Cross platform play has become a hot topic over the last year or so, especially thanks to Nintendo finally allowing its players to play with other consoles and systems- meaning PlayStation and Sony are now the odd ones out, as they refuse to allow cross platform play on their consoles with Switch or Xbox One.
But speaking at GDC, Epic’s Tim Sweeney noted that cross platform play across these platforms happening is only a matter of time, calling it an inevitability.
“I think it’s inevitable now,” he said. “Games have become social experiences in the same way that Facebook or Twitter have, and these experiences only really make sense if gamers can communicate with all of their friends.
“For Sony and Microsoft to support their customers well they have to be open to all their customer’s friends – their real world friends – otherwise they’re breaking up real-world social groups. Like kids in school have their friends, and do you expect this platform schism to divide them into two separate groups that can’t play together? No. It’s got to come together now.
“That one remaining barrier will inevitably come down.”
I have to agree with him- Sony can afford to stall on this conversation right now, with the PS4 being in the lead, but as we all know, each generation is a reset, and when the PS5 and Xbox One successor join the Switch, everyone will be starting from scratch. At that point, they would be remiss to not join the cross platform play wave in the rest of the industry- otherwise, they will miss out on what, as Sweeney points out, is the way of the future.
[via GamesIndustry]
