'Segregating high skill players from the population at large, forcing long wait times on them, is a form of discrimination': former Halo multiplayer lead on the 'failure' of SBMM in modern games
If you ever want to toss a discourse grenade into a room and watch the sparks fly, bring up skill-based matchmaking. How much or little developers should factor player skill into who you're permitted to play against in multiplayer games is an evergreen debate of our hobby, but it's not everyday that an expert on the topic chimes in.
Responding to an opinion piece in PLAY Magazine about SBMM in FPSes (as shared by GamesRadar) on Twitter, former Bungie multiplayer lead Max Hoberman argues modern multiplayer games do a «disservice» to players by only serving them even matchups, citing his work on Halo 3 as how to do matchmaking right.
«Ranked filtered opponents based on level. This was for when you wanted a competitive match,» said Hoberman in a tweet thread. «But even then, I intentionally allowed variability in the range of levels we matched you with.»
Hoberman, who was the multiplayer and online lead on Halo 2 and Halo 3 before founding Certain Affinity in 2006, laid out the three types of matches that Halo's matchmaker was designed to serve players: an «easier» match you were likely to win, a «harder» one where you were outmatched, and an even matchup.
«The failure of modern skill-based matchmaking, imho, is that it's designed to maximize these perfect match scenarios and minimize the others,» he said. «When it's working, a majority of games become super tight, super stressful. That's not fun for most players. Where's the variability?»
The failure of modern skill-based matchmaking, imho, is that it's designed to maximize these perfect match scenarios and minimize the others. When it's working, a majority of games become super tight, super stressful. That's not fun for most players. Where's the variability?November 20,
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