Earlier today we have discussed the impressive record Fortnite set on Nintendo Switch, and we have mentioned the multiple complains Sony received from players who want to use their PS4 Epic accounts on Fortnite: Battle Royale for Switch.
While Sony continues to remain silent about this important issue, an ex-Sony developer explains why his former company blocks the access between the two consoles. And as you can probably guess, it’s about money.
John Smedley shared the following tweet:
“… when I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money. They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a PlayStation. simple as that. Dumb reason, but there it is.”
First of all, you should know that John Smedley is the former boss of Daybreak Game Company. If this does not ring a bell, maybe Planetside 2 and H1Z1 will.
So, Smedley explains plain and simple why Sony is not allowing players to cross play Fortnite: Battle Royale.
It’s not about Nintendo or Microsoft. It’s about money.
btw when I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money. They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a Playstation. simple as that. dumb reason, but there it is.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) June 18, 2018
This Is for The Players?
To get a better picture, Sony basically refuses to allow access to Fortnite for players who have purchased and played the video game on other platforms except for PC, iOS, and most likely Android. Why?
Because cross-platform works both ways; and Sony doesn’t want you to use a skin, for example; or anything else you have purchased from other stores, on PS4.
It is well known that every time you buy something from Microsoft Store, 30% of the price you pay goes to Microsoft. So, why should Sony allow you to use something you have purchased from others, on their system?
As you can see they don’t.
And how can they avoid this? By blocking your access between specific systems, which obviously gather more players combined. In this case Xbox One and Switch.
Sony’s statement? It has nothing to do with the issues reported by players, but here it is.
“We’re always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience. Fortnite is already a huge hit with PS4 fans, offering a true free-to-play experience so gamers can jump in and play online.
“With 79 million PS4s sold around the world and more than 80 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, we’ve built a huge community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles. We also offer Fortnite cross-play support with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, expanding the opportunity for Fortnite fans on PS4 to play with even more gamers on other platforms.”
The statement above was followed by another one during GameLab 2018. Meanwhile, Nintendo and Microsoft released a new Minecraft update with a suggestive name: Better Together.
