Next gen is killing multiplayer.

[zerocool84]

This is a group of five people that otherwise would have bought the game if there was cross platform play. I'm sure there are countless other people in the same position. Impossible to quantify, but its not going to be insignificant. A loss of potentially millions of sales all because two companies are more concerned with dividing people than uniting them. These games won't be able to justify these major budgets a large segment of their potential audience won't buy them cause they can't play together.

This isn't the typical console cycle problem - last gen was the first legitimate online generation, and with the xbox coming out first and XBL being superior for so long, the 360 was the defacto multiplayer console for so long. Now you've got hundreds of millions of last gen consoles still out there, lots of "xbox people" switching to the PS4 and quite a few people dumping consoles altogether and buying gaming PCs to hook up to their TV.

There hasnt been a fully successful MP game since the next gen consoles hit. Ghosts was the worst selling COD in years. BF4 was a disaster in so many ways. Titanfall made a splash and kinda fizzled out. I don't expect this year or next to be any different. I guess we'll see how destiny does.

Is MP dead? No. But it may be a weak few years in the genre unless third parties push on the consoles to support cross platform play.

Umm that's because Ghosts was a crappy game, has nothing to do with the systems at all.

 

[Lil Frier]

So you think the premise is dumb...and then you go on to agree that the downfall in your online multiplayer activity this generation has been the lack of adoption by your peers of the new consoles? :hmm:

More platforms = increased likelihood your friends aren't playing on the same platform than you. Its that simple. You're assuming your friends are getting the xbox one...are you sure thats a safe assumption? Because in my case, it definitely wasn't.

Except that the quantity of platforms hasn't increased. You're saying "Next gen," is the problem, like something revolutionary about the generation is wrong. You make it seem like the consoles are broken or something, when it's an issue that is brought up by your friends.

The premise that the generation is the problem is dumb. It's your friends who are causing the upheaval in your multiplayer exploits, but you make it sound like the console makers broke online gaming or something.

 

[Lil Frier]

There hasnt been a fully successful MP game since the next gen consoles hit. Ghosts was the worst selling COD in years. BF4 was a disaster in so many ways. Titanfall made a splash and kinda fizzled out. I don't expect this year or next to be any different. I guess we'll see how destiny does.

Is MP dead? No. But it may be a weak few years in the genre unless third parties push on the consoles to support cross platform play.

I still think that you're pinning things on the wrong scenarios. You're talking about the fall of multiplayer as if the generation is the problem, but it's the game quality. Advanced Warfare is almost a gimmie, in terms of improving on Ghosts, potentially the worst game in the franchise since CoD 3. Battlefield 4 was rushed and released as an unplayable disaster. The other shooters were exclusives. Killzone was mediocre, but it was also stuck solely on a freshly-launched console, meaning the sales potential was nothing. Titanfall waited a while, but it also backed the trailing console (from a sales standpoint) by excluding the PS4, and basically cut out almost half of the previous generation's install base by ignoring the PS3.

If games of good quality were launching, you'd have a point, though I don't know what it would be, honestly (a decrease in multiplayer interest?). Instead, you're arguing, I guess, that multiplayer interest/quality is being ruined by the generation because of a low install base and the worst Call of Duty in 5 years.

Once the newer consoles are getting exclusive shooters and such, and the install base is a number worth mentioning (25 million combined or so, less than 20% what the current consoles have, combined), there will be something worth observing. Noting that bad games sold poorly during a generational transition doesn't mean a whole lot, IMO.

 

[BD2003]

Except that the quantity of platforms hasn't increased. You're saying "Next gen," is the problem, like something revolutionary about the generation is wrong. You make it seem like the consoles are broken or something, when it's an issue that is brought up by your friends.

The premise that the generation is the problem is dumb. It's your friends who are causing the upheaval in your multiplayer exploits, but you make it sound like the console makers broke online gaming or something.

Until they stop making games for the last gen, the quantity of viable multiplayer platforms has absolutely increased. 2+2=4.

I can't blame my friends for not wanting to casually shell out $400 on a platform that they don't want. Not when it's within the console makers' power to allow us to play together using the platform of our choice.

You guys are being too accepting of the status quo. As long as everyone thinks like this it'll never change.

 

[futurefields]

one problem is XB1 came out weaker than PS4 so a lot of people went Sony this generation

people will flame me for saying that "oh futurefields hating on microsoft again" but we all know its true, tons of former 360 players went Sony this time around

 

[Wingznut]

Ever since last year, multiplayer is effectively dead amongst my circle of friends. Last gen we could all agree on the 360, but some of us have moved on to the PS4, some to the xbox one, and some to the PC.

