Sony has long blocked the activation of cross-play options for PlayStation game consoles. What turned around was money. This is revealed by other documents that leaked in the context of the legal dispute between Epic and Apple.
The information confirms what could already be read in 2018: Little credible explanations for the refusal of Cross play and rumors that the feature is primarily a question of compensating for possible loss of profit have now been confirmed. It was no coincidence that the first step was taken with Fortnite.
Epic lures and exerts pressure
In an email to Sony in 2018, Epic made it clear that cross play could only be a matter of time and that a faster introduction would promise more advantages for both companies. “I can't think of a scenario where Epic doesn't get what we want – the window closed when Fortnite became the biggest PlayStation game,” wrote Joe Kreiner, Epic's vice president of business development.
The request was garnished with an extensive offer: Sony could receive all the desired data, Sony's eSport API would be deeply incorporated into the Unreal engine and marketed as a primary engine feature, the engine license extended at advantageous conditions. Sony is also allowed to determine the parameters of the announcement, with Epic making every effort to present Sony as a “hero”. Marketing events as part of E3 as well as exclusive items for the platform and PS Plus and possibly a VR game for the start of the second PS VR generation will also be thrown into the pot.
Only hard currency is convincing
Sony was not convinced of this. The size of a game does not matter for cross play, the company announced. “Not a single company can explain how cross-console play is boosting the PlayStation business,” replied Gio Corsi, then Senior Director of Developer Relations, according to Eurogamer. The stance seems plausible, because a precedent opens the door to other developers, a Fortnite exception would seem impossible to enforce – and the bigger consequences of a full cross-play opening outweighed.
It wasn't until much later that Sony changed course. Public pressure was only part of the reason, the documents reveal: Under certain circumstances, operators of cross-play titles have to compensate Sony for lost sales if cross-platform sales and playing times differ by more than 15 percent. If Fortnite is played primarily on the PlayStation in a month, while items are purchased on other platforms, Epic will have to pay for the lost sales. According to The Verge, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed in court that this rule will continue to apply.
Cross-play with Sony's player base is, in contrast to other platforms, a question of price. From an economic point of view, this basically makes sense, as the group has the largest installation base in the console sector and thus maintains its advantage.