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Microsoft announces Xbox Live cross-network (PSN and other networks) play

I

InsaneTiger

Member
Now it's up to the developers to implement.

gif_460x245_2244b4.gif
 
S

SomedayTheFire

Member
Alienous said:
I edited this into an earlier post, but let me put it here.

Sony have a platform advantage in terms of being the more popular platform, ergo "I'll buy it on PS4 because my friends are there" will happen more often than "I'll buy it on Xbox One because my friends are there".

Unifying the online play has an equal marketing advantage for Sony and Microsoft, but a greater platform disadvantage for Sony as they'll likely lose more "I'll get it on [Platform here] because my friends are there" than Microsoft will.
Click to expand...

This still doesn't make sense. We have absolutely no idea if partying up is possible cross platform. Rocket League devs have explained at length how hard it is considering their game has wildly different backends of Steam and PSN. Yeah, you will be able to play with people across platform, but you might not be able to party up and play with friends when you want, which renders your whole point moot.
 
D

David___

Banned
Raide said:
Blizzard should do this for Diablo 3. Co-op with PC, PS4 and Xbox One players.
Click to expand...

Dont see how thats possible when the console versions are hacked to death, unless of course they make you use a new save no matter what and that save can only be used when online.
 
Seth Balmore

Seth Balmore

Member
I hate using this expression but I gotta say, this is a game changer. Sure there'll be lag and connectivity issues and caveats, but it's hard not to get excited.
 
Toadthemushroom

Toadthemushroom

Member
Hero of Legend said:
Needs to be quoted as much as possible:

They're (Nintendo) changing their policies on the technical side a lot swifter. We're launching Pure Chess and Knytt Underground later this year, and on Pure Chess we asked whether we could do cross-platform multiplayer, expecting it to be the typical closed console platform I've been used to working with for 20 years. Within a couple of days they said, 'yep, no problem. You can have other console players playing against Wii U players. You can have smartphone players play against them. No problem.'

We're still talking to Sony about them relaxing their policies, but we don't think they'll have any issue with it. So when we launch Pure Chess you'll be able to play against Wii U, 3DS, iOS and Android players. And when we patch PlayStation those consoles will be added into the mix as well.

The Pure Chess folks basically confirmed that Nintendo has been perfectly cool with Wii U owners playing against other consoles, but it was Sony and until now MS who wouldn't play along.

This is huge if Nintendo jumps in and reconfirms this and for example works with MS to have Minecraft folks play between Wii U, XBO, 360, and PC players. Actually it's almost likely as not to be forgetting, MS themselves officially publish the Wii U version in Japan, which is their only published non-XB game in their history since entering the market with the OG Xbox.
Click to expand...

This bit from the article is interesting:

"We're still talking to Sony about them relaxing their policies, but we don't think they'll have any issue with it. So when we launch Pure Chess you'll be able to play against Wii U, 3DS, iOS and Android players. And when we patch PlayStation those consoles will be added into the mix as well."
Click to expand...

Just checked the website for the game and saw this:

•The ultimate multiplayer experience: Play cross-platform on Nintendo 3DS™, Wii U, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch & Android devices.

Looks like Sony rejected the invitation for Nintendo Network/PSN cross platform play, then. And only the Nintendo and iOS/Android versions support cross platform multiplayer -- PSN is strictly PS devices only.

Worth noting as far as Rocket League on Xbox One will go to supporting multiplayer with PS4 players (so far an invitation has been sent out, much like how one was for Pure Chess on Wii U). Though the publicity of this might cause Sony to change their mind - this is out in the open, whereas barely anyone knew Nintendo Network supported it.

As I mentioned earlier, it's not in Sony's interests to lessen the sales the leverage they can pull to sell PS4s to those who want to play with other PS4 owners -- and there are more of those than XBO owners.
 
