Minecraft PS4/Xbox One Crossplay Teased, Then Deleted

[Steven Bogos]

Minecraft PS4/Xbox One Crossplay Teased, Then Deleted

An official Tweet teasing cross play between the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Minecraft has been deleted.

"Minecraft brings everybody together, including competing devices! Realms supports cross-platform play, & there's a free trial," Tweeted the official Minecraft Twitter [https://twitter.com/Minecraft/status/780198616040284161] earlier this week. As you can see in the embed below, the Tweet is accompanied by a rather generic picture of people playing Minecraft on tablets.
[tweet t=https://twitter.com/Minecraft/status/780198616040284161]

However, the original image looked like this:



As you can see, it features an Xbox One and PS4 controller, as well as a PC and a tablet, which suggests that cross-play will be coming to all four platforms. Similarly, the wording of the Tweet ("competing devices!") does suggest that this was initially the intent. This image was quickly deleted and replaced with the one we see now.

So what happened here? The simple explanation is that someone just made a mistake, and that Minecraft cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One is not, and never will be, a thing. The more complicated one is that someone spilled the beans a little too early, and Mojang is waiting to make this announcement in a more official capacity. The devious explanation is that Sony, who has rejected cross-play between Xbox One and PS4 in the past [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/167533-Rocket-Leauge-Cross-Network-Xbox-One-PS4-PC], has deliberately pulled the plug.

Recently, Sony rejected Fallout 4 mods [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/168364-Bethesda-Says-Sony-Wont-Approve-Fallout-4-Skyrim-Mods-on-PS4] on PS4 despite Bethesda's best efforts.

Take it as you will.

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/Minecraft/status/780181158482944000]

Permalink

 

[Wrex Brogan]

If this was going to be a thing it definitely would've been in the camp of Sony rejecting it - along with Rocket League, I remember the Warframe Devs explaining that Sony was the biggest opposition to them trying to do cross-platform compatibility with the XBone, PS4 and PC.

The tech is certainly there (Though another problem for Warframe was that XBone and PS4 have completely different methods and timetables for reviewing and accepting content patches) but the willingness for Sony to play nice... isn't. Ah well.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I don't like to make assumptions...but God fucking damnit Sony! Do you even care anymore? Or ever? That is all.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Lately any goodwill Sony had with me has been going down the drain.

 

[bluegate]

Seeing as there are plenty of PS4 - PC cross platform games, I'm wondering where the hurdle lies exactly.

Does Microsoft have some ridiculous requirement for platforms connecting to their Xbox Live network that Sony doesn't want to abide to?
For example, there could be a policy saying that Microsoft wants all data running over their Xbox Live servers for games that want to cross play with them, to ensure stability or what have you, I could surely see how Sony wouldn't want that happening.

Or is it a matter of Sony not wanting to share their player base? Which seems unlikely, considering what I stated above.

 

[PsiMatrix]

Seeing as there are plenty of PS4 - PC cross platform games, I'm wondering where the hurdle lies exactly.

Does Microsoft have some ridiculous requirement for platforms connecting to their Xbox Live network that Sony doesn't want to abide to?
For example, there could be a policy saying that Microsoft wants all data running over their Xbox Live servers for games that want to cross play with them, to ensure stability or what have you, I could surely see how Sony wouldn't want that happening.

Or is it a matter of Sony not wanting to share their player base? Which seems unlikely, considering what I stated above.

I think it's exactly that.

Let's not forget that when Xbone launched it was 'you will comply' and universally being rejected on day one of reveal and recently with Windows 10 and the UWP being incredibly proprietary; why does everyone think MS has changed?

We don't know what they expect being connected to XBLive to allow crossplay and Sony has allowed Steam on PS3 and crossplay between PC and PS4 so I place the blame firmly at MS's feet unlike here where there seems to be a clear bias of 'oh look, it's Sony being dicks again'.

 

[FoolKiller]

I for one am glad.

This is simply MS trying to horn in on the lead that Sony has. I guarantee that it would be MS blocking it if the sales figures were reversed.

If I have more friends playing on PS4, then I'm more likely to get a PS4. If you say I can get a Xone and still play Minecraft or COD or whatever with friends on PS then that takes away the advantage Sony has earned.

 

[truckspond]

Looks like my Android phone spectum is narrowing.

First, Samsung sent lawyers after people reporting about the Explodiing-note7-gate

Now, Sony slams the door on mods and cross-play.

 

[viranimus]

LOL, Why do I get the feeling this was MS trolling sony informing them that their minecraft will die "Forever alone"