Tencent has won a patent that relates to the inheritance of digital items and assets after a person passes away. As discovered by video games analyst Daniel Ahmad, the patent, which was originally filed in 2019, appears to be a way for gamers and other owners of digital items and assets to pass them on to loved ones after they die through the use of “digital asset certificates” to ensure that their collections don’t disappear into some sort of void. Tencent appears to be following closely on the heels of Apple, which recently announced a similar service that allows users to assign administrators for managing their digital assets after death.
Tencent obtained a patent this month, originally filed in 2019, that relates to the inheritance of digital items and assets after a person passes away.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 12, 2021
While not fully related to video games, it has sparked discussions online about game accounts / virtual item inheritance. pic.twitter.com/ltmtFYndId
As we move towards a more digital world, the idea of virtual asset inheritance has become more important among aging netizens who have long standing online / game accounts with many digital items. Tencent has not announced an actual digital inheritance plan just yet though.
Source: Daniel Ahmad