Posted in: Games, GDC, Video Games | Tagged: epic games, Fortnite, GDC, GDC 2018, Phil Spencer, Tim Sweeney

Epic Games' Tim Sweeney Says the PlayStation/Xbox Crossplay Wall Will "Inevitably Come Down"

Published Fri, 23 Mar 2018 18:45:23 -0500

One of the things Epic Games' boss Tim Sweeney has been wanting to do for the last few months is break down the artificial barrier between PlayStation and Xbox cross-platform multiplayer. And at this point, even Xbox's Phil Spencer is on the Fortnite crossplay bandwagon. I think pretty much everyone is at this point. We've gotten cross-play on Fortnite between mobile and PS4 systems, as well as cross-play between mobile, PC, and Xbox One, so if Spencer is to be believed, the only ones causing trouble are Sony.

At this year's Game Developer's Conference, Sweeney stated that he thinks the barrier between Xbox and PlayStation cross-platform play will "inevitably come down" despite Sony's apparent unwillingness to play ball.

"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," Sweeney continued. He also argued that preventing cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One owners creates a "platform schism" between friendships and helps break up real-world social groups.

Cross-platform support is something the gaming industry has been trying to work out for at least a solid two decades now, and it's something gamers themselves have been incredibly vocal about wanting. It's good to know developers are also behind the "tear down this wall" push, and with Fortnite being the game at the helm we might just get somewhere. It is, after all, one of the most popular games to play and watch at the moment.

Unfortunately, if that Apple buying out Sony rumor is indeed true, we might run into even more trouble on the cross-platform front, as Apple is notoriously protective over their systems and isn't exactly fond of Microsoft.

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