After the recent Fortnite cross-platform play debacle - in which Sony has blocked players from using their accounts on Nintendo Switch - the idea of playing with friends regardless of system preference has been a hot topic just lately. One of the most talked about games for which players hope to see cross-platform play is FIFA, and with FIFA 19 headed to all major platforms this September, now would be the perfect time for the franchise to jump aboard the all-inclusive ship.
Of course, FIFA does not currently allow any cross-platform play whatsoever. This means that you can't play with or against friends on a different console to your own, and there is also no way of having a consistent FIFA Ultimate Team experience across your favourite systems. This doesn't seem to be an oversight on EA's part, though, and apparently, it is something the studio has looked into.
Talking to Eurogamer at this year's E3, FIFA creative director Matt Prior has said that the idea of cross-platform play is something often talked about, before suggesting that first-party hurdles may well be to blame for its current non-existence.
"It's something we've looked at, and it's something we often talk about. There are a lot of issues to work through. I'm trying to be diplomatic here! There are a lot of issues to work through with various first parties. But Fortnite does that now with PC to consoles. From a consumer standpoint, it makes the community that much broader, which makes it that much more compelling."
It certainly seems like EA Sports would like cross-platform play to arrive for the hugely-popular football franchise, but does this mean FIFA 19 will be the first in the series to benefit? Prior wouldn't confirm an answer either way, but did at least offer a small flicker of hope.
"It's something we're aware of. I'm not making any promises. But you've seen that [cross-platform play] happen for the first time very recently. If you'd asked me that a few years ago I'd probably have said, 'it's not going to happen. We'll monitor and see.' I think it would be a net benefit to the users. One day!"
Would you like to see cross-platform play come to FIFA in the future? Do you think all games should allow players to share their experiences with friends on other systems? Let us know your thoughts on the matter with a comment below.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 19
Being able to play FIFA online with Switch friends would be a start
I'd rather see native chat added!
Not sure why this is posted here, because until the Switch version is using the same game engine it won't be included, because the game plays totally different to the PC, Xbox and PS version.
Well you can immediately write off PS4 cross play.
@olrodlegacy this will be available at FIFA 19 on the Switch
I just want 6-8 player local (couch) multiplayer.
Yeah, not LOTS of first-party issues to work trhough, just the one : SONY.
@Hughesy not even close. There's been games (like DQ 10) with cross-play between the original Wii, the 3DS and the PS4. FIFA 19 would be a piece of cake compared to that
@Hughesy yeah, EA should hire the guy at Activision who ported Crash Bandicoot. Give him an evenings worth of overtime and he’ll have frostbite running on Switch.
“Based on absolutely no evidence we thought it probably wouldn’t work so didn’t even bother to look into it.”
...
Of course more realistic would be persistent cross progression of FUT.
Even if Fifa tried it, Sony would block it. But remember, cross platform play benefits the consumer and is just a hassle for companies. And this is EA we are talking about. EA wouldn't spit on you if you were dying of thirst unless you could pay for it.
@gortsi The physics between the two versions of Fifa are totally different though, it has nothing to do with graphics. There's so much you can do in the main version which is simply impossible to do in the Switch version, so yes it's impossible, you can't have two physics engines running in the same game.
@Hughesy nothing is impossible. I'm sorry but I'm not buying it when I've seen more demanding games have the feature
@gortsi Not sure how many times I have to repeat it, but this will be the last. It's impossible, because it would play differently on the main consoles and the Switch. It would be like FIFA and PES cross-play, it just wouldn't work. They are two separate games but with the same name, I have it on Switch and PS4 and they are TOTALLY different games.
The ai controlled players including the keepers are nowhere near as advanced in the Switch version.
On Switch it is totally stripped down, there's no real weight transfer, thus the Switch players would have a huge advantage. Then there's the ball physics, you can score from miles out on Switch because again it's simplified on Switch. Then there's the tricks and how you can shield the ball, it works differently on PS4 compared to Switch. The reason games like Fortnite have cross play is because it's the same game just with worse/better graphics.
Every game that has had cross play is the same game but with different graphics, that's why it works. The way FIFA is coded is completely different, so there would be massive conflicts, thus each game wouldn't know how to communicate with each other. It has nothing to do with how demanding a game is, when they are two different games they wouldn't work together. If you've ever done any coding in your life you'd know it wouldn't work.
@Hughesy i feel so sorry for you wasting your time like that😅. I bet he still doesnt get it😆😁😂.
@Sanangelo89 I mean he can repeat it a thousand times, that still wouldn't be what EA said. So unless he's working on the game's netcode and knows exactly what's happening with FIFA 19, I'll take EA's word over some random on the internet.
@gortsi You may as well have cross play with Fifa and rocket league playing together, because like FIFA on Switch and the main consoles it's a totally different game. It doesn't take a genius to work it out. EA are talking about PC, Xbox but probably not PS4 as they don't allow cross play, they aren't talking about the Switch version.
I'm going to assume you are quite young and don't understand how online gaming works.
As someone who's job it is to keep servers running I can tell you that in order for cross play to work it needs to be the same game code on each device, Fifa on Switch is on a custom engine and is totally separate to the main version.
@Hughesy I know it's on a custom engine and I gave you an example of a game that runs on different engines (with one version running on the cloud) and featuring cross-play. But of course that doesn't suit your argument so you haven't addressed it
That would really screw Sony over if they still said no. Could see people flocking back to XBox next gen if they don't change their minds....
“There are a lot of issues to work though with various first parties.”
aka, it’s a Sony issue.
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