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

What does that have to do with this? This allows for Steam cross platform games and actually makes the Windows store even less attractive.

It sounds like in order for games to use cross platform they must use XBL service if they are on the PC side of things. Like I said, I'm more concerned with the consequences down the line in terms of what MS has planned if this takes off and their app/online service becomes a major part of the PC marketplace.

Just like how the Xbox was meant to put Microsoft in your living room and a way to pump out services in a non-PC environment, Windows 10 has it's own marketplace and app store that is designed to limit overall PC development options, so I wonder what the goal is here.
 
SFV, FFIV, FFXI, Sony's already there.
That's with PC. Xbox is a legit direct competitor. Imo it would be stupid for Sony to allow it b/c it'll help MS more than Sony. MS knows they wont so MS gets a PR win out of it. I'm prob being crazy. Idk...

Well, the ball's in their court now, and it looks bad if they don't, right?
Exactly (bolded)...that's what i'm saying. Feels like MS intentions aren't as noble as they seem.
 
That's with PC. Xbox is a legit direct competitor. Imo it would be stupid for Sony to allow it b/c it'll help MS more than Sony. MS knows they wont so MS gets a PR win out of it. I'm prob being crazy. Idk...

Final Fantasy XI is on the 360 and is playable with PS2 and PC players.
 
That's with PC. Xbox is a legit direct competitor. Imo it would be stupid for Sony to allow it b/c it'll help MS more than Sony. MS knows they wont so MS gets a PR win out of it. I'm prob being crazy. Idk...

FFXI lets PS2 and 360 players play together. Pure Chess lets PS3 and PS4 players play Wii U players. The reason you haven't seen Xbox playing with PS otherwise has all been on Microsoft.
 
Windows 10 has XBL?

While I think it's cool, I have major reservations for the consequences of this in terms of PC developers and the overall online component of being heavily pushed towards Microsofts own service.

Sounds to me they have learned the lesson of Vista Xbox Live and are ready to go ahead with a modified plan to do what they always wanted to do, have a control of a major part of the PC scene.

Things don't just get shelved and never used again, they are just modifying the outward appearance while the core concept stays the same.

How do you get to that conclusion from MS allowing people who aren't on Xbox live to play with people who are?

This is the opposite of pushing devs to use there service. They are allowing devs who chose a different service to enjoy combined player pools.

It sounds like in order for games to use cross platform they must use XBL service if they are on the PC side of things. Like I said, I'm more concerned with the consequences down the line in terms of what MS has planned if this takes off and their app/online service becomes a major part of the PC marketplace.

Just like how the Xbox was meant to put Microsoft in your living room and a way to pump out services in a non-PC environment, Windows 10 has it's own marketplace and app store that is designed to limit overall PC development options, so I wonder what the goal is here.

It's been specifically mentioned that on the PC side, Xbox live doesn't have to be used.
 
It's still gonna be limited.

Rocket league for instance has no cross platform chat, text or voice, no console branded cars. Plus who gonna want to play RTS or FPS against PC players?

I cannot imagine this helping much at all with the decision of what console to buy.

That's just one game. This is huge for the future of online gaming.
 
SFV, FFIV, FFXI, Sony's already there.

There's no precedent for competing console cross-play MP, unless I'm mistaken. PS4 to PC is one thing, but have Sony ever explicitly said they would allow cross play with Xbox? Or Nintendo?

Happy to be corrected.
 
I like how people assume sony will allow it.

Perhaps I'm not seeing the big picture here, but why wouldn't they? Assuming the additional work isn't too overbearing (no idea), this really doesn't harm anyone while benefiting everyone.

Now maybe if there was some imaginary way that MS could extend online play via a Live account on the PS4 system, then there'd be an obvious point of contention.
 
One random isolated example from ages ago

That and I'm pretty certain PS2's online doesn't equal PSN of today.

Nintendo's been confirmed by the Pure Chess devs to allow actual other consoles to play with Wii U games. It was only Sony and until now MS preventing that from happening.

And I 100% agree. Xbox is Sony's #1 competitor, and it's very arguable PC doesn't count as a MS device if you know what I mean. Also Sony's now ex-division Sony Online Entertainment released PC stuff.

Sony opening the door would surely benefit MS more than Sony. Hell I'd even say Nintendo is the one to only gain and Sony's to only lose.

Sony does; they risk major benefit to MS. Sony doesn't; they look bad.

Nintendo does; they strengthen their relationship with MS, ESPECIALLY if Minecraft is involved. They don't; ...nothing changes?

I dunno.
 
