Minecraft, Rocket League, Fortnite, etc CrossPlay on every Platform but Sony because...

[mrcorbo]

Posted above - the actual comments were made in June.

It's gone quiet again so once again there is zero pressure on Sony to change. Their statement basically acknowledged some disgruntled but promised nothing. And that's what will change: nothing.

Yeah, seems like the Polygon content portal likes to surface old content at the top of the feed. It was news to me, though. Basically, the relevance of this is it isn't random Redditors or forum denizens viewing this negatively, it's major third parties. This is what leads me to believe that this has at least a chance of being addressed. Especially if every time it's brought up, those developers/publishers keep pointing the finger at Sony as the reason it isn't possible.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Yeah, seems like the Polygon content portal likes to surface old content at the top of the feed. It was news to me, though. Basically, the relevance of this is it isn't random Redditors or forum denizens viewing this negatively, it's major third parties.

If Fallout 76 becomes huge, and it has scope too, this will add some pressure in October but I'm getting sense that Sony aren't desperate enough. If the juggernauts of Minecraft and Fortnite can't make Sony cave, what size game will?

I think Sony's plan is to hold out until spitting distance of nextgen, then change the policy, everybody will heave a sigh of relief then a few weeks later Sony will announce PlayStation 5 and most people will already have forgotten because gamers have real short memories for shenanigans like this.

For all the "pre-order cancelled" bollocks, gamers are rubbish at taking a stand. If PS4 en masse owners boycotted Fallout 76 on PS4 over this, that would send a message. And some people, those who have options for which platform to pick to buy the game on, may. But people with just a PS4? They'll buy Fallout 76 on PS4. And Sony know this.

 

[BRiT]

Nothing new to add, except here's more public talk from Nintendo executives on cross-play: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-talks-cross-play-says-conversations-with-/1100-6460285/

 

[bgroovy]

It's especially egregious, if I'm reading things correctly that you could buy content for Fortnite on The Switch, log into the PS4 to try out Fortnite just ONCE. And then forevermore you are unable to use that content on The Switch. IE - you can't transfer your content that you bought on another platform back to that platform once you use your account on the PS4 version of Fortnite.

That isn't how it works. If you have previously linked an epic account to Xbox or Nintendo it would not allow you to connect to PSN either. This has been the case for far longer than one month. The only reason this blew up is so many people who had originally played on PS4 were also Switch owners. But the morning the Switch version released all those people still had access to the same number of platforms for cross play and cross progression as the did the night before.

It is obvious why Microsoft is so hot to make this an issue. They get to look like the good guys when Sony doesn't play ball, and if Sony caves they've nullified a major advantage PlayStation enjoys vis the network effect.

But what's lost in the discussion is that a captive multiplayer audience is a major economic underpinning of the console businesses model. Sony is not going to to hastily toss that aside without understanding how it will impact the viability of the entire enterprise. For Microsoft, Xbox is a side gig so its not an existential threat. Nintendo always makes their money on hardware and first party games. Sony genuinely relies on consoles behaving as they have in the past.

It's easy to waive that off as Sony’s problem, not the consumer's, but console owners get a lot of advantages out of the arrangement they don't realize.

 

[BRiT]

Its not MS that is pressing this as an issue, nor is it Nintendo, it is the consumers and players that are pressing this as an issue.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

That isn't how it works. If you have previously linked an epic account to Xbox or Nintendo it would not allow you to connect to PSN either. This has been the case for far longer than one month. The only reason this blew up is so many people who had originally played on PS4 were also Switch owners. But the morning the Switch version released all those people still had access to the same number of platforms for cross play and cross progression as the did the night before.

It is obvious why Microsoft is so hot to make this an issue. They get to look like the good guys when Sony doesn't play ball, and if Sony caves they've nullified a major advantage PlayStation enjoys vis the network effect.

But what's lost in the discussion is that a captive multiplayer audience is a major economic underpinning of the console businesses model. Sony is not going to to hastily toss that aside without understanding how it will impact the viability of the entire enterprise. For Microsoft, Xbox is a side gig so its not an existential threat. Nintendo always makes their money on hardware and first party games. Sony genuinely relies on consoles behaving as they have in the past.

It's easy to waive that off as Sony’s problem, not the consumer's, but console owners get a lot of advantages out of the arrangement they don't realize.

Thanks for clearing up that first part, however, it's still pretty bad when...

https://www.cnet.com/news/why-fortnite-battles-nintendo-switch-ps4-arent-happening/

And even worse, now reports are coming in of players who linked their Playstation account to an Epic account, but never played Fortnite on the PS4, being locked out of the Switch version. (With a hello to CNET alum Dan Graziano!)