Even if everyone upgraded, with the viability of PCs on TVs now, you've still got three separate platforms that people can't play across. The fact that both consoles charge for MP now also means I'm much less likely to pick up that second console for occasional games and exclusives.

What would you say the solution is?
Allow all five platforms to play on the same servers? I don't think any console gamers want to compete directly against PC gamers. And, I don't think any PC gamers would want console gamers on their team.
Allow PS3/360 gamers to play on the same servers as PS4/One gamers? I'm sure that's just not feasible.
Allow PS4 and One gamers to play on the same servers? This is the other only option. And, not that I know squat about game development, this seems like it could be feasible. But it's never been that way in the history of consoles.

So, blaming it on "this generation" just doesn't make sense. Yes, it sucks for you, that your circle of gaming friends has divided. But short of mandating "there must only be one multiplayer gaming platform", I'm not sure what you expect.

You guys are being too accepting of the status quo. As long as everyone thinks like this it'll never change.

What exactly does this mean? That we should bitch about such things on forums, without any actual solutions, instead of enjoying the games we do enjoy?

 

[Lil Frier]

Until they stop making games for the last gen, the quantity of viable multiplayer platforms has absolutely increased. 2+2=4.

I can't blame my friends for not wanting to casually shell out $400 on a platform that they don't want. Not when it's within the console makers' power to allow us to play together using the platform of our choice.

You guys are being too accepting of the status quo. As long as everyone thinks like this it'll never change.

Sure, but I know that there has been an adverse affect on game sales first-hand. If I hadn't gotten a One, and I had gotten Titanfall on the 360, my brother-in-law probably would have gotten it. Since I switched platforms and he didn't, he didn't buy anything. When your friends are segmented across platforms and generations, you're less-likely to buy a game you guys would want to play together--because you can't.

So, while the potential for sales has MAYBE increased (hard to say many would buy the same online FPS on multiple platforms, but I'm sure some would), things like friend migration due to exclusives also hurt the online multiplayer scene for those games.

But, like I said, a big part is also that the latest multi-platform shooter installments (Ghosts and BF4) were a combination of garbage and broken.

 

[purbeast0]

i wonder if op and his friends blame ea and microsoft when they can't all decide if they should buy need for speed or forza for their racing needs.

or ea and activision when they can't decide which modern warfare game they should get since they can't decide between bf4 and cod.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Allow PS4 and One gamers to play on the same servers? This is the other only option. And, not that I know squat about game development, this seems like it could be feasible. But it's never been that way in the history of consoles.

Usually yes but I remember ffxi on ps2 and 360 could play with PC.

 

[BD2003]

What would you say the solution is?

Allow all five platforms to play on the same servers? I don't think any console gamers want to compete directly against PC gamers. And, I don't think any PC gamers would want console gamers on their team.

Depends on the game. Coop games would be just fine mixing mouse and controller. Competitive games less so, but it still depends.

Allow PS3/360 gamers to play on the same servers as PS4/One gamers? I'm sure that's just not feasible.

Sure it is. It's no different than PC gamers with different specs playing together.

Allow PS4 and One gamers to play on the same servers? This is the other only option. And, not that I know squat about game development, this seems like it could be feasible. But it's never been that way in the history of consoles.

Sony and MS would have to work together to make it work, but it's absolutely feasible if they both decided it was in their interest to do so.

So, blaming it on "this generation" just doesn't make sense. Yes, it sucks for you, that your circle of gaming friends has divided. But short of mandating "there must only be one multiplayer gaming platform", I'm not sure what you expect.

Ideally the chilling effect on sales caused by the incompatibilities would force EA, Activision and Ubi to put pressure on Sony and MS to work it out.

What exactly does this mean? That we should bitch about such things on forums, without any actual solutions, instead of enjoying the games we do enjoy?

There's no solution right now short of not buying multiplayer games and sending feedback to the pubs and vendors that it's because we can't play with all our friends. But I am taken aback by the dismissiveness of some of the responses, as if suggesting that people should be able to play together regardless of platform is some sort of ridiculous suggestion. It's as if they're so accustomed to this division that they can't even imagine it being any other way.

 

[BD2003]

Usually yes but I remember ffxi on ps2 and 360 could play with PC.

That should settle any debate about whether or not it's technically possible.

 

[BrightCandle]

I can assure you (as a professional developer of more than a decade) that its technically possible. Infact you would to specifically program out the compatibility to restrict them into different segmented markets to stop them playing with each other. Its far more likely they start compatible from a network traffic point of view than being incompatible. Its done on purpose.

