Microsoft announces Xbox Live cross-network (PSN and other networks) play

Spider_Jerusalem said:
Edit: obviously for this to work with PSN, Sony needs to allow the same from PSN versus other networks. Not only PCs.
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Sony already technically allows this.

The previous arrangement was, simplifying the details of course, something along the lines of ...

If you are developing for the PS ecosystem, and use their services and servers, you are locked into PSN connections only - only PSN connections can connect to PSN servers (for the most part). If you don't use their services and servers, and build your own infrastructure, you can allow connections from anywhere, regardless of its origin. This allowed open PSN-PC play on games that setup their own matchmaking and servers. And, in theory at least - because Microsoft blocked these from ever happening on their end - connections from XB to the privately run servers of a PSN game.

Obviously there are more security requirements and standards, but for the most part, if you run your own matchmaking and servers, Sony doesn't care where the player connection comes from.

If you were developing for the XB ecosystem, no matter whether you use their services and servers or your own services and servers - all servers on XB must be XB servers - and just like PSN, only XB connections can connect to XB servers. However, you could run an XB server on PC and allow crossplay between XB-PC. The problem is that you can't run a XB server on PSN or allow connections from PSN to an XB server.

Microsoft actively prevented any non-XB ecosystem connections from ever connecting to any server within their XB ecosystem, even if you ran your own matchmaking and servers. And that prevented anything but specific XB-PC crossplay, and only when PC is also running XB ecosystem servers.

Without knowing more details, I have to assume they are finally moving to Sony's requirements - if you run your own servers, it doesn't matter where the player connection comes from. That said, their line about "open invitation for other networks to participate" makes me think they've setup their own conditions, security requirements and standards for what a non-XB server must have and developers will now have to have servers that meet both Microsoft's and Sony's third party multiplayer requirements in order to allow play between the two ecosystems.

Which is fine, as long as it's "meet or exceed", and not a demand for Sony to conform directly to whatever specific requirements Microsoft has deemed appropriate.

Also, for what's it worth, there have been games that have tried XB-PS crossplay before - I've worked on one myself - and Sony was always fine, given their third party multiplayer standards were met, while Microsoft would flat out tell us a hard "No". So while we haven't had any XB-PS crossplay titles actually launch, there have been attempts in the past and Sony has shown no indication - to developers - that they have an issue with it. Microsoft has. Until now at least.
 
Keanu-Reeves-Whoa-09.jpg
 
Servbot24 said:
Good move by MS. People buy consoles because their friends have that console, which means PS4 has huge momentum from that alone. This is a way for MS to make that edge irrelevant.
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It doesn't change it at all. The network effect still exists as chat is still not cross platform. While some people will use skype on their PC many will just use the chat option bundled.
 
"...and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players."

Wouldn't this be a problem for a game like FFXIV? I really hope not, game is amazing and would be cool to have more people on board.
 
I'd welcome XBOne players to XIV, but I honestly wouldn't hold my breath for it.
Microsoft if the 360 was any indicator only uses this for super specific games that earn them brownie points up front. I doubt XIV would be on their radar, but I'd be pleased to be proved wrong. XI only happened to cater to the JP market, and that's not even a concern for them now.
 
Kholdy said:
"...and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players."

Wouldn't this be a problem for a game like FFXIV? I really hope not, game is amazing and would be cool to have more people on board.
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Yeah, but I don't see why xbox players would wanna do this. I mean, it is an MMO after all, more people the better the game is when it comes to group content.
 
Kholdy said:
"...and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players."

Wouldn't this be a problem for a game like FFXIV? I really hope not, game is amazing and would be cool to have more people on board.
Click to expand...

Of course it would.

CrimsonEclipse said:
Yeah, but I don't see why xbox players would wanna do this. I mean, it is an MMO after all, more people the better the game is when it comes to group content.
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It isn't if XBO players want or not, how it sounds the option must be there and it would be against FFXIV policy.
 
Kholdy said:
"...and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players."

Wouldn't this be a problem for a game like FFXIV? I really hope not, game is amazing and would be cool to have more people on board.
Click to expand...

