Nintendo and Microsoft have teamed-up to promote cross network gameplay on the Switch and Xbox One consoles, leaving Sony as the odd man out.
Nintendo has released a video to commemorate a Minecraft for Switch update, which includes the ability to play alongside gamers on Xbox and Windows.
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The clip shows Xbox One and Switch owners playing Minecraft alongside each other, complete with each companies’ respective red and green branding. The clip encourages gamers to create, explore and survive together. It ends with the declaration that the game is “better together.”
It’s a rare alignment between the two gaming companies, generally considered to be rivals in the hyper-competitive space. The two companies also followed up with a lovey-dovey tweet exchange on Thursday, which also included input from the Minecraft developers.
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Our bodies are ready. What are we building?
— Xbox (@Xbox) June 21, 2018
Let the building begin! ❤️
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 21, 2018
The move puts more pressure on Sony, which has remained mum on the possibility of further opening up cross network play. Amid demand for gamers to cross-play Fortnite, Sony continues to block cross-play with their console gaming counterparts on other systems.
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Last week Sony said: ”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.”
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Sony has also put the kibosh on Rocket League cross-play, as well as Minecraft. One former Sony boss said the reason behind the snub was, quite simply, the almighty dollar.
In a now-deleted tweet former head of Sony Online Entertainment John Smedley wrote: “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.”
Is Sony right to deny cross play given the PS4’s dominant market share? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
