Pete Hines Says the Feature is “Non-negotiable” for The Elder Scrolls Legends
Sony continues to put unwanted pressure on themselves regarding cross-platform play integration. For game developers, cross-play functionality is a great way to keep their fans happy. With Xbox One and Nintendo Switch fully onboard with cross-play support, a Rocket League player on Xbox One can play online with a Switch player or vice versa on Fortnite. Sony, on the other hand, has been stubborn about the prospect on the PS4, choosing to keep its community gated. While Sony has stated in the past that they’re looking into the possibility, it appears that the platform maker just isn’t that interested. Now, it looks like Bethesda is up to bat to try and get Sony to once again change their minds for their upcoming strategy card game, The Elder Scrolls Legends.
Pete Hines, Bethesda’s senior vice president of global marketing and communications, sat down with Game Informer during this years’ QuakeCon. When discussing The Elder Scrolls Legends, Hines made it clear that the game HAS to have to cross-network play and that there’s a chance that it might not release on the PS4 if Sony doesn’t change their tune.
“It is our intention in order for the game to come out, it has to be those things on any system,” Hines said. “We cannot have a game that works one way across everywhere else except for on this one thing. The way the game works right now on Apple, Google, Steam, and Bethesda.net, it doesn’t matter where you buy your stuff, if you play it on another platform that stuff is there. It doesn’t matter what platform you play on, you play against everyone else who is playing at that moment. There’s no ‘Oh, it’s easier to control, or it has a better framerate on this system.’ It’s a strategy card game. It doesn’t matter.”
When Game Informer asked if he was considering not putting out the game on PS4 he said: “We continue to talk to all of our platform partners.”But those [terms] are essentially non-negotiable. We can’t be talking about one version of Legends, where you take your progress with you, and another version where you stay within that ecosystem or its walled off from everything else. That is counter to what the game has been about.”
But if Fortnite, arguably the biggest game on the market right now, can’t convince Sony to implement the feature, why would they with The Elder Scrolls Legends? “I’m just telling you that’s our stance,” he continued. “That is our intent. And that is our message. Not specific to anyone in particular, but to everyone we are talking about. This is 100 percent clear. This is what we are doing, what we need, and what we intend.”
We’re holding out hope that Sony will eventually cave and implement cross-network play one day. As more and more game creators continue to include the feature in their games, it might even cause Sony’s diehard fans to possibly switch allegiance to another console.
What do you think about Pete Hines’ comments? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.