Sony Developing 'Super-Fungible Tokens' for Gaming

According to a new patent, Sony may be developing «super-fungible tokens» to purchase game assets. Non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs, have received a mixed response since being introduced in recent years, but this idea from Sony may be more enticing for gamers.

The gaming industry is constantly evolving, and patents play a critical role in its achievements. Sony is among the big video game corporations to make regular advancements via its patents. Some recent Sony patents include one that could allow players to take voice and video calls in-game, an age restriction system that could lock PlayStation accounts, and another that adapts difficulty to a player's skill level. Gifting in-game items has become popular on current-gen consoles, with games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Minecraft offering the option. Steam has also provided gamers the ability to gift games to their friends, potentially opening the door for new audiences to experience them. Sony seems to be working on a super-fungible token that can be exchanged in a similar manner.

According to a new Sony patent, the gaming company is working on the ability for players to purchase and exchange a new type of token. The patent calls this a super-fungible token that consists of multiple non-fungible tokens in one package. Tied to these NFTs are various gaming assets that can be applied to multiple types of games. The patent references athletic, sports, and fighting games as examples, suggesting that franchises like Madden NFL or Street Fighter could benefit from the concept. Although players can currently gift games or in-game items to their friends on specific platforms or games, there are fewer methods to exchange currency on these platforms. Sony's super-fungible token could allow players to gift a one-time-use token that's tied to certain gaming assets.

The Sony super-fungible token uses metadata to recognize which gaming assets are tied to it based on one player's inputs. This could presumably include