One of the beauties of video games is that it’s always evolving, truly and eternally. What started in the most basic of things because an arcade game, and then became a console, and then a handheld that could play console-like games. Then there was local multiplayer with 2-4 people on a console, then there was link cables that could connect players, which evolved into online play and multiplayer focused modes and titles. It’s always evolving. But, one thing that seems like a natural evolution is getting some resistance from one of the big three: Cross-Play.
If you’re not familiar with the term, Cross-Play literally means being able to play a game on one system or platform, while playing with another player on another system with the same game. At one time, this was unheard of, but then Rocket League broke through and made it happen. So now, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch (coming soon) are able to play games with one another while not all having the same system. Yet, Sony is against this, and this is ticking off some people.
Mainly, Fortnite creative director Donald Mustard, who was at The Game Awards last night to reveal a new mode for the game, but, he then went off on a tangent about how he wishes Sony would embrace Cross-Play like other publishers do.
“Look, Fortnite is even better when you’re playing with your real friends, and due to platform restrictions there are some players that aren’t able to play with their friends and are left out,” he said.
He even went so far as to note that, “Players deserve it.”
That’s strong words, but you can understand where both he and Psyonix is coming from. Not everyone has the same consoles, and so shouldn’t friends be able to play the same game on different systems with one another? Minecraft is even doing this, MINECRAFT! But, Sony is hiding behind the argument of “protecting the players privacy” in regards to programming that Cross-Play has. Yet, the players on the other systems don’t seem to mind, so why should they?