Oh right, we'd forgotten about this. Those of you with really long memories will recall Microsoft suddenly changing its policy regarding cross-network play a few months back, putting Sony on the spot by suggesting that it wants Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players to play together. We're sure that the current commercial climate for the two consoles had absolutely nothing to do with that sudden change in tune…
Irrespective, it leaves the PlayStation maker with a decision to make: Rocket League is apparently ready to roll out ground-breaking cross-network play right now. According to Psyonix's vice president Jeremy Dunham, the feature can be implemented within one working day if Sony gives it its blessing. Of course, there's a lot for the platform holder to mull over first.
"Sony's such a big company that I'm sure it takes a while for them to figure out what it is that the roadblocks are, what sort of issues they might run into with other titles, any number of things that I can't even begin to speculate on," Dunham told IGN. "We definitely ask them for updates often, and we're still very confident that they're eventually going to open those doors and welcome us in, but we also are really understanding that it's going to take a while especially given all the ramifications of everything. It was just as much of a surprise to them as I think the rest of the world when Microsoft said that they would do it."
Cross-platform play between PlayStation and PC has been fairly commonplace on Sony systems since online gaming itself became popular, so the platform holder's never been opposed to the idea. Of course, what is being proposed here would represent a shift for the industry as a whole: the idea that players on competing console platforms would be able to play together.
Honestly, we think Sony's arm is being twisted pretty publicly here. As the market leader, there's no real incentive for it to support this, but if it wants to maintain its stance of putting players first and being open to cross-platform play, then it only has one option really.
[source uk.ign.com]
Comments 22
Sequence, Jevon, Triple, Robo, Dangermouse, Sam, Si, Stephen, Airbag, Booshy, shane;
Ready up lads we are going to war!
Couldn't agreen more with you @get2sammyb. While it's a great idea and concept I think MS is using it more as a political gaming gimmick to make Sony look bad then they are interested in bringing players of different console together. But I can't blame MS Sony made them look bad at that one E3 when the Xbox One and PS4 were revealed but of course they needed to make MS or more importantly Don Mattrick look bad then.
But yeah but yeah it just seems like MS is trying to stoke the fanboy coals a bit.
@themcnoisy Wheel 'em in and bring 'em on
I wonder if that's gonna be a feature in the matchmaking settings to enable or not.
The absolute right thing to do is tell MS to f**k off but clueless peopoe will turn it around and make MS look like the good guy. Don't remember seeing these same 'journalists' at big publications putting the squeeze on MS last-gen.
What exactly would be the downside (from Sony's standpoint) of doing this?
@sketchturner The only downside I can see is loss of PS4 sales. Say if all my friends have a PS4 and I want to play with them. Well now as it is I have to buy a PS4 even if I prefer an Xbox One in order to play with them thus swaying my decision to buy a PS4. If games had cross servers then if I preferred Xbox One and my friends prefer PS4 I can buy an Xbox One thus MS gets my money ot Sony.
It's not happening this gen. Maybe with Rocket League 2 next gen. The way I see it, if Microsoft is going to treat the XBox brand as an extension of its Windows service, then with the new hardware combined with software, the line between XBox and PC will be blurred enough to allow seamless cross play with Playstation gamers. But that's me dreaming.
While the idea is neat you do have to ask if this is just benefiting to Microsoft only, last I looked Rocket League on PS4 wasn't struggling for players.
It's great that it could happen. Would love to play Rocket League with friends who have an Xbox. I'm hoping Sony will accept it, but I don't know.
Whatever happens, I'm gonna carry on playing Rocket League.
@wittypixel Doubt it, would probably work as it does with cross-platform play between PC and PS4 players at the moment.
So the only downside is Sony will lose money, well boo hoo who care's only Sony lol. The people want it (I think, maybe worth doing a poll) MS want it so if Sony don't do it they WILL be putting their pocket's before their customer's and MS will have every right to highlight this. It may play straight into MS's hand's they brought this up when it would benifit them and only them but idc the war between Sony and MS is a stupid one and clearly about profit not what's best for the consumer, i'd happily play every online game alongside other platform user's if it was possible. Edited here because the more I think about it the more it baffle's me, Sony could obviously do this but they might not because it might damage sale's, how dare they! They might deny the people they are supposed to provide a service to for their own selfish need's to make money, protect their profit's and to outdo MS. We should demand that they do this not hope they do, Sony should remember that without us there wouldn't be any profit.
With the PS3 they asked MS and they did not allow it why should Sony do it now?
Microsoft knows it needs this as it would all good for them and bad for Sony.
Xbox live would have instant access to more than twice it's own player base which benefits Microsoft at Sony's expense.
Also just as Tasuki said, Microsoft could also quell the increasing amount of people dumping their Xbox Ones and buying PS4s to play with their friends. This also is does not benefit Sony.
Sony would make a big mistake if they gave in. People who think Sony should, probably own an Xbox or don't understand that in the end it is about revenue.
Sales of PS4s increase the install base which gives us more game selection and exclusives, that sometimes never would have been made without that large diverse install base.
What the question really is: should Sony help Microsoft because Microsoft and Xbox owners want them too? Nope.
Maybe they should they just buy a PS4 and support Sony because the PS4 ride is awesome.
Besides I havent seen Microsoft do anything to help Sony since ...uhm...well never.
Don't care what anyone says I'm all for it!
@xMEADx Yes!
If this is like PC cross play then it will only be private matches and Xbox players in the player pool. You won't be able to team up with your Xbox friends and play ranked or playlist games together. I'm sure for most people it makes this "almost" irrelevant but I could be wrong. There is also no party chat.
It's a start to something but I think there is a long way to go until people get the cross play experience they actually desire.
Sony would be stupid to say yes
What sony said before is enough, they will consider it per game. So if game x has 70% player in ps side and 30% player on xbox side then microsoft has to pay more fee to sony, if the player count is the same then microsoft can pay less fee. If microsoft doesn't want to pay the fee then leave em, sony can say: unfortunately we can't reach agreement with microsoft, but we still open discussing it.
LOL to the comments on here. Pure Xbox (R.I.P) was a great site when it was up and running, No saltiness and not just pushing the Xbox Brand down your throat. I prefer dedicated web sites for the ConsolesMachines I own as they are normally more impartial. I come to this site for my PS4 news needs, BUT man this place is starting to get as bad as IGN and Eurogamer.
Sony and MS are like 2 big kid's, "he didn't help me so i'm not gunna help him" poke's tongue out and put's thumbs in ear's nerr nerr naneer nerrr blow's rasberry.....
@Gamer83
Couldn't agree more
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