• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Sony insists it really likes crossplay now, PlayStation CEO says the number of titles supporting it will continue to grow

In the increasingly common trend of adding crossplay to every multiplayer game under the sun, Sony has been the one major company to drag its feet on supporting the popular feature. This was seized upon most notably by Microsoft, who now enjoys telling everyone how much it loves crossplay and wishes Sony loved it as much as it does.

Thanks to recent court filings, Sony's reasons for the apprehension have become clearer. Documents released as part of the ongoing Epic vs Apple legal saga showed that Sony's crossplay compliance came with a special royalty that game publishers have to pay up. Basically, Sony wants to ensure that PlayStation players aren't running off to spend their money on other platforms while still relying on Sony's servers/infrastructure to actually play the game.

That demand for a revenue cut is potentially why, last month, Borderlands 3 announced it would now support crossplay—except on Playstation. This was a pretty public calling out of Sony, and the situation there remains murky.

Despite the abnormal royalty policy, Playstation CEO Jim Ryan recently told Axios that he wants PlayStation to support crossplay in more games going forward. "We support and encourage cross-play," Ryan said, citing various titles that currently support the feature and others, such as Destiny 2, which will soon introduce it. "That number will continue to grow" he added.

Ryan was asked about last month's snub from Gearbox and said he didn't want to discuss a "live business issue with a long-standing partner," but added that "our policies are consistent across all of the publishers."


 
Last edited:

jhjfss

Member
"as long as publishers pay us"

couldn't care less about cross-play either way
Season 16 Omg GIF by America's Got Talent
 

splattered

Member
"as long as publishers pay us"

couldn't care less about cross-play either way

Well i guess it's a good thing that Playstation exists just to meet YOUR needs and not the other 150 million whatever users that pay for their games and services. Sheesh, just imagine them wasting time and money on something that YOU don't want just to make 149,999,999 other paying customers happy.

*Sorry that wasn't meant to be just a direct jab at you, it just frustrates me when people say stuff like "But i don't like it so who cares" when clearly there is a demand for it outside of their own personal desires.
 
Last edited:

kretos

Banned
Well i guess it's a good thing that Playstation exists just to meet YOUR needs and not the other 150 million whatever users that pay for their games and services. Sheesh, just imagine them wasting time and money on something that YOU don't want just to make 149,999,999 other paying customers happy.

*Sorry that wasn't meant to be just a direct jab at you, it just frustrates me when people say stuff like "But i don't like it so who cares" when clearly there is a demand for it outside of their own personal desires.

well the 150 million or most of them certainly didn't give a shit about crossplay or there would've been more uproar when Sony was against it
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
Yuck, a bit of a market leader position abuse there… Apple, Epic, MS, Sony, etc… are just inviting politicians in.

Will wait for a poll in a few days checking if people are still buying PS5/intend to buy it/or changed their mind and jumped ship to GamePass. Normally they come like clockwork after one such thread comes out and has a few days to inflame the forums… 🤔.
 

Rolla

Banned
Sony like cross play "Now" because publishers have to cut them in on players who use their platform, but purchase items on others. Basically, they didn't like it until they monetised it.

I can't be mad at them. The Fortnite stats made public via the Apple VS Epic lawsuit show they're responsible for the lions share of cross play.

Sony be like

giphy.gif
 
Last edited:
Nothing changed. They still want to get paid for Crossplay. Greedy cunts.
And how does that affect you in any way?

I know, right? Don't they realize the gaming industry is a charity? They're attempting to profit off of their business. Disgusting.
Yep everyone should just get freebies and handouts. Running a profitable business is old school and outdated.
 
Last edited:
it makes it harder for indy titles to support the feature, and those need it the most.
meaning it directly impacts the possible player base of smaller titles negatively.
I'm not going to comment on this as I'm not familiar with how these companies conduct their business. All I know is that sooner rather than later the number of cross play games will increase allowing me to play with peeps on other platforms. That was the main concern for many on this forum for the longest time.
Seems like now the concern has moved away from that main sticking point to worrying about Sony's pockets.

