You Can't Play CoD: IW's Windows 10 Version With Other PC Versions

[Steven Bogos]

You Can't Play CoD: IW's Windows 10 Version With Other PC Versions

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The Windows 10 version of Infinite Warfare apparently doesn't have crossplay with other PC versions of the game (like Steam).

Uh oh! Just ahead of Windows store [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/call%20of%20duty%20infinite%20warfare?os=call+of+duty+infinite+warfare] version of the game does not feature crossplay with "other PC platforms." That means if you buy the game on the Windows store, and your buddy buys it on Steam, you won't be able to play together.

From Activision's official F.A.Q [https://support.activision.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/Call-of-Duty-Infinite-Warfare-and-Call-of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-Remastered-for-Windows-10-on-Windows-Store]:

Can I play Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered for Windows 10 on Windows Store with my friends that are playing on another PC platform?

No, you can only play these titles with other users of Windows 10 on Windows Store.

That's... a rather big deal. Given that Steam is the dominant platform on PC, it means that those poor souls who buy the game on the Windows Store will be trapped with a fairly miniscule playerbase.

So maybe don't buy the game on the Windows Store right now. We've followed up with Activision to see exactly why this is the case, and if there are any plans to reverse the policy.

Source: Activision [https://support.activision.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/Call-of-Duty-Infinite-Warfare-and-Call-of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-Remastered-for-Windows-10-on-Windows-Store]


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[The Rogue Wolf]

We've followed up with Activision to see exactly why this is the case....

My bet: Microsoft dropped some pallets full of cash on them in a desperate attempt to get more people to use their horrid Store.

 

[Jadak]

Maybe rename the title to just say Windows Store , it's rather confusing when you keep referring to the "Windows 10 version", when if you are on Windows 10 and install via Steam, that's also a Windows 10 version.

 

[Steven Bogos]

We've followed up with Activision to see exactly why this is the case....

My bet: Microsoft dropped some pallets full of cash on them in a desperate attempt to get more people to use their horrid Store.

That doesn't make any sense at all though. If they wanted people to use their store, they would open up the platform so that other people can play with Windows 10 players. This sounds like either an Activision descision or a technical limitation

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

We've followed up with Activision to see exactly why this is the case....

My bet: Microsoft dropped some pallets full of cash on them in a desperate attempt to get more people to use their horrid Store.

That doesn't make any sense at all though. If they wanted people to use their store, they would open up the platform so that other people can play with Windows 10 players. This sounds like either an Activision descision or a technical limitation

That's the thing though. They're probably trying to cordon off their version of the game to say "well if you want to play with your mates, you better buy our version!", not realizing that it'll have the exact opposite effect.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

We've followed up with Activision to see exactly why this is the case....

My bet: Microsoft dropped some pallets full of cash on them in a desperate attempt to get more people to use their horrid Store.

That doesn't make any sense at all though. If they wanted people to use their store, they would open up the platform so that other people can play with Windows 10 players. This sounds like either an Activision descision or a technical limitation

You're assuming that Microsoft is being a rational actor. With all the crap they've been pulling lately, I contend that this is a questionable assumption.

 

[Jadak]

That's the thing though. They're probably trying to cordon off their version of the game to say "well if you want to play with your mates, you better buy our version!", not realizing that it'll have the exact opposite effect.

I don't know, that's the shit you pull when you're in a position of power. It's not going to work if you don't already have a lead, If people are forced into grouping up on or the other, they're going to all got Steam.

I get the urge to just dismiss it as Microsoft being stupid, but I'm doubting that's it.

 

[Saelune]

Can they play with Xbox users? Cause I could get it if its that. If its just them alone though, thats messed up.

 

[moose7]

It might be Like a Valve anti Cheat (VAC) thing. Like the Steam version uses VAC and the Windows 10 version using something else so they cant work together. Or something else dumb like that.

 

[distortedreality]

It might be Like a Valve anti Cheat (VAC) thing. Like the Steam version uses VAC and the Windows 10 version using something else so they cant work together. Or something else dumb like that.

Doubt it, CoD hasn't used it in the past afaik.

I'm sure it's more a UWP issue, which would mean that cross platform play between Windows Store copies and XB1 should be possible. That's the only reason I can think of that would justify buying the game from the Windows Store.

I wonder if Steam is required for all boxed copies of the game?? Could be very interesting if not...

 

[ToastyMozart]

Can they play with Xbox users? Cause I could get it if its that. If its just them alone though, thats messed up.

No way in hell. They already learned their lesson about PC/Console cross-platform FPS back during the early internal testing of Titanfall 1 (their lowest-performing M+KB testers massacred even the best of their XBOX test team). They have way too much invested in the Xbox ecosystem to throw their users to the wolves like that.

