Fortnite Is Bad But Sony's Refusal to Play Nice Can Be Worse

Before this past week, Nintendo thrilled Fortnite fans by declaring that the match, which might just be the most popular game being played right now, was coming into the Switch immediately. Better yet, Switch players would have the ability to compete with PC and Xbox players, Buy Fortnite Items also --instantaneous digital distribution and multiplayer open to all! Nintendo's statement felt like a fantasy come true after years of games manufacturers refusing to play fine. But it isn't a fantasy, because Sony continues to flip the bird to its competitors and Fortnite players around the PS4 are being left out in the cold, unable to play with Xbox or Switch gamers.

I'm not too upset about this, mainly since I despise Fortnite, that feels like a cluttered blend of game types throw into a cartoonish world that lacks any real personality. Like, do I truly want to play with a battleroyale game sanitized for tweens and then raked over the Minecraft coals? Fuck no.

But goddamn I will fight for all those annoying little twerps to perform together and take all the stupid loot they accrue in their account from one system to the next. As obnoxious as Fortnite is, Sony's steadfast refusal to play fine is worse.

I am not the only one to think Sony's being obnoxious. Phil Spencer, Executive President of Gaming at Microsoft, mentioned the crossplay problem this week at E3. Framing it as a little against the prized kids, Spencer laid out a situation to Giant Bomb, stating:"When you bought your son, your kid, an Xbox, and I purchased my child a PlayStation -- and now I am just a parent, it's their birthday, anything -- and the kids want to go play Fortnite Facebook and they all of a sudden go home and can not play with one another." He added,"It does not feel like it helps the customers."

Obviously it doesn't! Sony isn't attempting to help the kids, or the parents spending hundreds a piece on consoles. And Microsoft's framing of the issue as a slight against customers is not new. The company said something like it talked about courting Sony for crossplay back in August.