Many involved in the gaming industry and fans of Fortnite would keenly watch the below, hoping for a direct response from Reggie, when questioned on the Sony / Nintendo Fortnite problem. Sadly, Reggie dodged all questions thrown at him in an evasive but pleasant manner. It would have been nice to see some kind of substantial answer from Reggie as it appears he has not even reached out to Sony for comment on the issue. Doing so would likely be futile as a long list of reporters and other games industry executives have tried to get an answer from Sony regarding crossplay, only to receive silence in return.
In the interview however, it is refreshing to see a serious discussion on the medium of videogames without a cooked negative agenda seeping through the interviewer’s voice. In a more open minded debate from a reporter those in the YouTube comments section appear grateful for, a valid related topic is brought up. In this day and age, the way we consume media is becoming less and less physical. As streaming tech continues to soldier on, Netflix leading the charge, seemingly followed closely by videogames, Sony will have to accept this latest blunder as a harbinger of things to come. The trend of streaming and using singular accounts on several different platforms shows no sign of slowing and it’s only a matter of time before the next Fortnite comes along, only for the heights of that game’s success to mirror an anti-consumer stance coming out of Sony’s PlayStation arm. An arm within the massive media company that currently provides it with the most profit.
The last time a debate about Sony’s attitude to crossplay fired up, it was all about Rocket League. Not as many of us heard about it as Rocket League did not soar to the lofty heights of Fortnite’s success. Regardless, the discussion about crossplay was a hot topic among developers and gaming bosses alike. Head of Microsoft Xbox, Phil Spencer has stated that despite his attempts to achieve otherwise, “Crossplay with PlayStation is basically a lost cause,” and Jeremy Dunham of Rocket League’s Psyonix has displayed an openness to crossplay stating “I think without cross-network play, you’re almost holding back games advancement.” It’s a strong claim given the media consumption trends of today.
Ultimately, Sony’s stance on crossplay remains baffling no matter who you are. The most renowned games journalists in the world, heads of Microsoft and Nintendo like Reggie and Phil, top influential YouTubers; this remains the mystery of this gaming generation. The self-harm Sony are doing to themselves remains to be seen but there seems to be little room for confusion on the fact that they are beginning to hemorrhage players through a newfound lack of good will. PlayStation are absolutely the winners of this gaming generation, but if their stubborness to monopolise their player base greedily continues over the next year, they will put themselves on the back foot at the start of the next generation.
