There has been quite a bit of talk regarding the possibility of seeing PlayStation 4 / Xbox One cross-play features, but things haven't been going well, with Sony seemingly not willing to change its stance on the matter. According to what Phil Spencer recently said, it seems like things won't be changing anytime soon.
Speaking at the Brazil Game Show with Gamespot, Phil Spencer confirmed that they're talking with Sony all the time about cross-play, but the Japanese company doesn't seem like it will concede to the idea.
I have a real struggle making comments about their motivation or timelines. I know there is a certain view that says if my friends have this console, they can't play with people who buy another console. That's a reason they go buy my console. That reason is not going to go away. So we're putting Minecraft out there as one of the biggest games on any platform and allowing people to play together regardless of what device they bought. I don't think everybody is taking that same approach to the ecosystem. So I'm never going to call anything a lost cause but I think some of the fundamental reasons and certain scenarios, they're not really going away. So I don't know what would change.
Specifically talking about Minecraft, Spencer did mention that another Japanese company has been a great partner on the matter and that the collaboration with them will continue in the future.
We talk to Sony all the time. With Minecraft on PlayStation, we have to be one of the biggest games on their platform in terms of sales and gameplay. Same with Nintendo. The relationship with Nintendo on this front has been strong. They've been great supporters and we continue to collaborate with them. But I think Sony's view is different. They should talk about what their view is...
For a very short time, the dream of PS4 / Xbox One cross-play has become a reality, with Epic enabling cross-play in Fortnite last month. It was a mistake, but Phil Spencer definitely liked it.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
