Post: Hell Freezes Over: Microsoft Enables PS4, Xbox One Gamers To Play Together Online
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03-15-2016, 08:18 AM
#1
Hydrogen
Super Mod
Seriously, I had to triple-check this report to make sure I wasn’t just imagining it.
In a general update from ID@Xbox Director Chris Charla over at Xbox Wire on the state of the program, Charla outlined a few new features that were hatched directly from developer feedback, including Cross-Network Play.
“First, in addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, we’re enabling developers to support cross-network play as well,” Charla writes. “This means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks – including other console and PC networks.“
While Microsoft isn’t directly calling out consoles like Sony's PlayStation 4 or services like EA’s Origin on PC, the intent is crystal clear. Microsoft is opening the door across the entire landscape of gaming, and inviting developers to take the leap, explaining that it’s up to them to support this feature. It’s not just a magic switch Microsoft can flip, but it’s nice to hear that the tools are now in the toolbox. I’m sure the platform holders will also need to play nice.
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Charla also says Xbox Live users “will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players.”
He then extended an invitation for other online networks to follow in Microsoft’s footsteps.
On the surface this would initially seem borderline crazy, but it actually fits Microsoft’s Nadella-driven narrative nicely. This is the same Microsoft that is releasing more and more software for Android and iOS rather than locking it down to their own ecosystem. The same Microsoft that seems increasingly uninterested in fanning the usual console war flames. The same Microsoft that, despite the recent complaints from Epic head Tim Sweeney, is adamant about making UWP (Universal Windows Platform) an open environment for developers to build their products on (even if it’s not off to a shining start).
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