• I’ve never played Fortnite on my PS4 (it’s not even downloaded), but I connected my PlayStation account when I created my Epic account on PC because why not? Now I can’t play on my Switch. There was no warning or anything. We should at the very least be able to unlink from Sony
• — Dan Graziano (@DanGraziano) June 14, 2018

So, Sony is still basically commandeering your Epic account as soon as you link it, even if you never use it on a PlayStation console.

Also, Sony are the only ones blocking crossplay of any sort. Even the sometimes draconian Apple allow crossplay in Fortnite.

So, the content that guy legally purchased on PC can now not be used on Switch and he doesn't plan to ever play it on PS4. Sucks to be him, eh?

Moral of the story? Don't link anything to your PS4 account, ever. If you do, you'll never get to use it on another console if the game supports crossplay.

What's even better?

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...s_from_using_their_account_on_nintendo_switch

UPDATE: We've since discovered that even if you completely disconnect your PSN account from your Epic Account, you still can't play the game on Switch - so don't try that, OK?

So, yeah, you no longer own your account. Sony gives you the big middle finger and says they now own your account, even if you unlink it from PSN.

Note, no option to just disable content bought on PS4. Your account is forever prevented from being used on a competing console even if that account is no longer linked to your PSN account and you have no intention to ever use it on PSN ever again.

It'd be perfectly fine for Sony to have Epic disable content purchased on PS4 from being used on any other platform. But that's not what is happening.

Thanks Sony for commandeering peoples accounts that are tied to their e-mail.

I can only imagine how much people on this forum would be blowing up if it was MS doing it. Hell, if this was the X360 era, MS likely would have done this as well. That still doesn't make it a good thing. I wasn't on these forums when Xbox (the original) launched, but I lofted a lot of expletives Microsoft's way when they got Xbox exclusivity from a lot of PC developers.

Regards,
SB

 

[BRiT]

This topic seems to keep cycling around, so there's hope that Sony will eventually change for the better. Polygon has an interview with Ninja, a twitch 'superstar' streaming personality, and touches upon the topic of Fortnite cross-play or extreme lack of it on Sony platform.

https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/20...ross-play-ps4-switch-xbox-one-ninja-interview

Fortnite streaming star Ninja says Sony blocks PS4 cross-play because of ‘greed’
‘It’s 2018. Everyone should be able to play with everyone’

His direct message to Sony about limiting its PS4 Fortnite fans to a single console?
“Don’t be the barrier to the future.”

 

[Tkumpathenurpahl]

Deep maaaan...

 

[Deleted member 11852]

This topic seems to keep cycling around, so there's hope that Sony will eventually change for the better.

There isn't anywhere near enough outrage, real or perceived.

On the DonMattrick(tm)-scale of 1 (your console is highly anticipated) to 10 (your console reveal gave my cat DRM herpes), this was about a 3. A month ago. The gaming world has picked up their anime models that fell off the shelf following a few days of coverage, blew the dust off and put it back on their shelf. #dealwithit Copyright (c) Adam Orth - which was maybe a 5.

For somebody (or company) to voluntarily given up money when they're in a position of power requires the gaming media, and mass gaming market, through articles and podcasts, constantly bitching every day for weeks and weeks so that the target in question is just swamped by so much bad publicity that it never goes away. But what are Sony doing,"hey look a translucent PS4 to celebrate 500 million consoles sold" and beginning the ramp up for the marketing for Spider-Man. They do not give a fuck because they're a company and they love money.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Yeah, rage has died down.
Fortnite launches on Android

The Android version supports cross-play and cross-progression with PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac and iOS.

No warning about linking accounts, nor a reminder about the PS4 issues, nor a single snide remark in the comments. Even a pro-Sony comment.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Yeah, rage has died down.

It's issues like this that sometimes make me reflect on how naff the gaming industry is.

Let's start with Sony. Sony, this is a dick move. But you're a company with shareholders and this move is clearly advantageous to your bottom line and making money is your goal so I guess, uhh, well done.

Gamers, as a 'community' you suck. For all the "pre-order cancelled" bollocks, you clearly have no conviction and no staying power. My mind, which is already much-boggled, is further boggled by the naivety of posts along the lines of "Phil said this" or "<whoever is in charge of PlayStation> said that". When you refer to an executive making six/seven figure salaries in a MegaCorp by their first name because you think they're a gamer like you, you've been successfully brain-duped by the company's legion of ad and PR agencies.

