Windows 10 Might Let PC & Console Play Together

Surragard

I've been reading up on the Windows 10 announcements over the last few days and I find the Windows 10/Xbox Integration plans pretty interesting, especially for an MMO. The upcoming toolkit will allow for Xbox One and Windows 10 players to play together. Fable Legends will allegedly be the first game to support it.

It would be a ways down the road but we could eventually see ESO gain this integration. I think it would create a fairly large debate as we don't know how it will pan out on the tech side yet but it's an interesting theory.

SoonerMagicEE

Not exactly. Windows 10 might let console players play with other console players while they are streaming to their PC. There's a bit of a difference.

SoonerMagicEE

Keep in mind, that REQUIRES an Xbox One, the Xbox One version of the game, and an XBox One ESO account to work.

KleanZlate

SoonerMagicEE wrote: »

Not exactly. Windows 10 might let console players play with other console players while they are streaming to their PC. There's a bit of a difference.

As I understood it that will be the start but eventually Xbox One will be upgraded with Windows 10 and be able to play PC games.

Curragraigue

Console and PC are already able to play on the same server PS and PC are on the same server on FF XIV. Microsoft just does not want XBox to be on the same server as PS. So any third party games like ESO will either have to choose one console or not share servers.

Ommamar

I don't think this is a software issue but as pointed out the companies involved don't want customers bases mixed.

Elsonso

It is too bad the megaserver technology could not be arranged to allow XBOX and PC/Mac to play together, PS4 and PC/Mac to play together, and keep XBOX and PS4 players hidden from each other.

Edit: Elaborating on that... it is too bad that ZOS cannot use the same megaserver for all platforms and just hide the platforms from each other (never in the same channel)

Gidorick

vestmanneb17_ESO wrote: »

SoonerMagicEE wrote: »

Not exactly. Windows 10 might let console players play with other console players while they are streaming to their PC. There's a bit of a difference.

As I understood it that will be the start but eventually Xbox One will be upgraded with Windows 10 and be able to play PC games.

You understand incorrectly. The system will allow Xbox one to be streamed to a PC... sort of how Sony allows players to play the PS4 on their Vita.

There MIGHT be the ability to stream PC games on the Xbox One at some point. They would remain separate systems though. It's not as if you're loading a PC game onto your Xbox One. You're simply using your Xbox One as a receiver for your PC.


All this requires a windows 10 PC, an Xbox One, and the appropriate software.

Leeric

Ommamar wrote: »

I don't think this is a software issue but as pointed out the companies involved don't want customers bases mixed.

And by companies involved he means Microsoft lol

Cogo

Sorry for this big wall of text. It takes a lot of words to explain my statement.



NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

technohic

Is this sort of like Steam being able to be ran on a powerful desktop but then seeing it on your laptop? The Steam in home streaming?

If so; I might actually get an XBox one. I play on my laptop for the convenience of not hogging the TV, but that would be awesome to have that as an option and then use the big screen when available.

TheLaw

You're totally misunderstanding what Microsoft is offering. I 100% guarantee ESO PC players will never play with console players. There will always be server restrictions, among other things.

SoonerMagicEE

It seems a lot of people are confused with what Windows 10 will do. @Gidorick‌ is correct. You will NOT be able to play PC games on the Xbox One, NOR will you be able to play Xbox One games on the PC. You WILL be able to stream games from the Xbox One to the PC (if running Windows 10). There is a huge difference. It will still be an Xbox One game using the Xbox One platform and servers....simply viewed on and controlled from a PC.

technohic

SoonerMagicEE wrote: »

It seems a lot of people are confused with what Windows 10 will do. @Gidorick‌ is correct. You will NOT be able to play PC games on the Xbox One, NOR will you be able to play Xbox One games on the PC. You WILL be able to stream games from the Xbox One to the PC (if running Windows 10). There is a huge difference. It will still be an Xbox One game using the Xbox One platform and servers....simply viewed on and controlled from a PC.