Very much so. Some servers are pretty dead outside of peak play times. More server population is welcome.
 
So, if MS mandates UWP format for Xbox titles after a certain point, this move was a necessity. If one is developing for Bone, might as well deploy to Windows Store. In that scenario, pc deployment now has less of a hurdle in terms of splitting the Steam/Origin userbase with win10 userbase. Friend lists and such are still muddled, but it is getting closer.
 
I'm assuming this is something that has more upsides for MS than anyone else i presume? After what they've been trying to do in the PC space and obviously at the beginning of current gen, forgive me for being skeptical of this too good to be true scenario
 
WhereAreMahDragonz said:
...what's the catch? Surely, we cannot possibly be this blessed.
Click to expand...

At this point, the catch is that it seems to only benefit MSFT financially with the initial. They are losing marketshare, and want reasons to keep people in the MAU. If people are switching to the PS4, due to the popularity now for more people to play against online, then this would make it so they could comfortably stay within the Xbox/Win10 ecosystem, and not run to the PS4 for the third party games. So that is something Sony may take into consideration.

More details have to come out. It sounds way too good to be true all in all, but either way, it sure is interesting as a consumer.
 
This isn't huge, as long as MS are the only ones to open it up. Also, for a lot of games it is a very bad idea to mix up console and PC gamers due to possible disadvantages.

So far, this is pretty minor actually.
 
funkystudent said:
Whats the catch?


Do games have to run on MS servers only or something? I cant imagining this is as nice sounding in reality as it is. I just cant. Can it?
Click to expand...

MS made multiplayer games such as Forza utilizes the AZURE servers for dedicated servers. Most, if not all 3rd party games use whatever server they rent out our have themselves, so it would not need to go through MS servers other than when logging into Xbox Live. It is like it is now, when you log into any EA game on PSN or Xbox Live, you first log into Sony's or MS's servers for the log in then it is connected to EA servers for EA games. You are still going through PSN or Live, but the game servers are EA's.
 
DeepEnigma said:
At this point, the catch is that it seems to only benefit MSFT financially with the initial. They are losing marketshare, and want reasons to keep people in the MAU. If people are switching to the PS4, due to the popularity now for more people to play against online, then this would make it so they could comfortably stay within the Xbox/Win10 ecosystem, and not run to the PS4 for the third party games. So that is something Sony may take into consideration.

More details have to come out. It sounds way too good to be true all in all, but either way, it sure is interesting as a consumer.
Click to expand...

Lol, you're acting like online games are dead on the XB1.
 
JaggedSac said:
So, if MS mandates UWP format for Xbox titles after a certain point, this move was a necessity. If one is developing for Bone, might as well deploy to Windows Store. In that scenario, pc deployment now has less of a hurdle in terms of splitting the Steam/Origin userbase with win10 userbase. Friend lists and such are still muddled, but it is getting closer.
Click to expand...
Dat strategy.
 
This is good for games in general. There should be one community for a game, not multiple split by xbox live/psn or pc player groups.
 
Rembrandt said:
Lol, you're acting like online games are dead on the XB1.
Click to expand...

You are putting words in my mouth.

MSFT wants growth, and their Xbox is not growing as fast as their competitor. In fact, it is starting to possibly fall behind their last gen console in month to month.

Best way for growth, get other networks involved into the ecosystem. MSFT is not a fucking charity.
 
PodcastFips said:
This isn't huge, as long as MS are the only ones to open it up. Also, for a lot of games it is a very bad idea to mix up console and PC gamers due to possible disadvantages.

So far, this is pretty minor actually.
Click to expand...

This is mainly PS4 and Xbox One cross play. PC isn't possible for shooters etc.

It's a huge deal imo.
 
ScatheZombie said:
Sony already technically allows this.

The previous arrangement was, simplifying the details of course, something along the lines of ...

If you are developing for the PS ecosystem, and use their services and servers, you are locked into PSN connections only - only PSN connections can connect to PSN servers (for the most part). If you don't use their services and servers, and build your own infrastructure, you can allow connections from anywhere, regardless of its origin. This allowed open PSN-PC play on games that setup their own matchmaking and servers. And, in theory at least - because Microsoft blocked these from ever happening on their end - connections from XB to the privately run servers of a PSN game.