 

[gorcorps]

I'm sure there's a lot of technical hurdles, but if a MP game came out that allowed cross play between playstation and xbox it would be huge. Just getting random matchmaking to work across both servers would be huge. It would take an act of god to be able to make a party between xbox and playstation that worked on both services, but step one is to get them both playable on the same servers.

 

[Jetasis]

It's a reasonable request to want to be able to play with friend via multi-platform. Not sure if it's been mentioned in this thread, but how exactly would someone be able to have a friends list that they can join up with if one person is on PS4 and another is on XBONE?? I can see how it wouldn't be a problem to be linked up with a user on another console through match making, but it sounds like the OP is wanting a system where him and his buddies can party up on different consoles and I don't see how that's possible. Unless Sony and microsoft converged an online system where you can add friends from both which seems pretty crazy.

Jet

 

[BD2003]

I'm sure there's a lot of technical hurdles, but if a MP game came out that allowed cross play between playstation and xbox it would be huge. Just getting random matchmaking to work across both servers would be huge. It would take an act of god to be able to make a party between xbox and playstation that worked on both services, but step one is to get them both playable on the same servers.

I doubt the programming would be a big deal. It's just some back end network protocol stuff, something that should be relatively minor for major tech giants like Microsoft and Sony. The real hurdle would be getting them to work together in the first place, and neither is weak enough at the moment to consider such a thing.

Titanfall actually ran on microsoft azure servers for all platforms - including PC. In the same data centers, possibly even the same racks or units. The only thing separating them was that the PC version interfaced with origin, and the 360/Xbox one version interfaced with Xbox live. It wouldn't need an act of god to bring that together - you already have some intermingling as it is...Ubisoft games on console connect to uplay, EA games connect to EA (although I don't think they call it origin on console), rockstar games have that social club etc. There's even plenty of interoperability cross-gen, where you can seamlessly go back and forth with cod ghosts on either current or last gen while maintaining the same stats and characters...as long as you stay with either MS or Sony. But I'm pretty sure all the stats and matchmaking is handled by activision. Linking the matchmaking between gens and platforms is just closing the loop, not some major engineering project.

 

[BD2003]

It's a reasonable request to want to be able to play with friend via multi-platform. Not sure if it's been mentioned in this thread, but how exactly would someone be able to have a friends list that they can join up with if one person is on PS4 and another is on XBONE?? I can see how it wouldn't be a problem to be linked up with a user on another console through match making, but it sounds like the OP is wanting a system where him and his buddies can party up on different consoles and I don't see how that's possible. Unless Sony and microsoft converged an online system where you can add friends from both which seems pretty crazy.

Jet

It shouldn't be that different from the way you can have PC or 360 friends on your XBL friends list, or PS3/Vita owners on your PS4 list. The interaction you can have with them would be somewhat limited - making a mixed console voice chat enabled party would require some work, but simple stuff like game invites and text messaging shouldn't be a problem at all.

Think about it like iMessage and SMS on iPhones - you can have a richer messaging experience with other iPhone users, but you can still seamlessly SMS and MMS to anyone. Pretty sure it's the same deal with google hangouts. And Apple/Google could absolutely bring their solution to the other platform if they wanted to or were allowed to.

 

[Wingznut]

Usually yes but I remember ffxi on ps2 and 360 could play with PC.

Of course, I meant in overwhelming generality... And not that there isn't a single example. But, I'm sure you realize that.

There's no solution right now short of not buying multiplayer games and sending feedback to the pubs and vendors that it's because we can't play with all our friends. But I am taken aback by the dismissiveness of some of the responses, as if suggesting that people should be able to play together regardless of platform is some sort of ridiculous suggestion. It's as if they're so accustomed to this division that they can't even imagine it being any other way.

So, you're saying that even though I am thoroughly enjoying Destiny and Madden on my One, I should forgo that enjoyment, in some sort of protest? Otherwise, I am simply "accepting the status quo", as if that's some sort of sellout?

Nah, not at all. When it comes to gaming, all I care about is the entertainment. And I am getting my money's worth when it comes to those games, and many others in this current generation.

Isn't it possible that your circumstance isn't indicative of every gamer? Of course. So, don't insult us who don't share your same issue.

 

[Jetasis]

It shouldn't be that different from the way you can have PC or 360 friends on your XBL friends list, or PS3/Vita owners on your PS4 list. The interaction you can have with them would be somewhat limited - making a mixed console voice chat enabled party would require some work, but simple stuff like game invites and text messaging shouldn't be a problem at all.

