Sony Faces Growing Fortnite Backlash At E3

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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 chiefs are under pressure by Fortnite players to address concerns about "crossplay" limitations.

Gamers have discovered that they can't use the same Fortnite account if they've previously played the game on a PlayStation.

This means they aren't allowed to use outfits and other in-game purchases and rewards that they've earned.

There is no limitation when moving between the Xbox One and Switch.

Gamers could not share Fortnite accounts between Microsoft and Sony's platforms.

But the main reason to buy the Switch is that its portable nature allows owners to play when away from home, that's why many have purchased it as a second gaming machine.

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

It also stated that it was always willing to hear from the PlayStation community about how to enhance their gaming experience.

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

"We also provide Fortnite cross-play compatibility for PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices, thereby increasing the opportunities for Fortnite players on PS4 to play with even more players on other platforms."

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

Both Microsoft and Fortnite publisher Epic Games have previously indicated that Epic Games, the Japanese company has decided to block PlayStation gamers from competing against other console owners in the game's multi-player fight-to-the-death Battle Royale mode.

Global hit

Sony has faced criticism for blocking cross-play in different games in the past including Minecraft and Rocket League.

But the scale of Fortnite's popularity means that the backlash has the potential to be more destructive this time around.

Epic announced this week that the game has 125 million players around the globe.

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

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Concerns over the issue are already in the process of in the process of threatening to obstruct Sony's public relations efforts at the E3 video games convention in Los Angeles.

The players have asked Fortnite to allow them to share their Fortnite logins cross-play.

Annoyed @PlayStation for holding my Fortnite account hostage since they do not want to play with others. It's very sad that I'm not able to use third-party logins on the Switch as it's tied to PS4. The Sony is a joke. #BlameSony pic.twitter.com/OfRG55meXr

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

How can @Sony PS's slogan be 'For players' when they block cross-compatibility with everyone on the planet? #PlayStationE3 #fortniteswitch

- Max Hart (@M_H7) June 12, 2018

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

Good. https://t.co/eiFbAbclSE

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

@Sony seems to block the cross-play between PS4 and Nintendo Switch, so I'm switching to Xbox One for my non-Switch platform. This allows me to play with my kids and also play together. I recommend that anyone do the same.

- Erik Kain (@erikkain) June 12, 2018

The PlayStation 4 is the strongest selling console of the current generation by a significant margin, however one industry watcher said that this didn't make it invincible to attacks.

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

"Fortnite is massive and is only going bigger It's coming to Android - Sony should start thinking about its closed-garden environment.

"Gamers need to know the reason why this compatibility issue exists in one way or another."

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

While the PlayStation firm has yet to make a statement however, gamers are feeling pressure from their competitors.

Nintendo North America chief Reggie Fils Aime stated that the decision of competitors was theirs to make. We believe that being both fan-forward and developer-forward is in the best interest of the game."

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

It's great to see cross-play and progress across Nintendo Switch and Xbox. Minecraft news Many have a Switch. See you in the !! https://t.co/mMRXj2GA10

- Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) June 12, 2018

@NintendoUK want to play Fortnite later?

- Xbox UK (@xboxuk) June 12, 2018

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

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