Nintendo and Microsoft Double-Team Sony in Cross-Play Promotion, Shots Fired

Nintendo and Microsoft are currently taking advantage of Sony’s refusal to allow cross-play with several of the games that are available on all platforms. The two companies just teamed up to promote the cross-play feature of the game “Minecraft” for the Xbox and the Switch. While the clip didn’t specifically mention Sony, the jab was still unmistakable.

As Nintendo Life notes, it was Sony’s decision to keep the PlayStation 4 out of the cross-play ecosystem that other companies are trying to build. This has resulted in many players feeling frustrated over being locked out of a feature that owners of every other platform are able to enjoy.

The games that have been most prominently affected by Sony’s stubbornness are “Minecraft,” “Rocket League” and, most recently, “Fortnite Battle Royale.” In all those games, PS4 players are restricted in one way or another, which doesn’t apply to other platforms.

According to a former Sony developer, this continued defiance by the company is all about money. It basically wants its players to spend only on its platform and not risk other companies benefitting from its sizable player pool.

In any case, this new promotion would appear to hint at a deal signed by Microsoft and Nintendo to specifically highlight the cross-playability of “Minecraft” between the Xbox and the Switch, The Verge reports. The Windows OS seller currently owns the rights to this hugely popular sandbox building game, and this promotion can only be good for its bottom-line.

Players seem to want access to cross-play more and more these days, which expands their choices in terms of whom they can play with or against. For too long, multiplayer has been locked in closed ecosystems, which allowed different platforms to develop unique cultures and identities. By allowing cross-play, it’s basically like isolated countries finally decided to open their borders.