S

sector4

Member
mcrommert said:
No i read it :)

I mean since actually partying up with other platforms requires a huge lift from the dev doing the work themselves...the only game i can see doing this is battlefield since they already did the battlelog work
Click to expand...
Haha then I misinterpreted your post :) Glad we're on the same page.
 
ethomaz

ethomaz

Banned
Corpekata said:
Holy fuck. I know that. I'm talking about PS4/Xbox cross play, which they don't yet, hence the text of the blog post in the OP which explicitly ends with MS asking Sony to agree to it.
Click to expand...
They do and already happened in the past but MS closed the door for reasons.
 
J

Justinh

Member
FFXIV would be great. I wonder if DC Universe coming to Xbox One finally had anything to do with this.

I bet this'll be a great boon for Minecraft.
 
O

OnionPowder

Member
ethomaz said:
Sony already allow cross-play lol

We are playing against PC users in a lot of games since day 1.

Rocket League was closed only on Xbone... now they will join the party with PS4/PC users.
Click to expand...

Sony hasn't officially said anything about playing with Xbox players. That's all they mean by that.
 
S

superjona

Member
Wow, this is huge. Really interested to see how Sony/MS and developers will respond to this. I would never dare to imagine a full cross-play Call of Duty for example, but it seems there's a very real chance of that happening.
 
D

dave is ok

aztek is ok
N.Domixis said:
So that means ps4 players and xbox players will see twisted metal and halo cars vice versa?
Click to expand...
I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure PC users never see Sweet Tooth right now as it is.

I think for them it gets replaced with the regular Rocket League van model that the Sweet Tooth car is based on.
 
T

TimeEffect

Member
mcrommert said:
Yes...with consoles and platforms they don't directly compete with.

I think they will allow it but people are right in saying that it is still up to Sony
Click to expand...

Id like to see where Sony says they are open to cross play with Xbox. It is assumed by GAF, but I never can get a link to when they said this.
 
F

fantomena

Member
Alienous said:
What? I don't understand what you mean. No?

I'm saying, theoretically, Microsoft has more to gain by allowing cross-console play, and Sony has more to lose (primarily the advantage of people choosing a PS4 and PS4 versions of a game because they have more friends on that system).

Sony and Microsoft gain equally (cross-console play), which means that the relative gain of both is nil, but Sony forfeits more of its platform advantage.
Click to expand...

Ok, I think I get it. :p
 
J

justsomeguy

Member
mcrommert said:
No i read it :)

I mean since actually partying up with other platforms requires a huge lift from the dev doing the work themselves...the only game i can see doing this is battlefield since they already did the battlelog work
Click to expand...

Yup - but for PC (Windows 10)<->Xbox you get Xbox Live natively, so can party up and chat and so on.
 
R

Raide

Member
David___ said:
Dont see how thats possible when the console versions are hacked to death, unless of course they make you use a new save no matter what and that save can only be used when online.
Click to expand...

Are they really that bad? Blizzard needs to sort their shit out then. It would be great to see it happen but maybe expecting Blizzard to jump in is a big ask.
 
I

ittoryu

Member
So, this will apply only to games that will go through the Win Store right?
Talking mainly about PC here, as obviously the Xbox ones will go through such store.
 
D

Delusibeta

Banned
Very hard to understate how big of a deal this is. It's also a massive U turn from their previous standpoint of only allowing cross-play between Xbox and GfWL/Win10Store games. Cross console multilayer is also a massive deal.

I do wonder if this also clears the way for Microsoft first party games to show up on Steam, because that would give their latest PC initiative a lot more survivability.
 
O

Obliterator

Member
Man if everyone agrees and gets on board this it is HUGE for multiplayer games for EVERYONE regardless of how you game. Communities will be healthier for a LOT longer if everyone is in one unified pool
 
D

DriftingSpirit

Member
I don't think losing the "I'll buy this on PS4 cause friends have it on PS4" thing is that relevant. I'm sure it happens but it isn't as if Sony will start seeing plummeting sales or anything. Besides, that snowball had already been rolling down the cliff. It isn't going to suddenly come to a halt. This news isn't going to pervade to the average consumer and impact their purchases to the extent some of you think.
 
