Microsoft Allows Cross-Network Play

[Aikouka]

The title pretty much says it all. Microsoft has allowed cross-network play, and I don't mean just Xbox-One-to-PC play, but also other consoles. This will have to be implemented on a game-by-game basis.

Here's the excerpt:

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. 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.

Of course, it’s up to game developers to support this feature, and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players. We’re thrilled to confirm that Psyonix’s Rocket League will be one of the first games to take advantage of this new capability by enabling cross-network play between Xbox One and PC players, with an open invitation for other networks to participate as well.

It'll definitely be interesting if we start seeing play between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4!

 

[gus6464]

Too little too late IMO. There are a lot of games in development already for PS4/PC and 2 major e-sports titles in the form of SFV and Paragon.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Too little too late IMO. There are a lot of games in development already for PS4/PC and 2 major e-sports titles in the form of SFV and Paragon.

Eh, one positive thing of the way consoles have matured is that cross play can be patched in if the devs feel like doing it.

 

[lupi]

Too little too late IMO. There are a lot of games in development already for PS4/PC and 2 major e-sports titles in the form of SFV and Paragon.

not necessarily, will keep those on xbox from wandering.

 

[cmdrdredd]

not necessarily, will keep those on xbox from wandering.

Especially if it catches on. You don't need a PS4 to play the next CoD with your friends for example. Could be pretty big for many people. This is really what Destiny needed IMO. When a couple of my RL friends were on XB1 and I was on PS4 and we played daily it would have been nice to join their team for stuff.

 

[purbeast0]

capcom completely f'ed up sf5, i wish it was on xbl so bad. it's so dumb how you can't even see the PSN id of the user you're going against, and you also can't just invite people from your friends list. matchmaking is a joke as is searching for battle lounges.

that said, the actual cross platform play is great once you get into a match and play.

 

[gorcorps]

Too little too late IMO. There are a lot of games in development already for PS4/PC and 2 major e-sports titles in the form of SFV and Paragon.

Too little too late? This is what people have been wanting for quite some time, so it's definitely not too late. If it works and devs take advantage it could be a pretty big change to the console world to not have to pick one side JUST because of what your friends chose.

 

[Sonikku]

If I were Sony there's no way I would join in. From a purely business perspective, one of the reasons why people choose Playstation over Xbox is because gamers want to play with their friends and when Playstation has a significantly larger installed base than Xbox, the chances their friends are on PS is that much greater. As this continues to be the case the disparity between the two systems is likely only to accelerate, giving Sony even more reason to isolate their network from Xbox Live. Microsoft has all the incentive in the world to make such a union work, though Sony does not. Quite the contrary.

 

[lupi]

If I were Sony there's no way I would join in. From a purely business perspective, one of the reasons why people choose Playstation over Xbox is because gamers want to play with their friends and when Playstation has a significantly larger installed base than Xbox, the chances their friends are on PS is that much greater. As this continues to be the case the disparity between the two systems is likely only to accelerate, giving Sony even more reason to isolate their network from Xbox Live. Microsoft has all the incentive in the world to make such a union work, though Sony does not. Quite the contrary.

Except for the US market they only currently have the larger base. And why not agree as now you can compete on who makes a better console.

 

[KMFJD]

This is good

 

[cmdrdredd]

If I were Sony there's no way I would join in. From a purely business perspective, one of the reasons why people choose Playstation over Xbox is because gamers want to play with their friends and when Playstation has a significantly larger installed base than Xbox, the chances their friends are on PS is that much greater. As this continues to be the case the disparity between the two systems is likely only to accelerate, giving Sony even more reason to isolate their network from Xbox Live. Microsoft has all the incentive in the world to make such a union work, though Sony does not. Quite the contrary.

I don't think Sony has to join in. The Xbox Live system can simply reach outside it's network to find players of the same game on other networks and connect them. Basically bypassing PSN and XBL entirely.

 

[CZroe]

Am I going to have to make an XBL account to set up my Nintendo NX for online play?

 

[Aikouka]

Sony has sort of responded to Microsoft. The pertinent bit...

"PlayStation has been supporting cross-platform play between PC on several software titles starting with Final Fantasy 11 on PS2 and PC back in 2002,” the company said in a statement issued to Gamespot. “We would be happy to have the conversation with any publishers or developers who are interested in cross-platform play."

 

[purbeast0]

i haven't done much reading about this, but i still don't see how they will handle the problem of having friends list and stuff across consoles.

 

[Lil Frier]

i haven't done much reading about this, but i still don't see how they will handle the problem of having friends list and stuff across consoles.

It wouldn't be that hard. Blizzard's done it with their Battle.Net ID. You can get apps like Trillian and Pidgin to connect to multiple chat networks. I'd imagine it's a pretty simple thing for MS to do, call the PSN friends list, integrate it into the XBL friends list, then color code or add an icon for those on another platform.

