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Xbox and Playstation Cross-play May Be on the Way

Back at E3, Microsoft and Nintendo announced a deal that would allow Minecraft fans to experience cross-platform play between the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. At the time, Sony didn’t seem to be interested in joining with its rivals. But according to Microsoft, the company hasn’t given up on that dream.

While speaking with Game Reactor at Gamesom, Xbox head of marketing, Aaron Greenberg, revealed that negotiations with Sony are ongoing: “We’re talking to Sony [about cross-play], we do partner with them on Minecraft and of course we would like to enable them to be part of that; one community, to unite gamers. So we’re talking to them and we’re hopeful that they’ll be supportive of it.”

As alluded to by Greenberg, Minecraft is a game that already features some cooperation between the two sides. Microsoft owns the game itself, and Sony publishes Minecraft for the Playstation consoles. If there was ever going to be true cross-play between the three major gaming companies, Minecraft would be an ideal place to start.

So why hasn’t it happened already? As recounted by Gamespot, Microsoft and Sony have had some occasionally testy exchanges about the prospect of cross-play. It’s something that Microsoft obviously wants to do, but it’s not immediately clear why Sony has proven to be resistant to the idea. It probably didn’t help that one of Sony’s executives suggested that Xbox Live’s network wasn’t as safe for children as the Playstation network. Microsoft’s Phil Spencer strongly and publicly pushed back at that implication. It’s entirely possible that the two sides will eventually come to a cross-play agreement. But we’re not holding our collective breath!

Do you want to see cross-platform play become a reality on all three gaming consoles? Share your thoughts below!

Images: Microsoft Studios/Telltale Games

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