Obviously there are more security requirements and standards, but for the most part, if you run your own matchmaking and servers, Sony doesn't care where the player connection comes from.

If you were developing for the XB ecosystem, no matter whether you use their services and servers or your own services and servers - all servers on XB must be XB servers - and just like PSN, only XB connections can connect to XB servers. However, you could run an XB server on PC and allow crossplay between XB-PC. The problem is that you can't run a XB server on PSN or allow connections from PSN to an XB server.

Microsoft actively prevented any non-XB ecosystem connections from ever connecting to any server within their XB ecosystem, even if you ran your own matchmaking and servers. And that prevented anything but specific XB-PC crossplay, and only when PC is also running XB ecosystem servers.

Without knowing more details, I have to assume they are finally moving to Sony's requirements - if you run your own servers, it doesn't matter where the player connection comes from. That said, their line about "open invitation for other networks to participate" makes me think they've setup their own conditions, security requirements and standards for what a non-XB server must have and developers will now have to have servers that meet both Microsoft's and Sony's third party multiplayer requirements in order to allow play between the two ecosystems.

Which is fine, as long as it's "meet or exceed", and not a demand for Sony to conform directly to whatever specific requirements Microsoft has deemed appropriate.

Also, for what's it worth, there have been games that have tried XB-PS crossplay before - I've worked on one myself - and Sony was always fine, given their third party multiplayer standards were met, while Microsoft would flat out tell us a hard "No". So while we haven't had any XB-PS crossplay titles actually launch, there have been attempts in the past and Sony has shown no indication - to developers - that they have an issue with it. Microsoft has. Until now at least.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight.
 
bananafactory said:
Expectations:

Every game moving forward has cross platform play between all 3 systems where people can play with their pals on another device in joyous harmony singing kumbaya

Reality:

A select few titles have larger matchmaking pools and people still buy the game on and play with the system their friends are on.


I think some people are getting ahead of themselves
Click to expand...

That reality is fine by me.
Honnestly i'm fine with PC and PS4 players together in FF14, so adding a potential pool of xbone players meaning more people in raids , and maybe less queues ?
my friends are on PS4 and i play on PS4 , but if a healer or a tanker from xbone is in the raid i'll welcome it

the same way i'm still warm to the PC userbase in street 5 .. more players is fine by me , even if the number of game's limited.
 
Trup1aya said:
MS isn't getting out of hardware, and this in no way leverages Azure.

Azure can already be used for any game on any platform and it isn't a requirement for cross-network MP.
Click to expand...

I guess you didn't read or comprehend what I was talking about: relationships and promotions that give value to the user while making a unified tartget, Azure, easy to choose for all 3 because it makes development easy.

It may not happen. MS may not even want to push for that but there is value there and opportunity.
 
Darryl M R said:
Really man?


-


I still want to see what limits MS might have if any, if this is freely open then this is good.
Click to expand...

Ok maybe I overreacted a little bit. It's still fucking huge though. Next step being able to INVITE players cross-platform.

I'd like to be able to invite my PC friends on RL for some competitive 2s or 3s.
 
"Edit: obviously for this to work with PSN, Sony needs to allow the same from PSN versus other networks. Not only PCs."

You know that Sony was always open for this. It was always Microsoft that said no. Thank God it's finally happening.

Gaming lobbies are going to be FULLLLLLLL now!!
 
The bigger the amount of people you can play online with the better. I mainly play on PS4 and it would be awesome if there was crossplay. Makes communities last longer.

PS4 vs Xbox One playlist. Bwahaha.
 
shagg_187 said:
"Edit: obviously for this to work with PSN, Sony needs to allow the same from PSN versus other networks. Not only PCs."

You know that Sony was always open for this. It was always Microsoft that said no. Thank God it's finally happening.

Gaming lobbies are going to be FULLLLLLLL now!!
Click to expand...

Now console wars can actually happen on... consoles.
 
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