There's no precedent for competing console cross-play MP, unless I'm mistaken. PS4 to PC is one thing, but have Sony ever explicitly said they would allow cross play with Xbox? Or Nintendo?

Happy to be corrected.

FFXI was cross platform with Xbox 360. I feel like this thread is going in annoying, misinformed circles. Developers have repeatedly said for years that they wanted their games to be cross platform but microsoft wouldn't play ball. The whole fact that this announcement even exists from microsoft confirms it.
 
That's with PC. Xbox is a legit direct competitor. Imo it would be stupid for Sony to allow it b/c it'll help MS more than Sony. MS knows they wont so MS gets a PR win out of it. I'm prob being crazy. Idk...


Considering how the PS4 is selling, and how it's the market leader, how could a 'PR win' from Microsoft that also benefits Sony be a bad thing?
 
It sounds like in order for games to use cross platform they must use XBL service if they are on the PC side of things. Like I said, I'm more concerned with the consequences down the line in terms of what MS has planned if this takes off and their app/online service becomes a major part of the PC marketplace.

Just like how the Xbox was meant to put Microsoft in your living room and a way to pump out services in a non-PC environment, Windows 10 has it's own marketplace and app store that is designed to limit overall PC development options, so I wonder what the goal is here.

Nope. W10 and XBO are just using XBL. This allows XBL to connect to outside networks which for RL means Steam right now and maybe PSN. W10 and XBO would be easier but no longer necessary. But you have to understand RL handles things different from many others. You can't see a console players ID and you can only communicate with pre selected messages like hearthstone. Steam is not actually connecting to XBL. It's just sending the data back and forth.
 
For games like Elder Scrolls On-Line having the PS4 and Xbox One user base on one mega server would be great. The only issue is how they implement user names/gamer tags, we can possibly see a person on PSN having the same tag as Xbox One player.

Regardless, this is good news across the board. If devs take advantage of this and build into games where when you boot into the game you are asked "Do you want global matchmaking with PSN & Xbox One players or PSN or Xbox One only matchmaking?".

For the Division, it would be cool to have cross play, especially if the rumored 8 man Raid type of things happen...imagine it being set up where it drops a team 4 PSN players and 4 Xbox One players to complete the mission?
 
Nope. W10 and XBO are just using XBL. This allows XBL to connect to outside networks which for RL means Steam right now and maybe PSN. W10 and XBO would be easier but no longer necessary. But you have to understand RL handles things different from many others. You can't see a console players ID and you can only communicate with pre selected messages like hearthstone. Steam is not actually connecting to XBL. It's just sending the data back and forth.

Ahhhhh

that's great then!
 
The thing is.....not every developer wants their game to be cross platform. As we've seen time and time again though, the ones that do end up putting their title on ps4/pc only. What is changing here, at least to begin with is that we will see games coming to xbox platform that wouldn't have before. These games will likely have their own login/chat so all that stuff about cross party, etc will be moot as well. I dont get why people are struggling with this so much. It's not complicated.
 
There's no precedent for competing console cross-play MP, unless I'm mistaken. PS4 to PC is one thing, but have Sony ever explicitly said they would allow cross play with Xbox? Or Nintendo?

Happy to be corrected.

They have never explicitly supported it with first party SDKs, but they've never said no to someone that wants it.

Pure Chess allows Sony and Nintendo and PC and mobile users to play each other. Nintendo allowed PC and Wii and PC and Wii U to play against each other for various games.

Multiple games on console, for example Defiance, were cross platform between PS3 and the 360 until Microsoft kiboshed it. It's open knowledge in the industry that Microsoft has been the only stickler about cross-platform play. You haven't seen a lot of Nintendo cross-console play due to their lack of hardware parity, not their policy.
 
That's with PC. Xbox is a legit direct competitor. Imo it would be stupid for Sony to allow it b/c it'll help MS more than Sony. MS knows they wont so MS gets a PR win out of it. I'm prob being crazy. Idk...

Read this. I don't know where this "But Sony won't allow it" nonsense keeps coming from. Sony has repeatedly shown (in both launched titles and privately to mulitplatform developers) they don't care what service or platform the player connections come from as long as you are running a third party multiplayer/matchmaking environment that's up to their codes and standards.

It has always been Microsoft that has been blocking outside connections. Even XB-PC required the PC version be running an XB-ecosystem server.

The potential issue isn't Sony not allowing third parties to develop their own tri-platform PS-XB-PC server architecture and matchmaking services; but that Microsoft's new stipulations directly counter Sony's existing third-party multiplayer requirements.

