Well, this sucks. After months of noncommittally mumbling about the possibility, Sony has finally strapped on a pair and shot down Microsoft’s invitation to a cross-platform play utopia.
During Sony Corporation’s Investor Day (I know you have it marked on your calendar), Sony Interactive Entertainment President Andrew House was asked if the company sees Microsoft’s dream of console unification as a threat.
Typically, it takes a bit of digging to work out what House is actually trying to say. In short, he explained that Sony’s strategy isn’t changing, and he isn’t sure if there even is a consumer demand for cross-play between the two rival consoles.
Here’s what House had to say in full:
I always hesitate to be drawn into discussions on someone else’s strategy. I’m more than happy to talk about our own strategy… Yeah, there was a big emphasis from the folks at Microsoft on Xbox and PC cross-play. It remains to be seen on whether there is latent large consumer demand for that. But we don’t see it as really effecting or prompting any changes in our thought process and strategy. We have always tended to believe that a proprietary ecosystem offering a very well crafted unified client experience is the way to go, and that sort of remains our strategy.
Microsoft originally floated the idea back in March, when it publicly invited the likes of Nintendo and Sony to join them in a brave new world of console cross play.
Sony seemed lukewarm to the idea at best, but at least now it seems we can all put the idea do bed. Sony aren’t keen – it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon – Still, you can’t fault Microsoft for trying to mend old fences and team up with former enemies.
In fact, back before the original Xbox was a reality, Microsoft approached Sony and Nintendo to make a console together. They both turned Microsoft down then, too.
I don’t know how many more times I can watch poor old Microsoft put itself out there, only to be rejected.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.