly gaming model only Microsoft can provide.

Way to go, Microsoft! You're patenting existing functionality in Total Annihilation, Half-Life-based games, and Unreal Tournament ... to sync map content when it's not present on other client PC's. Only now, you're assuming everyone in the party will buy a $10 DLC when 1 person has it. Hopefully, your sales & marketing guys will figure out that DLC sells better when it's sold in "4 for the price of 3" or other pricing promotions.

When there's overwhelming proof someone didn't come up with an idea, is that not grounds for a patent to be overturned? More companies not in the habit of hoarding basic ideas should make a point of releasing said ideas into the public domain, so this kind of thing doesn't happen.

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Microsoft trademarks streamlined Xbox 360 DLC purchasing system

Reader Comments (39)

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