10-16-2018, 04:11 AM
Report: Blizzard considering bringing cross-platform play to Diablo 3
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/report-blizzard-considering-bringing-cross-platform-play-to-diablo-3.jpg" width="200" height="200" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p>Starting with the impending Switch debut of <em>Diablo 3</em>, Blizzard Entertainment may be joining the ranks of developers considering cross-platform play.</p>
<p>Although there is no official announcement yet, Blizzard is reportedly in talks with Sony and Microsoft to enable cross-platform play across competing consoles.</p>
<p>“It’s a question of when, not if,” a Blizzard Entertainment representative told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/diablo-3-cross-platform-2018-10?r=US&IR=T">Business Insider Australia</a> during a gameplay demo of <em>Diablo 3</em> earlier this week.</p>
<p>Such a decision would make sense, considering how the <em>Diablo 3 </em>player-base has spread across seven consoles since the game was originally published in 2015. </p>
<p>Cross-platform play has been a feature many publishers and developers are implementing, with Microsoft introducing the ability for Xbox One users to interact with other players across different platforms in<a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/299830/Minecraft_gets_crossplatform_boost_with_Better_Together_update.php"> <em>Minecraft </em>last year</a> with the ‘Better Together’ update.</p>
<p>However, <em>Minecraft </em>players weren’t able to play with PlayStation 4 users. Sony has built up the reputation for being fairly resistant to cross-platform play, most recently after players were <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/319945/Playing_Fortnite_on_PS4_blocks_players_from_logging_in_on_Switch.php">blocked from accessing the Switch</a> version, seemingly because their account had already been associated with the <a href="http://after being blocked from accessing the Switch version of the popular battle royale effort, seemingly because their account had already been associated with the PlayStation 4 version of the game.">PlayStation 4 version of the game.</a> After initially refusing to budge, <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/327349/Sony_finally_agrees_to_PlayStation_4_crossplatform_play.php">Sony has finally agreed</a> to support cross-play between consoles on the PlayStation 4, marking a major shift for the console maker. </p>
<p><strong>Update: </strong>After this Business Insider Australia quote made the rounds today, a Blizzard rep told Gamasutra via email, “While we love the idea of bringing our players together across platforms, we do not have any plans to implement cross-platform gameplay for <em>Diablo </em>at this time.”</p>
</div>
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/report-blizzard-considering-bringing-cross-platform-play-to-diablo-3.jpg" width="200" height="200" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p>Starting with the impending Switch debut of <em>Diablo 3</em>, Blizzard Entertainment may be joining the ranks of developers considering cross-platform play.</p>
<p>Although there is no official announcement yet, Blizzard is reportedly in talks with Sony and Microsoft to enable cross-platform play across competing consoles.</p>
<p>“It’s a question of when, not if,” a Blizzard Entertainment representative told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/diablo-3-cross-platform-2018-10?r=US&IR=T">Business Insider Australia</a> during a gameplay demo of <em>Diablo 3</em> earlier this week.</p>
<p>Such a decision would make sense, considering how the <em>Diablo 3 </em>player-base has spread across seven consoles since the game was originally published in 2015. </p>
<p>Cross-platform play has been a feature many publishers and developers are implementing, with Microsoft introducing the ability for Xbox One users to interact with other players across different platforms in<a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/299830/Minecraft_gets_crossplatform_boost_with_Better_Together_update.php"> <em>Minecraft </em>last year</a> with the ‘Better Together’ update.</p>
<p>However, <em>Minecraft </em>players weren’t able to play with PlayStation 4 users. Sony has built up the reputation for being fairly resistant to cross-platform play, most recently after players were <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/319945/Playing_Fortnite_on_PS4_blocks_players_from_logging_in_on_Switch.php">blocked from accessing the Switch</a> version, seemingly because their account had already been associated with the <a href="http://after being blocked from accessing the Switch version of the popular battle royale effort, seemingly because their account had already been associated with the PlayStation 4 version of the game.">PlayStation 4 version of the game.</a> After initially refusing to budge, <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/327349/Sony_finally_agrees_to_PlayStation_4_crossplatform_play.php">Sony has finally agreed</a> to support cross-play between consoles on the PlayStation 4, marking a major shift for the console maker. </p>
<p><strong>Update: </strong>After this Business Insider Australia quote made the rounds today, a Blizzard rep told Gamasutra via email, “While we love the idea of bringing our players together across platforms, we do not have any plans to implement cross-platform gameplay for <em>Diablo </em>at this time.”</p>
</div>