Activision published a 25-page white paper that looked into the impact of skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) on multiplayer lobbies and determined that SBMM is better for all players.
Indie game developer and consultant points out Rami IsmailThe report states: Read the full article on Activision’s official website – Outlining a “surprising A/B test” in which Activision “secretly phased out SBMM to monitor retention… and found that everyone hated it: more people quit, less people played, and more negativity.”
Activision has announced plans to release a series of white papers in 2015. Apriland are already considering the impact Time to connection and matching You can enjoy online play.
However, their latest paper, “Matchmaking Series: The Role of Skill in Matchmaking,” discusses “matchmaking within Call of Duty multiplayer, including how we’re constantly working to create a balanced system for the benefit of all players. While skill is one factor in matchmaking, it is not the driving force behind Call of Duty’s matchmaking system.”
“While playing against better opponents may make players more skilled over time, our testing found that suffering significant losses in matches actually leads players to abandon matches in progress or to stop playing multiplayer,” Activision speculates.
Activision also confirmed that while they are “considering a single, core multiplayer playlist that doesn’t use skill as a factor in matchmaking,” they believe that “past testing has shown that low- and mid-skill players would be unlikely to join such a playlist. Because matches can only be created from players actively searching the playlist, the result would likely be matches comprised exclusively of high-skill players.”
Activision says the experiment demonstrates that the existing SBMM system allows the widest range of players to participate in “all of the key parts of Call of Duty’s game design in core multiplayer.”
This includes games in which players can contribute meaningfully to their team, not just through winning, but through their own personal records and accomplishments.
“This system aims to keep teams balanced so that players are not consistently on the wrong side of games that they lose by a large margin. Players who frequently experience large losses are more likely to quit matches in progress or the game altogether, which negatively impacts the experience for players of all skill levels,” Activision concluded.
“We’re constantly striving to improve our approach to matchmaking to ensure players of all skill levels get the best experience. A healthy player population is good for everyone in the community.”
Further research papers on ranked play and “experimental methods” are expected to be published later this year.
For those of you who don’t know, last year Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 joined Xbox Game Pass earlier this week.
