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Network XBox (Games) Microsoft Operating Systems PlayStation (Games) Sony The Internet News Hardware Technology

Xbox Live Now Supports Cross-Platform Multiplayer With PS4 (techcrunch.com) 105

An anonymous reader writes from an article on TechCrunch: Microsoft just announced that game developers can now create cross-platform multiplayer modes that work with other consoles and operating systems. So it means that the next Call of Duty or FIFA could feature a multiplayer mode that works with both Xbox and Playstation gamers. It just depends on developers now. Microsoft has historically restricted cross-platform play as the Xbox Live was the first successful multiplayer network for consoles. And yet, Microsoft is now lagging behind the Playstation 4 with its Xbox One. By opening up cross-platform multiplayer, Microsoft could convince late adopters to buy an Xbox One even though their friends have a PlayStation 4. It's also a way to make sure that there are enough plays for less popular games. It's unclear how developers are supposed to deal with duplicated PlayStation Network and Xbox Live screen names.
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Xbox Live Now Supports Cross-Platform Multiplayer With PS4

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    And you don't have to pay extra for the privilege either.

    • PC: Cross platform from day one
      And you don't have to pay extra for the privilege either.

      The last cross-platform multiplayer experiment involving PCs that I remember was Quake III on the Dreamcast. It didn't end well.

      I can compete with other PC users when I play on my PC, and I can play against other Xbox players with my Xbox. The only difference I've seen is that the Xbox users seem to be about twenty years younger than me, and seem to think that "faggot" and variations thereon are the height of wit.

      • by shione ( 666388 )

        Cross platform could also be between PC operating systems. Like for example on Steam doesn't care if you run Mac, Linux or Windows. If a game on steam is available on two or all of those platforms you still only have to pay for it once. And a person playing a Steam game on Mac, Linux or Windows can play with any other Steam player playing the same game in a different OS.

        But yea, playing a cross platform FPS game between PC and console players is gonna suck for the console player.
         

    • by GNious ( 953874 )

      This news includes that people using Microsoft Live (lots of "PC" games do) can now play with non MS-Live players on other platforms - so, no "PC" (Windows) isn't/wasn't full cross-play.

    • That depends on "Which" console and "which" game. For PSN:

      1. PS2 network play was free, except for the 2 subscription based MMO's.

      2. PS3 online play is free, except for the subscription MMOs

      3. PSP/Vita online play is free.

      4. The PS4 is different, it depends on the game.

      a. Turn based PBEM style games don't require PS+
      b. F2P games where you don't buy the game don't require PS+ (examples being War Thunder, Onigiri, Warframe.
      c. games where you buy the game require PS+ for online play.

      Personally I consider PS+ t

  • It's unclear how developers are supposed to deal with duplicated PlayStation Network and Xbox Live screen names.

    The same way Steam does it, i.e throw out the assumption of unique names entirely.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    That's great that Microsoft will let Xbox One games play with PS4 games, but doesn't Sony have to do the reverse? Given that it's Sony, and that the article mentions this as a potential selling point for the Xbox One, I can't see why Sony would allow it.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Sony doesn't have any qualms about cross platforming. The only reason Elder Scrolls Online does not cross platform was because Microsoft didn't want their players playing with PS4 players. Sony was willing to do the cross platform.

  • This nicely demonstrates the benefits of open systems, that are free of arbitrary restrictions placed to hinder competition.

  • you COULD deal with the "duplicate names" by adding a prefix of XBL or PSN to the usernames before a cross platform game starts... problem solved?
  • There is nothing in the linked article about the MS cross platform code being open source, or even free to use. I would bet the API needed for cross platform play.will be licensed, cheap at first but more expensive later.
  • by oic0 ( 1864384 ) on Monday March 14, 2016 @09:30PM (#51697721)
    Microsoft needs this because they have lost the market share battle. Why on earth would Sony agree though? They only stand to lose sales, not make gains.
    • Sony already does this. Street Fighter V is cross-platform play between PC and PS4.

      • by nhat11 ( 1608159 )

        And with Final Fantasy 14 too

        • The question is, now that Microsoft is allowing cross-platform games, will Square Enix make FF XIV for the Xbox One? That would make their game available on three* platforms.

          * I don't count the PS3 as being another platform, just an older generation. And the Mac version isn't really a Mac version since it's an emulated port that sucks.

  • by Dorianny ( 1847922 ) on Monday March 14, 2016 @09:44PM (#51697755) Journal
    Cross platform development studios rarely dedicate resources to optimize their games for the Xbox one funky slow memory and super-fast cache architecture as a result titles often experience more graphic slowdowns and stutters on the Xbox one than the PS4. . This will put FPS players and other Fast action titles on the Xbox one at a disadvantage over the PS4 owners. If players feel that they can't compete with their friends because of the deficiency of their console Microsoft is going to be blasted with negative publicity
  • by nz17 ( 601809 ) on Tuesday March 15, 2016 @12:36AM (#51698275) Homepage

    "Xbox Live was the first successful multiplayer network for consoles."

    I'm calling bologna on that. SEGA's network, SegaNet, was the first successful multiplayer network for consoles... by a 1st-party company in all three major regions. But before that, Sega Meganet was the first successful multiplayer network for consoles... by a 1st-party company (Japan and Brazil). But before that, Xband was the first successful multiplayer network for consoles... and it worked on multiple platforms (Nintendo's SNES + SEGA's Genesis / Mega Drive).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

  • It's about damn time this was implemented... It should have happened with the PS2, though. Anyway, I'm done with consoles - too short of a lifespan. Too limited in what it can do. I've moved on to PC, and I hope that's the way more people start to go - especially now that there are a few solid options for controllers. PS: The article calls out Xbox Live as the "First Successful Multiplayer Network for Consoles" but I remember playing some pretty hefty games of Quake, UT, and Phantasy Star Online on my D
    • Anyway, I'm done with consoles - too short of a lifespan.

      What do you mean by that? The generational duration has been around 5+ years for a long time now. In fact, some Slashdotters think it should be shorter. Using SCEA as an example:
      PS1 September 9th, 1995 eNOS Lives!
      PS2 October 26, 2000
      PS3 Nov 17, 2006
      PS4 November 15, 2013

      That being said, maybe they're referring to the fact that XBL has more of a social side and hub interface to it, where multiplayer gaming on the Dreamcast was akin to using Gamespy on PC.

      Probably, I played some pretty hefty games of SOCOM, EQOA and FFXI on the PS2 and like the Dreamcast it was more akin to Gamespy. Some PS2 games actually used Gamespy for network services, notably the Star Wars Battlefront games.

  • I could see where Sony might gain sales. I play on xbox, and have a handful of friends that bought a PS4 instead of a an xbox1. I know we'd all still like to game together, and if, say, the next Call of Duty or Destiny was something that the PS4-owner friends were on the fence about but wanted to play with myself or others, it would be a great incentive for them to be able to play with me, and vice-versa.

    What I don't know and cannot intelligently comment on are: license and royalty fees, implementation c

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