It's time to talk about cross-platform play again! Yay!
The conversation that simply never seems to end, the topic has once again been brought forward off the back of comments made by Xbox boss Phil Spencer. Talking to GameSpot, the chatty exec reveals that he doesn't hold out much hope when it comes to Sony changing its stance on the matter.
"We talk to Sony all the time," says Spencer. "I have a real struggle making comments about their motivation or timelines. I know there is a certain view that says if my friends have this console, they can't play with people who buy another console. That's a reason they go buy my console [...] That reason is not going to go away."
Phil's bang on the money, really. Sony's found massive ongoing success with the PlayStation 4 -- why would it allow for people to join in on the fun via a competitor's console? Spencer continues: "I'm never going to call anything a lost cause but I think some of the fundamental reasons and certain scenarios, they're not really going away. So I don't know what would change."
In other words, Spencer just doesn't see how Microsoft and Sony could possibly come to an agreement over this as long as the situation remains as is. He also comments on the latter's lack of communication on the topic, saying "I think Sony's view is different. They should talk about what their view is..."
Realistically, though, we all know why Sony doesn't want to talk about it. As soon as it opens its mouth on the subject, the internet will jump down its throat. Obviously no company wants to look like the bad guy, especially when you've got good old gamer's friend Phil saying things like "I think people look at [cross-play] and say is it better for gamers. If it's better for gamers, I have a hard time thinking why we shouldn't go do this," but Sony's in a position where it's dominating the generation -- and it wants to keep it that way. A victim of its own success? In a way, yes.
So, what do you make of this ongoing saga? Should Sony allow cross-platform play, or is it just doing what it has to do? Have a friendly debate in the comments section below.
[source gamespot.com]
Comments 39
Maybe he should start with talking about something else he sounds like a broken record.
Why doesn't Phil focus on his own business instead of talking about someone else's?
@BLP_Software Not to the degree that he's constantly banging on about it. I know in this instance he was probably asked the question by Gamespot and that's not his fault, but Sony has no obligation to play ball with his cross-platform thing that he's suddenly decided he wants to do.
He can talk about how cross-platform is a great thing for whatever consoles are supporting it; he doesn't need to constantly comment on Sony's stance because it's got nothing to do with him at this point.
He's said Xbox are open to it; Sony's said no. The discussion is now one for Sony and not Phil.
@BLP_Software
Funny thing is when I look at it now Sony even has better Multiplayer then Microsoft they are even destroying them at that and Microsoft was the best at Multiplayer based experience.
And plus now we are getting 10x better Plus games then Xbox Gamers and plus ton of more exclusives, infinetly better deals,sales etc i would say they really are for the gamers (For Playstation gamers that is because in the end those matter the most for Sony)
Wow he really doesn't seem to have anything to promote besides his competitor's perceived flaws...
@Hapuc Shhh. The snarky 'For the Players' comments have to come out the second Sony does something consumers don't 100% agree with.
Because obviously cross-platform play suddenly undoes the stream of great content that's come to PS4 since launch.
@BLP_Software "We're in constant discussions with Sony about cross-platform play. Our stance hasn't changed."
Done.
I'd say ultimately its mere brownie points that the MS execs will get, for being so "I just dont understand why they wont play with us" each time the same question is asked.
Arguably that is all they can say, but considering the idea that Xbox, PC and other devices can play together on say a Minecraft or whatever, I would have thought trumpeting that would be more beneficial to them overall..
"Look, you can play with your friends on these different devices together", is a cool thing when you look at it from the outside and i am surprised they really are not pushing this hard...
Maybe the millions of ps4's that could potentially be involved is seen as a loss of potential revenue somehow for them, but ultimately the question has been answered so many times now and really there isn't much mileage left if Sony have said no...
The ONLY thing that I can see changing this is something like PUBG, depending on how its handled... Arguably along with Minecraft, this would be the best game to trial a completely open, cross network game... alas I dont think it will happen
@get2sammyb maybe because he keeps being asked about cross-platform play in interviews and responds about it. He clearly has his view and at least respects that Sony has their view and that they should answer their own questions about where they stand. Its logical that interviewers will ask about MS's stance on this and whether or not there is any more news. At least he is willing to answer...
As I have stated before, I really don't see any issue in 'cross-platform' gaming. I don't think that it is going to make a fundamental difference to console sales. It could have worked even more in Sony's favour at the start of this Gen - more people buying PS4 knowing they could still play those MP games with Xbox friends. Why buy CoD on XB1 when you can play it at a higher resolution on PS4 and still play with your friends?
