Fortnite: Former Sony Exec Reveals Real Reason Crossplay Isn't Allowed

The back and forth between Sony and literally every other platform regarding cross-platform play [...]

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The back and forth between Sony and literally every other platform regarding cross-platform play has been exhausting for those following, more so for those hoping. Nintendo and Xbox both have called out the powerhouse recently when the Nintendo Switch version of Fortnite was announced and Sony still refusing to budge, despite the other platforms all working in harmony. Sony themselves even responded, saying it's just not a priority, and now a former exec at the company has a few words to say.

John Smedley, the former President of Sony Online Entertainment, took to social media to "spill the tea" about their decision. Since businesses primary concern is making money, it's no surprise that this motivation is the key factor in their reservation. ""When I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money." He continued, "They didn't like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a PlayStation. Simple as that. Dumb reason, but there it is."

He did offer hope though. Many developers and publishers alike are starting to apply pressure to the company, and Sony is definitely feeling it. Not only that, but the community has been very vocal about their desire for more accessibility, to which Smedley mentioned, "If we keep the pressure up, this problem goes away."

Sony is the only company that continues to push back against the accessibility of platforms, though many were hoping that would change with the Switch announcement. Instead, the company is remaining firm on their more exclusive status. Earlier this week, the Nintendo of America President himself, Reggie Fils-Aime, is weighing in.

Reggie did preface his statement to IGN saying that Sony's decisions are theirs to make, and that they will respect how they choose to please their players. That being said, Nintendo wants to remain vigilant in their play experience and have renewed their commitment to player accessibility.

He told the site, "We embrace working with a developer and enabling them to bring their vision to life," Fils-Aime mentioned. "And whether that's Fortnite, whether that's a number of the other games that have cross-platform play on our console, from a developer standpoint that's what we want. And we work hard with them to bring that to life.

"What competitors do is their decision to make. We believe being both developer-forward and fan-forward is in the best interest of the game."

With the talk of crossplay becoming more and more difficult to ignore, it will be interesting to see how their philosophy evolves over the coming months. What do you think about Sony's stance? Is it time for them to open up their doors a little bit? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below!

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