While Sony has had their foot planted firmly in the sand in regards to any and all talk regarding Xbox/Sony crossplay, Microsoft's Phil Spencer has been talking it up like it's just around the corner. Now, the latest quote from Spencer sounds far less optimistic as he discusses how the situation is currently going in regards to Sony:
”We talk to Sony all the time, I have a real struggle making comments about their motivation or timelines (…) I know there is a certain view that says if my friends have this console, they can’t play with people who buy another console. I don’t think everybody is taking that same approach to the ecosystem. So I’m never going to call anything a lost cause but I think some of the fundamental reasons and certain scenarios, they’re not really going away. So I don’t know what would change.”
I, for one, am finally happy to hear Spencer give the realistic response everyone needed to hear as opposed to "Xbox is good to go...let's do it." As you'll read in the quote above, the issue is far more complex than that, and if you think two gaming companies are going to provide an advantage to their competitor after a two-decade rivalry, you're fried.
It's always best to remember in these scenarios these companies are around to make money first, and serve gamers second. If Sony even thinks it's a possibility they may lose a potential PS4 buyer if they allow Xbox One into their internet space, they aren't going to do it. I've said it in several articles prior to this one but one would have to wonder if Microsoft would be extending the same olive branch if the Xbox One was drastically outselling the PS4.
That's not really important to speculate, but what is, however, is that one of gaming's most powerful advocates for cross-platform gaming appears to be throwing in the towel. Is that disappointing to you?