Of course that may affect things like 'exclusive' content - timed or otherwise. How can you play on the maps that only one console has - at least until it eventually comes to the other. It seems Sony has the monopoly on 3rd party exclusives at the moment - I know MS still has a few but can't compete with Sony and the 'biggest' franchises. Another aspect though, and most important when gaming with 'friends' is often party chat - so that will still make a difference in these games - buy 'A' console to play and talk with friends or buy 'B' console that allows you to play with friends only. The advantage of a single united base, is that you get much fuller lobbies, which in turn can deliver much better online gaming (due to better Ping as you are connected to more local people), and the less common game modes are more populated and don't die so quickly. A game like TF2 which relied heavily on its MP died quickly because of 'small' communities - the small PS4 users, the small Xbox users, the small PC users. If all three had been united, it may not have died so quickly because there would have been a much bigger install base. You know the game is struggling when you can't get a game on the least popular modes - but had the PC and Xbox also been included, the PS4 gamers could have had a better experience and more chance to play all modes instead of forced to play Pilot vs Pilot all the time - the only mode with a decent sized lobby.
I still don't see any reason though why it can't be on a game by game basis - Minecraft, Rocket League etc are not exactly console sellers. Its not exactly going to make those considering a PS4 now jump to Xbox - if anything its going to make that decision to buy their PS4 easier because they can still play with 'friends' regardless.
I do agree though that it is difficult to police. Sony, MS etc have a duty to protect its users and you can't exactly issue a warning or 'ban' a player on another platform if there is abuse so some sort of communication between all parties would need to be opened up.
@BLP_Software i don't think sony has an issue with cross platform play, after all they have some games that are cross platform with P.C i think their issue is with HOW MS want to do it
it would mean Sony putting and giving access to XB Live on the PS4 because MS are using XBL as the basses of their cross platform play, even the Switch version of Mincraft requires XBL to use the CPP
if you was Sony would you let a competitor, one that is doing worse than you currently get a foot hold on your system, Nintendo probably don't care because they are not directly competing with Sony or Microsoft but Sony and MS are competing with each other
i don't think you would, i certainly wouldn't
@get2sammyb Because he has nothing else.
@BLP_Software Well it isnt new IP's thats for sure.
I have no problem with cross play between these two companies, but I just don't see Sony going that route. Doesn't really makes sense for them to do it.
Its narrow minded of Sony to deny gamers the chance to cross play.
Phil wants to give it a rest. He wants to focus on keeping studios open and games from been cancelled instead of his obsession with Sony.
@Bamozzy Steam has MP games that lose its audience all the time and they claim to have more players then PS4 and Xbox combined so if games struggle there then cross platform won't change a thing. Also on TF2 I get matches of attrition all the time, heck I get into games quicker then Overwatch ever does.
@BLP_Software #ForThePlayers always was and always will be a marketing slogan (albeit a clever) but of course you take it literally.
@Dryrain Much like it was narrow minded of MS to deny cross platform play last gen but people conveniently forget that.
This is all a convenient reshaping of history and facts by Microsoft. It was Microsoft that stood against cross-platform play at the beginning of this generation. Sony said they would allow. That's why Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is on PS4 and not Xbox One.
Then the consoles launched, Sony took a dominating lead in sales, and both sides changed their positions.
Those "fundamental reasons and certain scenarios" are called market share.
In this technology driven age, it’s kind of hard to believe some third party company isn’t offering up a solution to this. Something where Xbox/PS4 users come in on the same servers and the servers handle the traffic and connections. All while keeping the integrity of Sony’s infrastructure secure. That’s the only scenario I could see this happening.
@get2sammyb "Why doesn't Phil focus on his own business instead of talking about someone else's?
Why don't you focus on what Sony execs say and not what Phil says? You're enabling him by covering what he says you know.
It's never going to happen. No platform holder would want to give up a sizable install base. That's power. It's easier to make marketing deals, everyone is using your service (PS+) and people buying consoles to play with their friends are just some of the benefits they would give up with cross platform play.
Good Guy Phil should focus on his brand. Hasn't he got some new console he should be focusing on?
I am pretty bored of Phil peddling this to be honest. Its a ridiculous issue that has managed to get out of control - and somehow, Sony has found itself as the bad guy in all this. I distinctly remember Microsoft refusing to play ball on this issue last gen when they had the market share. Now the roles are reversed, suddenly they want to do it. This just makes zero financial sense for Sony at the moment. And lets remember, they are a business who want consumers to buy THEIR product
Phil is right! Sony should allow cross-platform play so everyone could play PUBG... oh wait!
Meh corporations. They never think in the interest of the consumer unless it is in their interest as well. Phil Spencer and MS are pursuing a very different strategy now on their gaming platform. It is just corporations doing what they do.
I wish there was cross play, one of my best friends is an XB die hard and we'd love to do MP together but neither of us can afford or wants to purchase. That said, it is just corporation talk.
I think Phil just likes to use this as an example of Sony being the bad guy and MS being the good guy. He certainly likes to keep repeating it that's for sure...
To me, it's as if Xbox is losing bad enough that they want to cling on to whatever they can, such as this. "We may not have exclusives, but we want cross play!". I'm not even a Sony fanboy, that's just the impression I'm getting.