Nope. W10 and XBO are just using XBL. This allows XBL to connect to outside networks which for RL means Steam right now and maybe PSN. W10 and XBO would be easier but no longer necessary. But you have to understand RL handles things different from many others. You can't see a console players ID and you can only communicate with pre selected messages like hearthstone. Steam is not actually connecting to XBL. It's just sending the data back and forth.

Also this. There needs to be an understanding of the distinction between cross-platform play and cross-platform parties. You still won't be able to group up, message, voice chat, etc. between platforms - at least not through the XBL or PSN services. You will only get that functionality if the individual developer also creates an account system within the game (i.e. an MMO account) and runs their own party, chat, VOIP services.

For most games this simply means a larger pool for matchmaking.
 
For games like Elder Scrolls On-Line having the PS4 and Xbox One user base on one mega server would be great. The only issue is how they implement user names/gamer tags, we can possibly see a person on PSN having the same tag as Xbox One player.

Regardless, this is good news across the board. If devs take advantage of this and build into games where when you boot into the game you are asked "Do you want global matchmaking with PSN & Xbox One players or PSN or Xbox One only matchmaking?".

For the Division, it would be cool to have cross play, especially if the rumored 8 man Raid type of things happen...imagine it being set up where it drops a team 4 PSN players and 4 Xbox One players to complete the mission?

Yeah the RL devs said to allow crossplatform party making and things you have to run your own service like EA and Ubisoft already have. In that case you wouldn't see their PSN/XBL name you would see their Ubisoft ID and you would probably have to have a separate friend list on that service. It sounds like it would be costly and a hassle so I really only see this leading to crossplay quick matches and things like that.

So now the "play where your friends are" Is going to be useless....?

Maybe but I doubt it. This won't really allow a lot of things that are platform specific unless the dev designs their own. So no party chat or easy partying up.
 
That and I'm pretty certain PS2's online doesn't equal PSN of today.

Nintendo's been confirmed by the Pure Chess devs to allow actual other consoles to play with Wii U games. It was only Sony and until now MS preventing that from happening.

And I 100% agree. Xbox is Sony's #1 competitor, and it's very arguable PC doesn't count as a MS device if you know what I mean. Also Sony's now ex-division Sony Online Entertainment released PC stuff.

Sony opening the door would surely benefit MS more than Sony. Hell I'd even say Nintendo is the one to only gain and Sony's to only lose.

Sony does; they risk major benefit to MS. Sony doesn't; they look bad.

Nintendo does; they strengthen their relationship with MS, ESPECIALLY if Minecraft is involved. They don't; ...nothing changes?

I dunno.
What he said. Knew i wasn't crazy.
 
hmm, maybe I'm reading it wrong.

You are

From the OP

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.

The first game to take advantage of this will be Rocket League, where players on Steam will be playing with players on XBL. MS says they are open to allowing XBL players to play with other consoles as well
 
Sony could benefit from this. People can play with their friends on Xbox even if they want the more powerful console.

Microsoft is the one benefiting more. Less consoles sold with less online base means allowing this will increase the number of players.

Better yet, if Nintendo allows it for NX, they'll greatly benefit from this since their online base is always smallest.

All in all, everyone will benefit from this. I want to see a commercial showcasing this Unity.
 
really? I had no idea. what games?

DragonQuest Online for Wii can play with PC and later Wii U.

I also think there was a dungeon crawling game on GameCube called Homeland where you could play with PC players, but required the broadband adapter and was Japan only so basically nobody remembers it.
 
Amazing announcement. REally shows Phil care about Xbox and the gamers.

Of course, it’s up to game developers to support this feature...

But knowing how people react he will catch a lot of hate/blame for that statement. It's the same reason he got it for the PC announcement stuff right? People will always hate.

It up to the game developers to support and/or use UWP, but they have spinned it as if MS want to control them. Same here. I can hear people call MS shit because they did this, but it has to be done they way they want it...even if no one else would have done it if they hadn't.


Any word from Sony on this?

Probably they will blame MS for something and say they have something better in the works. So maybe they'll blame them for telling the way they should support this so it could happen. So Sony will react saying MS is keeping them down and trying to control gaming for the worse. /s
 
I see people mentioning SFV. How can they cross play with a Xbone version that doesn't exist ? Will Microsoft help funding the future Xbone version ?
 
Microsoft is the one benefiting more. Less consoles sold with less online base means allowing this will increase the number of players.

All in all, everyone will benefit from this. I want to see a commercial showcasing this Unity.

I think Phil Spencer or Andrew House showing up on one or the other's stage for the press briefings at E3 could be easily one of the greatest moments ever in gaming history simply from the fanboy salt that would flow out of the internet.
 
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