Are we about to see a revolution in multiplatform games?
Sony has long been resistant to platform cross-play on the PlayStation 4, with only rare exceptions such as Street Fighter V (with a linked PS4/PC online system) standing out, while gamers call for more unified online communities across the myriad of multiplayer titles out there. While Microsoft has regularly taken the position of being amenable to cross-play, Sony has generally been seen as the villain locking the gates to a shared online experience. Is that about to change?
As announced on today’s PlayStation Blog post from SIE President John Kodera, a cross-play beta for the ridiculously-popular battle royale shooter Fortnite kicks off today — and this is not an anomaly, but instead the “first step” in “a path toward supporting cross-platform features for select third party content.”
For 24 years, we have strived to deliver the best gaming experience to our fans by providing a uniquely PlayStation perspective. Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players. In recognition of this, we have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform.
This represents a major policy change for SIE, and we are now in the planning process across the organization to support this change. We will update the community once we have more details to share, including more specifics regarding the beta timeframe, and what this means for other titles going forward.
Has the Fortnite phenomenon convinced Sony to finally open their electronic borders and drop their platform’s sakoku? It sure sounds like it, and that could be a big plus to fighting games going forward — as the splitting of online competitive communities has been long decried as an inhibitor to the games’ online longevity and development of their competitive scenes.
Check out the full post over at the PlayStation Blog.
Source: PlayStation Blog
RELATED POSTS
Registration is now open for the JUMP FORCE closed beta; Bandai Namco reveals Collector’s Edition and Season Pass details for the game
Namco to perform online ranked test for SoulCalibur VI on Sept. 28th for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Sony stays vague about questions of cross-platform gaming
