Coming at PAX Aus 2018, Pete Hines had some enlightening ideas on the future of cross platform games. It seems like Bethesda’s CEO has plenty of plans stacked for cross play already. The most stressed upon element was to end production of platform exclusives.
Pete Hines is in strong favor of removing barriers between consoles for the sake of gamers. So, he suggests that console producers should switch their priorities as soon as they can. Cross platform games should become more inclusive as physical copies are already struggling.
Pete seems quite sure of himself while talking about an integrated cross play. To him, it is the inevitable possibility of video games. He spoke at the panel of PAX Aus 2018:
“I think you’re going to see platforms get more homogenized. Because truthfully, there’s really not a reason for to be different. You don’t buy a DVD and then worry about which DVD player you have. You just buy a DVD and anything that plays DVDs works. And I think games are going to start to move closer and closer to that.”
As the trend shifts to digital sales from physical copies, cross play should also follow. So, to indulge gamers in buying DVDs they must get a feature that tends to their ease. In short, Hines wants to make a DVD for video games that can run regardless of the system it is loaded in.
“You might decide to play it on the Sony machine or the Microsoft machine or use the Google service, but it will start-I think-to look more like it really doesn’t matter what you choose to play it on. You just want to play this game on the thing you choose to play your games on whether that’s because where your friends are or whatever. Things like cross-platform play, cross-platform progression, all of that stuff”
His main proposition on the concept is that Sony and Microsoft etc. are to move in on to this idea now. Because the sooner it’s done the better it’ll be for everyone. Making exclusives for consoles won’t work for long. Developers should change their focus to make cross play their topmost priority.
Hines assures that console developers might see this as a less profitable but it is not. The gaming community craves this concept for long. So, the time for inclusive cross platform games is fast approaching. Hines also stated this by saying:
“The closed system walls are coming down, and they have to. Streaming is going to accelerate those walls coming down. We’re all here for the consumers. If you’re going to create rules that don’t benefit the consumers but somehow you think benefit your enterprise, you’re mistaken. Consumers will go elsewhere. You have to pay attention to what the consumer wants.”
Besides this Pete also admitted that cross play was too late for Fallout 76 now. He also seemed to know something about Xbox Scarlett but didn’t reveal much anyway. Meanwhile, Bethesda’s boss believes in single-player games like Elder Scrolls VI too.
