Sony Wants To Block Verbal Abuse From Voice Chat In Games

Toxicity from multiplayer gaming could be massively reduced by this feature.

Story Highlights

  • Sony’s new patent wants to moderate the in-game voice chat and block verbal abuse by changing the tone and volume of the culprit.
  • The patent states that the player can control many aspects and decide who to moderate to make it a flexible feature.
  • It will use AI to automatically detect the tone, emotions, and loudness of the users before taking action.

Sony has been helming multiple initiatives that want to make gaming a more secure and fun endeavor for the PlayStation community. The publisher’s latest initiative is reflected in the new patent that talks about adding an interesting voice moderation feature. As per the newly published legal document, Sony talks about a unique system that can be toggled to block all the incoming emotional outbursts and toxicity from players in many ways.

The patent named “DIGITAL AUDIO EMOTIONAL RESPONSE FILTER” can differentiate between the tones, words, and frequencies of the users during voice chat. Sony’s unique system can filter out loud remarks or emotional outbursts by either lowering the volume of the player or changing the tone. Additionally, the tone of the bad actor can be modified into an AI voice with a softer tone for a more pleasant gaming experience.

The incoming audio level can be normalized as a user starts yelling, or tonality can be removed when angry/aggressive tones are being used to produce a robotic or toneless voice,” reads the patent.

The image shows an example for voice chat emotion filtering selection menu.
The image shows an example of a voice chat emotion filtering selection menu.

Sony argues that players may want to save themselves from angry outbursts or heated talks while gaming. A common solution to this dilemma would be to block the toxic users, but it could also make it impossible to engage in any discussions. The system wants to normalize the excessive tone or yelling without blocking the voice completely. This can help keep players engaged with each other despite the ensuing filtered chaos.


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The image reveals additional details of emotion filtering system.
The image reveals additional details of the emotion filtering system.

In social network situations a prime user may wish to not be exposed to excessive emotion in the voice playback of another user in the network, or may not wish to be exposed to specific types of emotions, but nonetheless discover the content of what an emotional user is saying.”

The patent also mentions that players can possess the ability to choose whose voice is filtered by the system. For example, one user with a loud or angry tone may have his voice altered while the other speaking emotionally could have the same natural voice. This feature —utilizing AI and machine learning models— will provide additional flexibility that can make it a viable moderation option in the modern Sony gaming ecosystem.

The image shows a flow chart for employing machine learning model(s).
The image shows a flow chart for employing machine learning model(s).

The giant conglomerate has previously published a similar patent that wanted to remove immoral behavior from in-game voice chats. That document stated punishing the culprits with appropriate penalties for participating in those harsh acts, as it wants to protect gamers from possible triggers for mental health issues.

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Source
Patentscope

Shameer Sarfaraz is a Senior News Writer on eXputer who loves to keep up with the gaming and entertainment industries devoutly. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and several years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.

Experience: 4+ Years || Education: Bachelor in Computer Science.

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