And more to the point, most gamers simply don't care. We asked GameTrack - a consumer research project run by Ipsos Connect that is used by many major publishers - to ask its panel of European users how it felt about cross-play, and the responses were indifferent. 58% of respondents said they didn't care much about it. When asked if cross-play was a reason to buy a console, 54% disagreed with the statement (in fact, 38% strongly disagreed), while only 13% said it might be a consideration in which console or service they would buy.
48% of respondents disagreed that cross-platform play would be an incentive to buy a game they otherwise might not, versus 17% who agreed; and 49% of respondents disagreed that cross-platform functionality would make them more likely to play online than they currently do, compared to 17% who agreed. The data shows that although there are some gamers that find cross-play intriguing, the majority are simply not fussed.
There has always been this threat of a 'hard reset' whenever a new generation arrives, yet in the future the reset might not be so definitive. PS5 players will likely still be playing with PS4 owners. Friends lists and game libraries will likely transfer across. Enabling customers to switch to Xbox and still allow them to play with their PlayStation friends gives away a big competitive advantage. So why do it, especially if the majority of gamers are not actually asking for it?
Yet for Microsoft, it does make sense. This is a company that wants to knock down console barriers so it can attract people to its platform - and we're not just talking about a physical platform here. It's the challenger brand, so it has less to lose from opening its platform to its competitors and more to gain.
It's quite something to see Nintendo and Xbox unite in such an aggressive and blatant attack on PlayStation. Whether it's a sign of a deeper bond between the two businesses, or a temporary alliance against a common enemy, it's not entirely clear. But it puts Sony in a tricky predicament. If it relents to cross-platform demands, then it's Xbox that will truly win, as it will paint Microsoft as the hero and take away one of the many reasons to own a PlayStation over any other device.
Stick to its guns, and Xbox and Nintendo will continue to paint PlayStation as anti-gamer.
All over an issue that most people don't really care about.
Link for full article: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...-gang-up-on-playstation-in-cross-platform-row
