NEWS: Microsoft announces Xbox Live for any iOS or Android game

Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Live network to iOS and Android devices. The software giant is launching a new cross-platform mobile software development kit (SDK) for game developers to bring Xbox Live functionality to games that run on iOS and Android. Xbox Live features like achievements, Gamerscore, hero stats, friend lists, clubs, and even some family settings will all be available on iOS and Android.

“We believe so strongly in community, and Xbox Live really being at the heart of our gaming community,” explains Kareem Choudhry, Microsoft’s gaming cloud chief in a media briefing this week. “If you watch what we’ve done, especially with Minecraft, over the past few years we’ve taken Xbox Live to as many platforms as Minecraft is on as possible. Really uniting all those communities together with a consistent singular experience for those gamers.”

Microsoft wants game developers to take a similar Minecraft approach and bring Xbox Live to more mobile games. Some iOS and Android games already have Xbox Live Achievements, but they’re only enabled in titles from Microsoft Studios at the moment and this new SDK will open up Xbox Live functionality to many more games.

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HOW TO: Access Fortnite Cross Platform Play

Epic Games has officially announced that they are bringing cross platform play, cross progression, and cross purchases to Fortnite between Xbox One, PC, MAC, iOS,  Nintendo Switch, and eventually Android. Sorry PS4 fans, Sony stated, once again they are not interested in cross platform play, so this does not include you.

This means you can play with and against gamers on other devices.  Your purchases and progression will also carry over to an devices you play Fortnite on.

Here is:  HOW TO: Access Fortnite Cross Play Features:

NEWS: Epic says PS4/Xbox One crossplay was a mistake, Phil Spencer says 'leave it on'

Remember when people thought they had discovered the secret holy grail of PS4 and Xbox One crossplay, even though Sony has already said "no way" to it? Well, it was a mistake.

Epic Games has since clarified that it was a "configuration issue" and has been since fixed, which is a huge bummer on Sony's part. It's still hilarious that Epic, willingly or not, decided to flip a switch and connect 60 million more potential players via PS4 with the rest of the playerbase, and that in one fell swoop, Sony put the kibosh on more power to their players. There's a lot of fishiness going on right now with Fornite, which debuted on PS4, as the Xbox version was also patched to eliminate a pool of PC players. Xbox boss Phil Spencer only had this to say following the snafu: "I would have liked to see them leave it on."

I would have liked to see them leave it on.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) September 18, 2017

Sony eventually needs to answer this call. Maybe not now, while they're riding high at 60 million PS4 units sold, but if the Switch keeps rising up, it'll be too big to be ignored. Nintendo has already agreed to do business with Microsoft with Minecraft and have fostered a relationship, so all Sony has to do is come in and agree to crossplay.

Shortly after, more images appeared on the page with one father and son duo even posting an image of them playing side by side on Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Considering the current stance on cross-platform play between Xbox and PlayStation is that it’s absolutely not happening, this is a surprising development.



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NEWS: Cross-platform play may have arrived on Xbox and PlayStation

Taking to Reddit, Fortnite players have posted screenshots of their gameplay which appear to show Xbox gamertags appearing in matches being played on PlayStation 4 consoles.

Redditor PRE_-CISION-_ was the first to post an image of an Xbox gamertag appearing in his game and naturally the entire community started digging into the matter. It appears that the player was indeed an Xbox user and that they were playing on an Xbox console, not a PC, meaning it really does appear cross-platform play was happening.

Shortly after, more images appeared on the page with one father and son duo even posting an image of them playing side by side on Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Considering the current stance on cross-platform play between Xbox and PlayStation is that it’s absolutely not happening, this is a surprising development.

This isn’t because such a feature would be impossible to implement, but rather because Sony appears to have no interest in it. Only recently Rocket League cross-platform play was switched on between Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch while Sony’s PlayStation remained notably absent from the lineup.

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NEWS: Cross-Network Play

First, in addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, we’re enabling developers to support cross-network play as well. This means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks – including other console and PC networks.

Of course, it’s up to game developers to support this feature, and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players. We’re thrilled to confirm that Psyonix’s Rocket League will be one of the first games to take advantage of this new capability by enabling cross-network play between Xbox One and PC players, with an open invitation for other networks to participate as well.

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