Xbox Live to connect with Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch players:
"Microsoft is taking a step toward true 'cross-platform play' by opening the doors for Xbox Live users to chat with their friends on PC, Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch.
At GDC in March, the company is slated to discuss a new software developer's kit that'll enable the different platforms to connect on Xbox Live."
[...] "Now Xbox Live is about to get MUCH bigger," read a notice on the GDC. "Xbox Live is expanding from 400M gaming devices and a reach to over 68M active players to over 2B devices with the release of our new cross-platform XDK (Xbox Development Kit.)"
So far, Microsoft hasn't officially commented on the announcement, which was originally spotted by a Twitter user before it was taken down. But if true, the upcoming developer's kit may one day enable true cross-platform play across different gaming hardware.
(Score: 2) by Apparition on Monday February 11 2019, @08:54AM (2 children)
The only reason Microsoft is doing this is because they lost this generation's console war [geek.com], as how the submitter may say, "bigly." Sony ate Microsoft's lunch by selling roughly two PlayStation 4s for every Xbox One sold. It didn't help that Microsoft, for whatever reason, had few exclusive games this generation. The PlayStation 4's exclusive games (like Marvel's Spider-Man and Horizon Zero Dawn), have been excellent. Microsoft had to do this so users of the Xbox One could find someone else to talk to.
That said, it is a smart decision on Microsoft's part. Now everyone who plays video games on any device other than a Sony PlayStation can talk and game with each other and it may be a killer feature for the XBox Two (or whatever the heck Microsoft will name it), when it launches next year.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Monday February 11 2019, @10:22AM
I'm not so sure it's they lost the latest battle of the console war. It seems to me that it dovetails with their strategy to get everyone running Windows even if they don't pay for it, and offer everything as SaaS. As long as people are using the Microsoft ecosystem, they're getting a slice of the pie (and giving MS marketing info, etc).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 11 2019, @10:29AM
Wash rinse repeat for PS5
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday February 12 2019, @10:38AM
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