I think it would be cool if this would happen, but y'know, business.
Sony needs to do cross play, this is getting beyond a joke, especially since it's so easy, how enabling this would benefit just Xbox is beyond me, shouldn't Sony be all over this? Why are Microsoft so up for it yet Sony aren't?
@Dodoo well why Not, that's exactly the case
I don't know why Phil is so intent making Sony feel like the bad guys, maybe Sony is still trying to figure out a way but just slandering them everytime this comes up.
Wow what good boy Phil is huh?
Why is this crap suddenly the be all-end all of gaming? I certainly don't want cross platform playing. But then again, I don't even want same platform gaming...
SP or couch split screen, there is nothing else. I'm triple-OG like that.
Love how they keep asking good-guy Phil Spencer about all this (which is something MS NEVER wanted when it was ahead, love how people who side with MS conveniently forget this fact) instead of holding his feet to the fire for his hypocrisy... 'I don't like timed-exclusive deals' - goes and tries to keep Play Unknown Battlegrounds off PS4 for as long as possible. Claims to be about first party games and expanding the library with Japanese titles - turns around and cancels Scalebound, still hasn't built first party portfolio beyond Halo, Forza and Gears.
I get why Spencer talks about this, I just hate that people act like he's some wonderful 'for the player' good guy.
Last gen MS didn't allow Sony to enable cross play as is in evidence here
https://kotaku.com/5813740/i-saw-the-playstation-3-wired-to-play-against-an-xbox-360-but-you-wont
as well as other places.
Would it be good for gamers to have a bigger player pool? Of course it would, but anyone who thinks this is anything more than carefully thought out marketing by MS is kidding themselves.
@Dichotomy
You are 100% correct. He's portraying MS as the good guy and Sony as the bad guy. If Cross-Play was so important to them then they would have taken Sony up on the offer last gen or at the beginning of this gen when he took over as Head of Xbox. And I don't want to hear about Don Mattrick being in charge at the time, that's why I said at the beginning of this gen as well. If he really believed in this, he would have made a push as soon as he took over.
@Gamer83 I don't see why, since he seems to make himself look like the spurned party and Sony look bad. Correct me if I'm wrong on that, but looking at his words, that's what I'm hearing.
This is also really stupid business acumen on his part if he really wants it. Cutting down the guy you want to work with doesn't sound like a good way to make a deal...
I trust the platform bosses as much as I trust politicians. Which is not at all.
Phil Spincer: all talk and no action.
It's not Sony's problem if Xbox is struggling on this generation. Remember when Sony wanted cross-play on the last generation and MS ignored? Now MS is desperate, few people play Xbone and they really need cross-play.
PS4 is doing great and we really don't care about cross-play with Xbox.
Nice one SONY. Don't get bullied into doing it by Microsoft :-/
if I was the boss at Sony I would NEVER let this happen! if you want to play your Xbox mates so much sell ya PS4 go buy one. have never had any interest in this I buy PlayStation to play just that!
what I find so funny is how MS has changed there tune when they are losing this gen! is a way to make Sony look a bit bad when deep down they know it will never happen.
@Shepherd_Tallon If Microsoft wanted to artificially boost their MAUs, don't you think they would've done so with the mobile versions, which has a bigger audience than all three consoles combined?
@DerMeister
I honestly can't stand any of the execs at these companies besides Shu Yoshida and Shigeru Miyamoto who actually seem like decent guys, but, they're all suits and ties who are about the bottomline and not the consumer, so I'm with you, there's not much trust on my end. At the end of the day, we're nothing more than dollar signs to Sony, MS and Nintendo.
@get2sammyb Its one of them questions he keeps on getting asked, So why should Phil not respond. I know you are Pro Sony, but there are a lot of people that game on all systems, Me included. I dont want to buy two copies of every game I own just so I can play with freinds. All this rubish about needing to protect the "kids" on line.... Hmmmm OK
@RustyBullet @BLP_Software Please you know damn well he is just milking this more then Activision milks COD. And he is great at playing a victim.
http://m.ign.com/articles/2013/07/09/why-final-fantasy-xiv-isnt-coming-to-xbox-360-or-xbox-one
@Flaming_Kaiser
There's a certain group of people who just want to play up MS as a consumer friendly company and think good guy Phil is just looking out for everybody. It's freaking hilarious, frankly. They never want to point out Spencer's hypocrisy. The guy is a phony, through and through, and I'm sick of the media and supposed knowledgeable gamers acting like he's anything less.
Sony's decision on cross platform play makes sense though I think they'll have to cave at some point because third parties are going to start putting pressure for it to happen. And from a business standpoint for multiplat publishers, that also makes sense. If I'm a higher up at one of the bigger publishers and the games we're pushing are very online reliant (and many are), I want the biggest audience possible. So MS may still get its wish but Sony is going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming by the companies that actually matter to them. Can't lose support of EA, Ubisoft Activision, etc. over something like this.
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