Gaming is a business to them. To us it's a pass time, a hobby. If their business stances get in the way of my enjoyment of a game(s), then they will receive flak. Especially if the their competition is very consumer friendly to cross-play.
and gaming is a charity to the rest?
 
Last edited:

mckmas8808

Banned
Gaming is a business to them. To us it's a pass time, a hobby. If their business stances get in the way of my enjoyment of a game(s), then they will receive flak. Especially if the their competition is very consumer friendly to cross-play.

But you're buying into the business of video games. And it's as much a business to Microsoft as it is for Sony. You maybe too young to know this, but there was a time when MS didn't want to do cross-play back in the Xbox 360 days when Xbox Live was hitting an all-time high.
 

Spidey Fan

Banned
Yuck, a bit of a market leader position abuse there… Apple, Epic, MS, Sony, etc… are just inviting politicians in.

Will wait for a poll in a few days checking if people are still buying PS5/intend to buy it/or changed their mind and jumped ship to GamePass. Normally they come like clockwork after one such thread comes out and has a few days to inflame the forums… 🤔.
Its how companies with power act. there isnt any saints. Sony has been shit since they entered the market with ps1. Microsoft has been shit with their business and ruthlessly eliminating their opposition. They had to support apple from closing down, just so they cant be targeted as a monopoly.

I am glad i am enjoying their games, and not bootlicking their business. I like gamepass, but Microsoft can eat a turd, not that i care of. I like god of war, and Spiderman, and i dont give a 2 cent about Sony either. If those games disappear, i will just get a new medium. I cant play a new matrix game, splinter cell and Metal gear solid. These games were my favorite. And right now i found a new games to enjoy (god of war, and Spiderman), and i had to let go of those games. It sucks that i cant play those games, but that is how the world works. I am not gonna be sad, if gamepass closses, or Sony stopped doing god of war and Spiderman.
 

Lokaum D+

Member
I m mad at Sony, this is BS like their BC, its almost a year since ps5 launch and 90% of PS4 first party games are locked at 30fps, cant be that hard to unlock framerate on first party games .
 
But you're buying into the business of video games. And it's as much a business to Microsoft as it is for Sony. You maybe too young to know this, but there was a time when MS didn't want to do cross-play back in the Xbox 360 days when Xbox Live was hitting an all-time high.
Exactly, companies shift their stances on certain things when customers push back. Now Microsoft supports cross-play natively with all of their first-party games.
 

Topher

Gold Member
it makes it harder for indy titles to support the feature, and those need it the most.
meaning it directly impacts the possible player base of smaller titles negatively.

No, not necessarily. It isn't as if Sony is charging specifically for the ability to enable cross play. This only ever applies in a situation where the game is played primarily on PSN while revenue from the game is generated above a certain threshold on other services.

If everyone who buys items in-game or whatever on PSN and plays on PSN then the developer pays Sony absolutely nothing.
 
Last edited:
But you're buying into the business of video games. And it's as much a business to Microsoft as it is for Sony. You maybe too young to know this, but there was a time when MS didn't want to do cross-play back in the Xbox 360 days when Xbox Live was hitting an all-time high.
Yup. That's the sole reason Final Fantasy XIV never came to Xbox. When it was released Sony was okay with cross-play, but Xbox was not. At that moment, Xbox was ahead of PS3 in sales, and that's why Microsoft was against cross-play.

Now the tables are turned, so of course, they are on opposite sides of this. Cross-play benefits the whoever has the smallest install base and hurts the industry leader.
 
I thought the Epic paying Sony thing was in specific instances where it would lose Sony money and not in effect all the time? My memory is shit and I am too lazy to look for the old thread.
There's an article going around (can't find it now) that specifically states Sony is protecting PSN revenue with implementing cross-play and that Sony gets royalties if too many PS players spend their money elsewhere.

Seems a pretty solid decision to protect their assets. Again, all this is is business. Not a charity.