P

ps3ud0

Member
Corpekata said:
Again, read the actual text. MS is allowing it and CALLING FOR SONY TO AGREE to playing with Live. That's what the Sony posts are about, because right now, it's only going to be PC/ Xbox until Sony agree to it.

They are allowing the option, but Sony has to agree first.
Click to expand...
No I re-read it but the text assumes that Sony/other networks isnt/arent already doing these things - in reality its up to the developer to organise how the cross platform play works. The sentiment in the thread is just a bit off-point...

ps3ud0 8)
 
B

Blanquito

Member
So, does anyone have any actual technical details about how this works? From reading it, it sounds like it's limited to games developed with XB1 + Win10 APIs, right?

Does that mean that games must be released on the Windows Store to have compatibility?

Are other parties (e.g. Sony) sending their data to XBL servers for addition features like parties, or is it simply the ability to have cross-platform play? The details are sparse it seems.
 
F

friskykillface

Banned
PS4 VS XBOX WARS online , which console gamers are better ;p

but this is great news for games with low communities on both systems, surprised it happened


the universe in harmony :p
 
A

AncientDiety

Banned
TimeEffect said:
Id like to see where Sony says they are open to cross play with Xbox. It is assumed by GAF, but I never can get a link to when they said this.
Click to expand...

How can they say until MS says they can? lol. Sony always allowed cross platform play, they cannot saw with xbox if MS didn;t allow it.
 
D

Dinjoralo

Member
Wait, what? Microsoft actually allowing crossplay? Christ, is there a revolution happening in the MS offices?

I wonder if Rocket League will soon be the first game to have three-way crossplay...
 
G

gundamkyoukai

Member
Corpekata said:
Holy fuck. I know that. I'm talking about PS4/Xbox cross play, which they don't yet, hence the text of the blog post in the OP which explicitly ends with MS asking Sony to agree to it.

This is what people are asking for when they are asking for Sony to agree.
Click to expand...

Sony has agree to it .
It was MS that was holding things back which is why FFXIV not on there system .
 
D

DrakeDeception

Neo Member
Even though I don't expect this for triple A games at the moment. Maybe this can be the beginning of something bigger in the future. And with friends on PS4 and Xbox one this would be great.
 
R

Ricky_R

Member
Corpekata said:
Holy fuck. I know that. I'm talking about PS4/Xbox cross play, which they don't yet, hence the text of the blog post in the OP which explicitly ends with MS asking Sony to agree to it.

This is what people are asking for when they are asking for Sony to agree.
Click to expand...

I think he means that we should assume that Sony is on board considering they've been opened for cross play since pretty much the beginning of this gen, so the ball's been on MS's court for a while now.

If Sony suddenly opposes to allow cross play between Xbone/PS4, then yeah... It's on them.
 
J

justsomeguy

Member
Toki767 said:
That line made me laugh harder than it should have.

Serious question though, can any developers chime in as to how different save files are across platforms? I kind of wonder if the next step could be something along the lines of cross-platform saves.
Click to expand...

Cross network saves would be hard/impossible... how do you prove that someone's PSN ID and XBL ID are linked? It would require an unprecedented sharing of customer data between Sony and MS. Plus if saves are hosted on MS's infrastructure or Sony's infrastructure, you need a synchronisation mechanism between the two which is an expensive computing problem to solve.

Cross platform is already there for XBox <-> PC on Windows 10. I don't know if there's an X-platform equivalent for PSN<->PC, I would assume that would require "PSN for Windows" or similar to make it happen.
 
M

mcrommert

Banned
justsomeguy said:
Yup - but for PC (Windows 10)<->Xbox you get Xbox Live natively, so can party up and chat and so on.
Click to expand...

Exactly...while for some indie games and mmo's this will help player count...it won't really change anything unless devs put in the work to layer their own network on top. EA is the company that does this the most...battlefield and battlefront have their own annoying ui's on top of xbox live...hopefully they make use of this
 
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