Sony patented the action of adding trophies to games that were available on its various platforms before its rewards system officially came out.
PlayStation patented the ability to add trophies to old games
The patent was found by Reddit user Bartman013 on the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit. The patent is described as a “Method and system for awarding trophies by comparing an emulated game memory value to a default value and assigning one or more trophies to the user.”
The above would allow Sony to add trophies to an old game without the need to modify the game itself. It should be remembered that the PlayStation trophy system emerged in the PlayStation 3 era as a response to the popularity of achievements on Xbox, although early games on Sony’s console did not feature this mode.
The patent mentions “Cloud computing,” which could mean that it would be compatible with PlayStation Now. Also, there is a section that talks about physical rewards: “This can be done by transmitting an electronic trophy or notifying that a physical reward, such as a T-shirt, accessory, or other merchandise, has been earned by the player.”
News regarding the emulation of games from previous consoles is always interesting, as there are countless memorable titles that current video gamers didn’t get a chance to try. But before you get your hopes up too high, keep in mind that patents are sometimes made for the sole purpose of protecting an idea and don’t necessarily reflect a company’s plans.
Remember that rumors surfaced this week about the permanent closure of the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and PSP stores. This could be related, as these consoles had quite an interesting catalog of games from the first PlayStation.
