RollingStone just wrote an article bashing microtransactions this past week: https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/features/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-good-loot-box-or-microtransaction-w508742 Concerning the patent granted to Activision; "This was an exploratory patent filed in 2015 by an R&D team working independently from our game studios," an Activision spokesperson tells Glixel. "It has not been implemented in-game." For whatever reason, the Activision spokesperson isn't listed anywhere in the RollingStone article. Bungie also confirmed to Glixel that the technology isn't being used in Destiny 2. I noted nothing in this patent that is new, unique or alarming other than the fact that microtransactions could be used for matchmaking. Everything else in the patent seems fine as it helps pair up players in a more meaningful, beneficial way... except that it is unclear whether we are given any choice at all in the matter? We already and still have control of who we group and queue with, provided we make those choices ourselves in game. And when we haven't made these choices for ourselves, it's often a crap-shoot, so I wouldn't care if microtransactions were factored in after that point, but I definitely agree that we should always be given an option where and when our personal or financial data is used. *Edit* - in game currency I'm not concerned about here, but the patent should be distinct in every instance whether in-game or out of game currency is being used, for example.

The gaming community will just evaporate, only the rich who don't care will be able to afford anything, we are seriously going back to the days when kids have to play outside because only the top 5-10% of the world will have money.