The job of such agencies is to make people like Phil and <whoever is in charge of PlayStation> (clearly Sony need a better agency) to appear as relatable, down-to-earth, grounded and one of us- a gamer dude.. man. In truth, Phil and <whoever is in charge of PlayStation> and I'm tired of typing that so I'm going to call them 'Clive', get into work they're looking at tedious metrics like usage of online services and margins and costs and being presented with options that ever-so slightly disadvantage gamers but would increase profitability of Phil and Clive's MegaCorp by 1 micro-cent every hour under a full moon - and thus, signing that shit off before deciding what to have to lunch in the subsidised canteen because their even their inflated salaries can't afford to eat lunch at Starbucks every day.

Phil and Clive are numbers guys. And by numbers I don't mean they're looking at gaming projects and shouting "we need more zombies, dammit" or "that games needs more pew pew pew!" - sorry if I've lost people by using common technical terms used in professional game development, but what I'm saying is, I doubt Phil and Clive play games much at all - they're just too damn busy trying to find ways to extract more money from you that don't require getting you drunk at E3 bashes and stealing your kidneys. Well, I'm talking about Phil, Clive probably is working on a plan to do that.

Anyway, yeah. Sony, you still suck but I'm glad you're not going out of business but do you really need that much money?

 

[JPT]

Phil and Clive are numbers guys. And by numbers I don't mean they're looking at gaming projects and shouting "we need more zombies, dammit" or "that games needs more pew pew pew!" - sorry if I've lost people by using common technical terms used in professional game development, but what I'm saying is, I doubt Phil and Clive play games much at all - they're just too damn busy trying to find ways to extract more money from you that don't require getting you drunk at E3 bashes and stealing your kidneys. Well, I'm talking about Phil, Clive probably is working on a plan to do that.

Clive? Come on, its Kevin

 

[BRiT]

No way man, our man Phil is a gamer through and through, even if he has very limited time to game. See, this totes not marketting driven social media tidbit even shows him as such...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/984224465058803714

;-)

 

[mrcorbo]

FWIW, if I ever write "Phil said" it is simply a convenience. Typing his full name every time is cumbersome and for some reason just typing "Spencer" feels off. I guess avoiding implied familiarity is why the journalistic standard is to do the latter.

 

[mrcorbo]

Also FWIW, the current head (CEO, President) of Sony Interactive Entertainment is John "Tsuyoshi" Kodera.

 

[BRiT]

The former CEO is Kaz Hirai:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1006645221424271360

 

[Deleted member 11852]

FWIW, if I ever write "Phil said" it is simply a convenience. Typing his full name every time is cumbersome and for some reason just typing "Spencer" feels off. I guess avoiding implied familiarity is why the journalistic standard is to do the latter.

FWIW, test test is "When you refer to an executive making six/seven figure salaries in a MegaCorp by their first name because you think they're a gamer like you, you've been successfully brain-duped by the company's legion of ad and PR agencies."

You're okay, mrcorbo, just stay cynical and grizzled and distrusting of the slimy, shiny corporate bastards.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

No way man, our man Phil is a gamer through and through, even if he has very limited time to game. See, this totes not marketting driven social media tidbit even shows him as such...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/984224465058803714

;-)

Is there a department at MS (in the basement) where employees play exec's Live accounts and accrue achievements? Or is that handled externally through marketing firms? You'd probably need customised analysis to know exactly how much to play and unlock, and which achievements, to be convincing while not making it look like all these execs do is play games. I guess that's the real reason for Azure, to machine learn the perfect social media coverage.

Oh, of course MS could just use the Back Door to set any achievements they want for any exec without having to even play the thing!

 

[mrcorbo]

FWIW, test test is "When you refer to an executive making six/seven figure salaries in a MegaCorp by their first name because you think they're a gamer like you, you've been successfully brain-duped by the company's legion of ad and PR agencies."

You're okay, mrcorbo, just stay cynical and grizzled and distrusting of the slimy, shiny corporate bastards.

I'll try to sit somewhere between believing that:

• Phil Spencer has a team of media handlers directing his every word, gesture and facial expression through an earpiece every time he does an extensive, live, one on one interview on camera.

and

• Phil is my gamer bro.

In the end, though, I am going to continue to assume that the people making the decisions for these companies are acting in their own interest in everything they do and so I will try to do the same. The hard part for most seem to be the overcoming the resources and skill of those trying to convince you that what's in their interest is actually in your interest when it isn't. That's your real point, right? We should always be aware that there are people out there who are much more aware of the psychological reasons why you believe the things you do than you are that will use that knowledge to make you believe things that aren't objectively true.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

In the end, though, I am going to continue to assume that the people making the decisions for these companies are acting in their own interest in everything they do and so I will try to do the same. The hard part for most seem to be the overcoming the resources and skill of those trying to convince you that what's in their interest is actually in your interest when it isn't. That's your real point, right? We should always be aware that there are people out there who are much more aware of the psychological reasons why you believe the things you do than you are that will use that knowledge to make you believe things that aren't objectively true.

I don't believe you.