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Sony Faces Growing Fortnite Backlash At E3

Sony faces growing Fortnite backlash at E3 by Leo Kelion Technology desk editor



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14 June 2018



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Sony executives are under pressure to respond to complaints about "cross-play" restrictions imposed on Fortnite.



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



This stops them from being in a position to utilize outfits and other in-game purchases and rewards they have earned.



You can move between the Xbox One or Switch without any restrictions.



Gamer's accounts are not shared. accounts between Microsoft and Sony's platforms.



But the appeal of the Switch is its portability. Its nature lets owners play even when they are away from their homes, and that's why many have purchased it as a second gaming machine.



Sony has yet to confirm that it is the one responsible for the restriction however, it did issue the following statement to the BBC.



"We're always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to improve their gaming experience," it said.



"With... more than 80 million active monthly PlayStation Network users, we've created a huge gaming community that can play together on Fortnite.



"We also offer Fortnite cross-play with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, thereby increasing the opportunity for Fortnite players on PS4 to play with even more players on other platforms."
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"We have nothing to add beyond this point," a spokeswoman added.



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



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



Fortnite's huge success suggests that the backlash could be more devastating.



Epic announced this week that the title has 125 million players across the world.



Nintendo announced that the game that 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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The complaints about the issue are already in the process of risking to shadow Sony's PR efforts at the E3 video games convention in Los Angeles.



Each time it announces news about its latest releases to Twitter and Facebook users have protested and demanded that it allow them to share their Fortnite logins and permit cross-play.



@PlayStation is holding my Fortnite account hostage for refusing to let me play with other players. It's really disappointing that I can't use third-party logins on the Switch since it's tied to PS4. It's so sad @Sony #BlameSony pic.twitter.com/OfRG55meXr



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



How can @Sony PS's slogan be 'For Players' when they deny cross-compatibility to everyone fortniteswitch?



- Max Hart (@M_H7) June 12, 2018



The replies are all from people who have asked Sony about unlocking Fortnite accounts.



Good. https://t.co/eiFbAbclSE



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



@Sony seems to block #Fortnite crossplay between PS4/Ninte Switch So I'm going to switch to Xbox One for my non-Switch platform. This allows me to play with my children and team up. I recommend anyone who can do the same.



- Erik Kain (@erikkain) June 12, 2018



The PlayStation 4 is the strongest selling console of this generation by a huge margin, however an industry observer said this did not make it invincible to attacks.



Samantha Loveridge, associate editor at GamesRadar+, told the BBC that Sony has to be careful how it handles the situation.



"Fortnite is massive and it's growing exponentially and it's coming to Android - Sony should start thinking about its closed-garden ecosystem.



"One way or another gamers need to be given an explanation of why this compatibility issue is there."



Sony allows compatibility with both iOS and PC versions of the game. This indicates that the Xbox/Switch stopping it is a strategic decision rather than a technical problem.



While players await a response from the PlayStation firm, its competitors have piled on the pressure.



When asked about the matter Nintendo's North America chief Reggie Fils-Aime said to the IGN news site: "What competitors do is their decision. We believe that being both developer-forward and fan-forward is in the best 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 great to see cross-play, and the progression between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. I know many have a Switch. We look forward to seeing you at the! https://t.co/mMRXj2GA10



- Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) June 12, 2018



@NintendoUK wanna play some Fortnite later?



- Xbox UK (@xboxuk) June 12, 2018



The BBC is not responsible to the content of external websites. View the original tweet on Twitter



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