 

[CZroe]

Sony has sort of responded to Microsoft. The pertinent bit...

Dreamcast with Quake III Arena and SEGA Swirl (among others).
PS2 with Quake III Revolution, Unreal Tournament, and Final Fantasy 11.
PS3 with Unreal Tournament III and Portal 2.
Hell, it's not even new to Microsoft: XBOX 360 with Shadowrun.

The Wikipedia page for Shadowrun makes it sound like cross-platform play was added when it came to the "Games on Demand store for Games for Windows – Live" in 2009, but that's not true. I bought my PC copy new at Circuit City in 2007 and it has "Play With Xbox 360 Gamers!" right on the front of the box.

 

[purbeast0]

It wouldn't be that hard. Blizzard's done it with their Battle.Net ID. You can get apps like Trillian and Pidgin to connect to multiple chat networks. I'd imagine it's a pretty simple thing for MS to do, call the PSN friends list, integrate it into the XBL friends list, then color code or add an icon for those on another platform.

the way SF5/sony does it is retarded. that's why i hope MS can do a better job, which i think they can, because XBL is still billions times better than PSN (as far as streamlining/integrating everything goes).

first, you have to create a CFN ID (capcom fighters network). so now you have 2 id's, which don't even have to match.

then to send invites to "friends", you have to look up the player by their CFN ID, view their profile, then add them as a "favorite".

then you have to go into battle lounge, invite, and select from favorites. and the status that it shows of your "favorites" is wrong the majority of the time.

there is also no method to look at your "favorites" and just see who is online and who isn't and the status everyone is in. you can only see it from this one invite screen. you also cannot do any kind of chatting either, cross platform or not. no voice chat no text chat.

but the main problem IMO is that their CFN doesn't tie into their PSN at all. they could be completely different.

that is EXTREMELY terrible UX in my opinion. there is absolutely no reason that this should be necessary to create yet another ID. just use my PSN id and if it's a PC gamer, they have to create a new one and can't create one that is in use by a person on PSN already.

this is the kinda shit that cross platform play needs to get worked out because so far it's complete garbage.

 

[DigDog]

mouse+keyboard vs controller; cant wait to popcorn.gif this.

 

[purbeast0]

mouse+keyboard vs controller; cant wait to popcorn.gif this.

yes, because clearly fps is the only genre.

you won't have any advantage with kb+m over controller in racing, sports, or fighting games.

 

[SearchMaster]

the way SF5/sony does it is retarded. that's why i hope MS can do a better job, which i think they can, because XBL is still billions times better than PSN (as far as streamlining/integrating everything goes).

first, you have to create a CFN ID (capcom fighters network). so now you have 2 id's, which don't even have to match.

then to send invites to "friends", you have to look up the player by their CFN ID, view their profile, then add them as a "favorite".

then you have to go into battle lounge, invite, and select from favorites. and the status that it shows of your "favorites" is wrong the majority of the time.

there is also no method to look at your "favorites" and just see who is online and who isn't and the status everyone is in. you can only see it from this one invite screen. you also cannot do any kind of chatting either, cross platform or not. no voice chat no text chat.

but the main problem IMO is that their CFN doesn't tie into their PSN at all. they could be completely different.

that is EXTREMELY terrible UX in my opinion. there is absolutely no reason that this should be necessary to create yet another ID. just use my PSN id and if it's a PC gamer, they have to create a new one and can't create one that is in use by a person on PSN already.

this is the kinda shit that cross platform play needs to get worked out because so far it's complete garbage.

And I have a feeling that's how this one will be too.

 

[purbeast0]

And I have a feeling that's how this one will be too.

even if you could only friend people on the console you're using, that would be great. you can't even invite PSN friends when playing on PS4. it just makes no sense at all. but i blame capcom since they are retarded when it comes to UX. i don't think MS would let stuff like this slide since they know how integral UX is to online and for the most part do a great job with it.

 

[BoberFett]

Too little too late? This is what people have been wanting for quite some time, so it's definitely not too late. If it works and devs take advantage it could be a pretty big change to the console world to not have to pick one side JUST because of what your friends chose.

:thumbsup:

 

[poofyhairguy]

I was pretty excited that Rocket League on the Xbone plays with PC gamers.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Yeah I think it will require a separate ID for the game separate from your XBL or PSN list. Though it could work easily if you link that ID to your network ID for easy searching and connecting.

 

[purbeast0]

Yeah I think it will require a separate ID for the game separate from your XBL or PSN list. Though it could work easily if you link that ID to your network ID for easy searching and connecting.

i'm almost positive if this was the case, microsoft would do it automatically for you and it would be very streamlined. sony on the other hand doesn't care about that which is why you see so many games integrating online components so differently. ms requires things to be somewhat standard if you want to integrate with xbl.