Home Gaming Sony probably won’t allow cross platform play..because they don’t need to

Sony probably won’t allow cross platform play..because they don’t need to

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The conversation around cross-console play is one that continues, and was given a recent shot in the arm thanks to discovery that Fortnite accounts that have ever been tied to PlayStation accounts can’t be used on platforms other than PC and mobile. That’s right – if you’ve ever tied your Fortnite account to PSN, it can’t be used on Switch or Xbox One. Of course Sony’s not letting cross-platform play happen either.

According to one analyst, they don’t need to. According to Karol Severin of MIDiA Research (via MCVUK), Sony will likely continue to keep its users locked into the PlayStation ecosystem, because it just makes better business sense. According to Severin, Sony is the current console leader. Console sales are flat right now, so Sony’s best business strategy is to monetise the players it already has. By keeping its products within its own wall garden, that’s the best way to do it within a business context.

This ties in quite nicely with a quote the former president of Sony Online Entertainment, John Smedley.

“When I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money,” Smedley said in a now-deleted tweet on Monday. “They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a PlayStation.”

Simple as that,” Smedley added. “Dumb reason, but there it is.”

Severin suggests that by adding in cross-platform play, Sony would lose its advantage. Xbox meanwhile, can only benefit from cross platform play, which is why they’re pushing it so hard.

“Cross-platform gaming can improve this experience for Xbox users and help close the gap. This makes it convenient for Xbox to push the cross-platform narrative and spotlight the resilient Sony in the process, in a bid to capture some market share from disgruntled fans. However, the truth is that PS is not building a walled garden because it wants to aggravate gamers, but simply because it has incomparably less to gain from cross-platform than its main rival. In fact, it would be losing some of its competitive advantage.”

While that may indeed be true right now, this could be construed as arrogance by consumers, and could end up hurting Sony in the long run. I know I’d be hesitant to use a third party account on my PlayStation, in future, out of fear that it could become locked to that console.

Severin doesn’t think there’ll be much blowback from consumers.

“Others will take a deep breath, weigh out the pros and cons and if they care about their game progress and player network more than playing with real-life friends (which high-spending hardcore gamers do), then the smarter choice may be to stay loyal.”

Last Updated: June 21, 2018

11 Comments

  1. Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

    June 21, 2018 at 12:11

    This is not as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be. This is after all, a little multiplayer game that has no real-world value to anyone.

    Priorities and perspective stops the crybabies.

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      June 21, 2018 at 12:17

      It’s not about one game.

      Games that have cross play on other platforms:
      Minecraft
      Fortnite
      Rocket League
      Ark: Survival Evolved
      Mantis Burn Racing
      War Thunder

      And probably many more, that allow (game depending) people on PC, Switch, Xbox One to play together. It’may not be that big a deal now, but it absolutely will be. It would lead to bigger multiplayer pools across all platforms, and that would be a GREAT THING for consumers, if not Sony’s bottom line.

      By keeping their garden very much walled, they’re being pretty damned anti-consumer.

      Reply

      • cloudzn

        June 21, 2018 at 12:26

        I agree, cross platform is a great way for people on different consoles to play together. Imagine getting to a game like Fallout 76 with people on Xbox or Switch if it goes to Switch as well.

        Reply

        • Kromas

          June 21, 2018 at 12:34

          I already see Fallout 76 being cross play except on PS4.

          Reply

          • Pieter Kruger

            June 21, 2018 at 13:07

            Also Final Fantasy XIV

    • Magoo

      June 21, 2018 at 12:31

      How about this – in the SA Rocket League scene we only have competitions for PC+PS4, because PC can play with both PS4 and Xbox, but Sony says no to Xbox. Xbox is excluded from all comps even though there are Xbox players who want to compete. No matter the size of the communities, with every comp we have to make a hard choice to exclude one of those platforms.

      It is as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be, when you take into consideration some of the games that you don’t play.

      Reply

      • Kromas

        June 21, 2018 at 12:36

        Yeah but in the long run PS4 is going to be cut out if the Switch joins the party as well.

        Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

        June 21, 2018 at 15:13

        Well posted argument.

        However, what percentage of the gaming community is actually affected by this? How many real pro gamers are there that are affected by this?

        If it doesn’t affect your income, it doesn’t matter.

        What i’m getting at is, it’s entirely possible that the majority of people complaining about this are not actually affected by it.

        I gather that it does affect you, and ask your pardon if I offended you, but my view stands for those who aren’t affected.

        Reply

  2. Pieter Kruger

    June 21, 2018 at 12:56

    This shit will continue as long as Sony fanboys, media sites and social influencers keep defending Sony blindly for hits, likes & follows! Sony now think they have Carte Blanche to lie to consumers, implement anti consumer practices like holding 3rd party game accounts hostage etc. & all because they were allowed get away with this up till now! Sony is now 100% what MS was at the end of last gen…..oh how the roles have changed. Sony had a shit E3, call them out, Sony being so anti consumer is arrogant, call them out, if not the only losers in the end will be gamers. The tide has turned, stop bias media!

    Reply

  3. Mabenito

    June 21, 2018 at 15:48

    They want to avoid stats like this:
    Players on X are better at beating Players on P
    So this game is better played on X than P

    Reply

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