Think about it like iMessage and SMS on iPhones - you can have a richer messaging experience with other iPhone users, but you can still seamlessly SMS and MMS to anyone. Pretty sure it's the same deal with google hangouts. And Apple/Google could absolutely bring their solution to the other platform if they wanted to or were allowed to.

True that's a good point - when you put it that way I guess it doesn't seem so outlandish.

I think people are getting so sensitive on this issue because there's been a hard line drawn in the sand for years when it comes to PS vs XB. I think it's hard to grasp for some that Microsoft and Sony would do something for the betterment of ALL gamers... instead of just gamers on their own platform.

Jet

 

[BD2003]

Of course, I meant in overwhelming generality... And not that there isn't a single example. But, I'm sure you realize that.



So, you're saying that even though I am thoroughly enjoying Destiny and Madden on my One, I should forgo that enjoyment, in some sort of protest? Otherwise, I am simply "accepting the status quo", as if that's some sort of sellout?



Nah, not at all. When it comes to gaming, all I care about is the entertainment. And I am getting my money's worth when it comes to those games, and many others in this current generation.



Isn't it possible that your circumstance isn't indicative of every gamer? Of course. So, don't insult us who don't share your same issue.

You're assuming there's animosity in what I'm saying when there isn't. I'm saying that's what it *would* take to make it happen, not trying to start a protest movement. Surely my situation isn't indicative of everyone's circumstance, but I know I'm not alone. If a critical mass of non-organized individuals made it known that they would have otherwise bought the game, that gives the third parties an incentive to push on the platforms to open up to each other.

As far as what I mean by accepting the status quo - remember the outrage after the Xbox one announcement, over the used games, online only stuff? People went nuts because they felt their rights were being taken away. They were used to the way games were bought and sold, and they didn't want it to change for the worse merely for the benefit of Microsoft. Now imagine that we had always had cross platform play, and suddenly they decided to close it off this generation - people would absolutely lose their minds and the Internet would be aflame! But because platforms have been closed off for so long, we just accept it as "the way things are", and I'm the lunatic for even suggesting it could be otherwise.

 

[nitromullet]

one problem is XB1 came out weaker than PS4 so a lot of people went Sony this generation

people will flame me for saying that "oh futurefields hating on microsoft again" but we all know its true, tons of former 360 players went Sony this time around

I think you hit the nail on the head. I've owned an Xbox, an Xbox 360, and the last Playstation I played on for any amount of time was the PS1; so the Xbox One was pretty much a given for me. ...until E3 2013.

Honestly, the main thing holding me back from buying a PS4 is that lack of an IR receiver. This thing sounds like sort of a pain to integrate into a home entertainment system, whereas the X360 has been super easy with even one of the basic Logitech Harmony remotes.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I don't understand this, so I am just asking:

If the same game is released on XB1 and 360 can two people with each play on the same server?

I mean I get the whole 'you can't mix Playstations and Xbox" as they are different kingdoms, but can you play the same game between generations?

This seems like a no brainer that you can, as its a way to leverage the old 360 base for the XB1. That is what I assumed. But I get the feeling from this thread that you can't.

 

[BD2003]

I don't understand this, so I am just asking:

If the same game is released on XB1 and 360 can two people with each play on the same server?

I mean I get the whole 'you can't mix Playstations and Xbox" as they are different kingdoms, but can you play the same game between generations?

This seems like a no brainer that you can, as its a way to leverage the old 360 base for the XB1. That is what I assumed. But I get the feeling from this thread that you can't.

Nope, not for any game that I'm aware of at least.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Nope, not for any game that I'm aware of at least.

What is the point then of allowing companies to release the same game for 360 and XB1 if they aren't leveraging that huge 360 install base for multiplayer? Why get the new console if I can play a version of the same game with MORE people on the 360?


I know you can't answer all that, but this seems obvious stuff to me.

 

[BD2003]

What is the point then of allowing companies to release the same game for 360 and XB1 if they aren't leveraging that huge 360 install base for multiplayer? Why get the new console if I can play a version of the same game with MORE people on the 360?





I know you can't answer all that, but this seems obvious stuff to me.

If they let people play across gen it slows down adoption. There will come a point when enough people have upgraded to next gen that you'll be forced to get on board as well to continue playing with them.

 

[purbeast0]

just fyi, shadowrun did this exact thing like 7 or so years ago. pc and 360 gamers could play against eachother.