The two subjects that are on everyone’s lips are Fortnite and cross-play, because nothing brings gamers together like blowing each other apart in a no-holds-barred battle royale. While companies like Microsoft and Nintendo are more than happy to turn Fortnite into an experience anyone can enjoy, regardless of platform, Sony still doesn’t want its customers to play alongside gamers who use competing consoles. And Fortnite’s playerbase, especially its more famous members, isn’t having it.
Last night, Samsung released its Galaxy Note 9 to much fanfare. Sure, it’s a powerful piece of phone, but its main draw is that the recently-released Android version of Fortnite is currently exclusive to Samsung phones, including the brand-spanking new Galaxy Note 9. Of course, this attracted famed Fortnite player and Twitch streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. The man owes much of his success to Fortnite, so of course he wanted to be one of the first to try the Android version. And while Polygon also participated in Samsung’s festivities, it took the time to interview Blevins, who had some choice words regarding cross-play in Fortnite and Sony’s refusal to join in on the mayhem.
“It’s so bad,” stated Blevins. “I mean, like, obviously I love Sony, I love PlayStation. I’ve been playing them my entire life….But, when push comes to shove, it’s a business decision. They’re a reason they’re not allowing players on the PlayStation to play with Xbox. And I mean —it’s just greed.”
Blevins also praised Nintendo for jumping on the cross-play bandwagon. Nintendo Switch owners can play alongside their PC, mobile, and Xbox One compatriots in a metric ton of games, including Rocket League, Minecraft, Paladins, and, of course, Fortnite. Blevins was elated that Nintendo is “definitely coming around finally,” and he believes the company’s support of cross-play functionality is “a huge stepping stone in the Nintendo scene.” Conversely, Blevins claims Sony’s refusal to support cross-play is essentially acting like a “barrier to the future.”
Many gamers agree with Blevins that cross-play is the future of gaming. As he put it, “It’s 2018. Everyone should be able to play with everyone.” And while Nintendo and Microsoft allow just that, Sony has not shown any signs of embracing the latest and greatest in video game trends. Although, with enough pushback from gamers, including gaming celebrities like Blevin, maybe Sony will eventually change its mind.
