Sony has addressed the contentious issue of PlayStation cross-play, indicating that it is actively working towards a resolution. At the Gamelab conference in Spain today, Shawn Layden, the president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America as well as the chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, and PS4 system architect Mark Cerny presented on the heritage of PlayStation. At the conclusion of the talk, Eurogamer reporter Robert Purchese raised the cross-play matter to Layden. Here’s how it unfolded:
Layden and Cerny took the stage at Gamelab.
“I found it truly captivating when you discussed PlayStation 3 coming perilously close to overreaching – your so-called Icarus moment, and then PlayStation 4 returning to a more fundamental approach, focusing more on the players. However, there appears to be a current problem where Sony seems not to be listening to its players – or at least gives that impression – and that problem is cross-play, particularly with Fortnite. And I was curious if there were any plans to make it more accessible? It seems like Sony isn’t paying attention.”
Layden responded by stating that he could provide “one brief statement”. And this is what he said:
“We are listening. We are exploring numerous possibilities. You can envision that the circumstances surrounding this matter impact far more than just one game. I am confident that we will arrive at a solution that will be comprehended and accepted by our gaming community, while simultaneously supporting our business.”
Layden’s response marks the first official comment from Sony on the cross-play issue since it released a statement to the press following the launch of Fortnite on Nintendo Switch, and the discovery that Nintendo Switch users are prevented from playing Fortnite if they attempt to log in using an account that has previously played Fortnite on PS4.
This implies that even if you have only played Fortnite once on PS4, and the majority of your Fortnite gameplay is on PC or mobile (these platforms are compatible), you will still be barred from using your account on Switch. Your sole option is to create a new account to play.
At that time, Sony issued a statement that failed to alleviate the growing dissatisfaction over the situation.
“We are always receptive to what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience. Fortnite is already a massive success among PS4 fans, providing a genuine free-to-play experience so that gamers can readily join and play online,” Sony stated.
Sony has been widely criticized for blocking cross-platform play with competing consoles when it comes to Fortnite and other games.
“With 79 million PS4s sold globally and more than 80 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, we have established a vast community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles. We also offer Fortnite cross-play support with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, expanding the opportunity for Fortnite fans on PS4 to play with even more gamers on other platforms.”
Later in June, John Smedley, the former boss of Planetside 2 and H1Z1 developer Daybreak Game Company, which changed its name from Sony Online Entertainment in 2015, tweeted to suggest that Sony’s controversial policy stems from financial considerations.
“… when I was at Sony, the internally stated reason for this was money. They disliked the idea of someone purchasing something on an Xbox and then being able to use it on a PlayStation. It’s as simple as that. A foolish reason, but that’s the case.”
In the context of Fortnite, this would mean that Sony is not fond of the notion of a player on Xbox buying a character skin via Xbox Live (and in the process giving Microsoft a 30 percent cut of the revenue), and then logging into the PS4 version and being able to utilize that same skin on their persistent, cross-platform character when playing the game on Sony’s console.
Sony has faced significant criticism for its cross-platform console policy ever since – so this glimmer of hope from Layden offers some indication that things might change in the future. It certainly seems that Sony has been contemplating how to make console cross-play feasible. Perhaps an offer of peace has been made behind the scenes?