My guess is it's either something on Activision's end, some weird idiosyncrasy with the Windows Store and/or the UDP platform, or they foolishly think "people will get the Windows Store version to play with their friends who already bought that version;" not realizing that nobody is going to buy the Windows Store version.

 

[Saelune]

Can they play with Xbox users? Cause I could get it if its that. If its just them alone though, thats messed up.

No way in hell. They already learned their lesson about PC/Console cross-platform FPS back during the early internal testing of Titanfall 1 (their lowest-performing M+KB testers massacred even the best of their XBOX test team). They have way too much invested in the Xbox ecosystem to throw their users to the wolves like that.

My guess is it's either something on Activision's end, some weird idiosyncrasy with the Windows Store and/or the UDP platform, or they foolishly think "people will get the Windows Store version to play with their friends who already bought that version;" not realizing that nobody is going to buy the Windows Store version.

They didnt learn shit, because they didnt actually try it. They should spend time actually making actual cross-play games and figure it out from there.

I spent all yesterday arguing this in the Titanfall 2 controller support topic, so I dont really want to redo it here, but its alot of theoretical bullshit that until its put into actual practice, and proven openly, then it wont be an acceptable answer.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.944040-Titanfall-2s-PC-Multiplayer-has-controller-aim-assist

 

[ToastyMozart]

snip

They didnt learn shit, because they didnt actually try it. They should spend time actually making actual cross-play games and figure it out from there.

I spent all yesterday arguing this in the Titanfall 2 controller support topic, so I dont really want to redo it here, but its alot of theoretical bullshit that until its put into actual practice, and proven openly, then it wont be an acceptable answer.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.944040-Titanfall-2s-PC-Multiplayer-has-controller-aim-assist

I misremembered it being titanfall vs just general shooter testing, but they did try it out: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ms-killed-pc-xbox-cross-platform-play

But I suppose the gap can be closed a fair bit if you make the auto-aim aggressive enough.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Hang on, people actually buy games from the Windows Store? I tell you, if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I would not be more surprised than I am now.

 

[gigastar]

We've followed up with Activision to see exactly why this is the case....

My bet: Microsoft dropped some pallets full of cash on them in a desperate attempt to get more people to use their horrid Store.

That doesn't make any sense at all though. If they wanted people to use their store, they would open up the platform so that other people can play with Windows 10 players. This sounds like either an Activision descision or a technical limitation

Activision, more than any other publisher, decides by predicted returns so putting CoD on UWP in a way where it would dilute the general PC playerbase and harm the games longevity and almost certainly sell less copies is not a decision they would make unless MS agreed to subsidise them.

As for the suggestion that Steam/UWP crossplay couldnt be realised before launch? Possible, but then given that MS wants to break Steams monopoly on its own platform a crossplay feature doesnt seem likely.

 

[ToastyMozart]

Hang on, people actually buy games from the Windows Store? I tell you, if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I would not be more surprised than I am now.

It's where Microsoft is putting the PC versions of all their new would-be-XBOX-exclusives. And while I don't foresee anyone putting "better than literally nothing" as a highlight on a GoW4 box, that's basically the long and short of it.

And yes, the people buying games on the Windows Store have been having some technical issues, though at least not as badly as they did with GFWL.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Basically, it's one more reason not to buy on Windows Store. This is hilarious.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

That's the thing though. They're probably trying to cordon off their version of the game to say "well if you want to play with your mates, you better buy our version!", not realizing that it'll have the exact opposite effect.

I don't know, that's the shit you pull when you're in a position of power. It's not going to work if you don't already have a lead, If people are forced into grouping up on or the other, they're going to all got Steam.

I get the urge to just dismiss it as Microsoft being stupid, but I'm doubting that's it.

That's exactly the point. This wouldn't be the first time that tried to artificially cordon off the market under the logic of "it's not like people will just go to a competitor if they don't like it". It's not even the first time for the Windows 10 Store alone.

You're right not to immediately assume this is the case, but I wouldn't be surprised if some executive actually thought this was a cunning marketing move.

 

[fix-the-spade]

My bet: Microsoft dropped some pallets full of cash on them in a desperate attempt to get more people to use their horrid Store.

It wouldn't surprise me if the reason is actually Valve. Call of Duty PC versions have used Steamworks for some time now, if the Win 10 Store version doesn't (which it probably won't) then Steamworks might simply register it as a illigitimate version and block it from the multiplayer servers.

Either way, with the absurd hoops Microsoft make players jump through to actually buy and then play a game off the Windows store and correspondingly dire sales of Gears 4 on PC, I don't expect this to be a huge issue for anyone but the persistent and stupid.

 

[Zulnam]

Whoever's at fault, it's a sad day to see PC players divided like this. Hopefully this will die out soon and not become the norm, but hey, that's what I hoped about microtransactions as well.

And look at us now.