Sony charges for crossplay support to protect PSN revenue, documents show
 
Last edited:

GhostOfTsu

Banned
Will wait for a poll in a few days checking if people are still buying PS5/intend to buy it/or changed their mind and jumped ship to GamePass. Normally they come like clockwork after one such thread comes out and has a few days to inflame the forums… 🤔.
The usual suspects already tried to derail the 22.6 millions/year PS5 thread with their usual cross-gen shitposting (one of them is already here). That Beige poster will probably make a poll soon too lol. So much desperation.

They should be celebrating, there is a new trailer for Farm Simulator 2022. They love simulators now!
 

ZehDon

Member
Until Sony drops their reimbursement requirements that they force onto Developers and Publishers, I don't believe a word of Sony liking cross-play. It's a scummy practice and they should be rightfully shamed for it.
 

Trogdor1123

Member
I used to not care about this till my kids started to play on PC, switch, and PS4 while I'm on ps5.

It is just such an awesome thing to get to do cross play. I'm converted.

As for Sony wanting money, I'm of two minds, mostly due to ignorance. How do servers and networks work for cross play? If it costs the market leader more to have cross play because more "foreign" systems are tapping into their servers then I could see an argument for it. That being said, how much does that actually cost? Do they actually host more than they normally would? Does the added value increase their revenue as a result? I don't know any of this but would like to before deciding one way or another.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
What about the kids though?

Glad they’re on board, but the palms being greased is pure filth.

They stopped thinking "about the kids" the second they could tap Dec's dry for adding cross play.

Really weird though. Games like smite can't get cross play "for some reason" but other games can.
 

Krappadizzle

Gold Member
Good. Glad they saw sense and not listen to the insane drivel of the fanboys saying it's not needed or wanted.

It's the right move and I look forward to everything supporting it. No downsides to crossplay.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
I thought the Epic paying Sony thing was in specific instances where it would lose Sony money and not in effect all the time? My memory is shit and I am too lazy to look for the old thread.

You're right. It's only in certain instances.
Yup. That's the sole reason Final Fantasy XIV never came to Xbox. When it was released Sony was okay with cross-play, but Xbox was not. At that moment, Xbox was ahead of PS3 in sales, and that's why Microsoft was against cross-play.

Now the tables are turned, so of course, they are on opposite sides of this. Cross-play benefits the whoever has the smallest install base and hurts the industry leader.

EXACTLY! Yet most people here and people that do podcast don't seem to know this or care about this fact.
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
There's an article going around (can't find it now) that specifically states Sony is protecting PSN revenue with implementing cross-play and that Sony gets royalties if too many PS players spend their money elsewhere.

Seems a pretty solid decision to protect their assets. Again, all this is is business. Not a charity.

Sony charges for crossplay support to protect PSN revenue, documents show
Darn, in the thread Bingo I forgot to claim the “misrepresent or find a quote misrepresenting” the situation for greater pearl clutching that kind of backfire the thread… point taken sir, point take ;).
 
Last edited:

ptuck874

Member
didn't sony want cross play back when the 360 came out and everybody was online playing on it? i don't see what the big deal is about cross play anyway since i was playing warhawk and mag and resistance to even care about the xbox lol
 
Its how companies with power act. there isnt any saints. Sony has been shit since they entered the market with ps1. Microsoft has been shit with their business and ruthlessly eliminating their opposition. They had to support apple from closing down, just so they cant be targeted as a monopoly.

I am glad i am enjoying their games, and not bootlicking their business. I like gamepass, but Microsoft can eat a turd, not that i care of. I like god of war, and Spiderman, and i dont give a 2 cent about Sony either. If those games disappear, i will just get a new medium. I cant play a new matrix game, splinter cell and Metal gear solid. These games were my favorite. And right now i found a new games to enjoy (god of war, and Spiderman), and i had to let go of those games. It sucks that i cant play those games, but that is how the world works. I am not gonna be sad, if gamepass closses, or Sony stopped doing god of war and Spiderman.
Christ, I can't make any sense of this post.
 
Last edited:

odhiex

Member
Cross Play is a good news for everybody, hopefully more cross save too.

Now the tricky part is to implement cross buy (cross virtual purchases), because it generates money 🤑
 
Top Bottom