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Sony Faces Growing Fortnite Backlash At E3

Sony faces growing Fortnite protests at E3 Leo Kelion Technology desk editor



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14 June 2018



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Sony Chiefs are under pressure to address complaints regarding "cross-play" limitations imposed on Fortnite.



Gamers have discovered that if they had first played the game on an PlayStation console and then switched to Nintendo Switch, they cannot play the game using the same Fortnite account on the newly released Nintendo Switch edition.



This means they aren't able to make use of clothes and other purchases in-game and rewards that they've earned.



There is no such limitation in the transfer of data between the Xbox One and Switch.



Gamers aren't able to share Fortnite accounts between Microsoft and Sony's platforms.



But the appeal of the Switch is that its portable nature allows owners to play when away from home, so many have bought it to play games on a second machine.



Sony has yet to confirm it is the one responsible for the restriction but it has issued the following statement to the BBC.



"We're always open to hearing what the PlayStation community would like to know about to enhance their gaming experience," it said.



"With... more than 80 million monthly active gamers on PlayStation Network, we've built an enormous community of gamers who play together on Fortnite and other online titles.



"We also provide Fortnite crossplay compatibility with PC and Mac, iOS, Android and iOS devices which gives Fortnite players to play with other gamers on other platforms."



"We have nothing to add to this at this point," a spokeswoman added.



Epic Games, publisher of Fortnite and Microsoft both previously stated that Epic Games had chosen to stop PlayStation gamers from competing with other console owners in Battle Royale's multiplayer fight–to-the-death mode.



Global hit



Sony has been criticized for blocking cross-play in different titles in the past, including Minecraft and Rocket League.



But the scale of Fortnite's success suggests that the backlash is likely to be more damaging this time around.



Epic revealed this week that the title has accumulated an impressive 125 million players across the globe.



Nintendo announced that the game, which is free to play, was downloaded more than two million times within 24 hours of its debut on Tuesday on Switch.



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Concerns over the issue are already in the process of risking to shadow Sony's PR efforts at the E3 video games event in Los Angeles.



Every time it posts updates about its latest releases to Twitter and Facebook the public has responded by demanding that it let them share Fortnite logins as well as allow cross-play.



I'm annoyed at PlayStation for holding my Fortnite account hostage since they don't want to play with others. Pretty sad that I can't connect to a third party account on the Switch because it's tied to PS4. It's a pity @Sony #BlameSony pic.twitter.com/OfRG55meXr



- PKMN Maestro Jerry (@PKMN_Maestro) June 12, 2018



What can @Sony PS's slogan be "For the players" if they stop cross compatibility with everyone... You're not for the players in any way. #PlayStationE3 #fortniteswitch



- Max Hart (@M_H7) June 12, 2018



The replies are all about people asking Sony about unlocking Fortnite accounts.



Good. https://t.co/eiFbAbclSE



-- Jim Sterling (@JimSterling) June 13, 2018



Since @Sony is apparently blocking #Fortnite cross-play between PS4 and Nintendo Switch, I will be switching to Xbox One as my non-Switch platform of choice to play together with my kids. Anyone who can do so , I highly recommend it.



- Erik Kain (@erikkain) June 12, 2018



The PlayStation 4 is the strongest selling console of this generation by a significant margin, however one industry expert said this doesn't mean it is invincible to attacks.



Samantha Loveridge, associate editor at GamesRadar+, told the BBC that Sony must be aware of how it handles the situation.



"Fortnite is massive and it's only going bigger and it's coming to Android - Sony must begin thinking about its closed-garden environment.



"Gamers deserve an explanation for the reason why this compatibility issue exists in one form or another."
Minecraft-servers.Cc


Sony does allow compatibility with the PC and iOS versions of the game, which suggests that the Xbox/Switch block is a deliberate decision rather than a technical impossibility.



While the PlayStation firm is yet to make a statement the gamers are under pressure from its competitors.



When asked about the situation, Nintendo's North America chief Reggie Fils-Aime explained to the IGN news site: "What competitors do is their choice to make. We believe that being both developer-forward as well as fan-forward is the best choice for the interests of the game.



One of Microsoft's gaming executives, as well as one its corporate accounts, have also tweeted about this issue.



It's nice to see cross-play, and the progression between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Many people have an Switch. We'll see you there !! https://t.co/mMRXj2GA10



- Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) June 12, 2018



@NintendoUK, would you like to play Fortnite later?



- Xbox UK (@xboxuk) June 12, 2018



The BBC is not responsible for the content on external sites.View the original tweet on Twitter



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