Thats what I figured. It would be like Steam in home streaming. While I might be playing it on my laptop, it's actually being run by an XBox One streamed across the network.

Gidorick

technohic wrote: »

SoonerMagicEE wrote: »

It seems a lot of people are confused with what Windows 10 will do. @Gidorick‌ is correct. You will NOT be able to play PC games on the Xbox One, NOR will you be able to play Xbox One games on the PC. You WILL be able to stream games from the Xbox One to the PC (if running Windows 10). There is a huge difference. It will still be an Xbox One game using the Xbox One platform and servers....simply viewed on and controlled from a PC.

Thats what I figured. It would be like Steam in home streaming. While I might be playing it on my laptop, it's actually being run by an XBox One streamed across the network.

yea... it is kind of a niche feature. If you're the type to want to play Xbox games on your PC rig you've already got it set up that way or will just connect a monitor and a KVM switch to an Xbox One.

Surragard

I have to disagree with the statements that this announcement is merely for streaming between devices. While that was one announced feature, Microsoft also explicity announced cross-platform multiplayer. I've copied a link below and there's also a video on there explaining it. PC players will eventually be able to play multiplayer with Xbox players.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/windows-10

fromtesonlineb16_ESO

Surragard wrote: »

I've been reading up on the Windows 10 announcements over the last few days and I find the Windows 10/Xbox Integration plans pretty interesting, especially for an MMO. The upcoming toolkit will allow for Xbox One and Windows 10 players to play together. Fable Legends will allegedly be the first game to support it.

It would be a ways down the road but we could eventually see ESO gain this integration. I think it would create a fairly large debate as we don't know how it will pan out on the tech side yet but it's an interesting theory.

You don't understand, this is a technology problem it's about Microsoft's demand to control how software publishers can use their system: only Square Enix was able to give M$ the finger and were able to let PC and console players play together in FFXIV and that only happened because M$ were desperate to break into the Japanese market .. ZOS failed abysmally to persuade M$ to let them do the same.

FFXIV shows clearly XBox and PC players CAN play on the same servers, it's a corporate greed issue, not a technical one.

technohic

Surragard wrote: »

I have to disagree with the statements that this announcement is merely for streaming between devices. While that was one announced feature, Microsoft also explicity announced cross-platform multiplayer. I've copied a link below and there's also a video on there explaining it. PC players will eventually be able to play multiplayer with Xbox players.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/windows-10

That won't help here. That sounds more like for specific games they design to be cross platform. Unless they are saying your PC can then run the actual XBox version of the game.

Leeric

You will not be able to play with PC players on this game if you have the console version.
Pretty simple.
Matter of fact Microsoft was more than likely the reason you can't have cross platform play in the first place. Its the exact reason why Final Fantasy 14 A Realm Reborn is not on Microsoft consoles....

UPrime

The other thing to also keep in mind that all upgrades have to happen at the same time. So if Xbox and PC played together they'd have to be on the same version. And xbox will not have as many updates as PC. They'll also be behind getting bigger, more polished updates. This is because it costs a lot of money to get an update up on the consoles due to certification process.

I can't imagine the nightmare that it would be to have 2 consoles release at the same time.

Surragard

Based on reading the announcement info available it sounds like Microsoft will be starting this off as first-party tech while they hammer out the details then will later let third-party publishers give it a go. No time table on anything yet and Fable Legends is still in development so who knows.

@UPrime Excellent point but this tech will probably be at least a few years out. By that point ESO patches will likely have slowed down and it might be feasible that console and PC run on the same version.

As for the corporate greed arguments the only thing I can say is this: they own the technology so it's their call. Personally, I think opening up cross-platform multiplayer encourages a bigger player base to sell DLC and other content to but I don't know enough about the industry to weigh in on the politics.

I do think that there's enough PC v console bias and lag worries between the systems that player feedback might be problematic especially for PvP in an MMO. That said, Final Fantasy does seem to show that the tech hurdle can be overcome. I think it's an interesting concept overall and I look forward to trying it out in the future.

ShadoPanauin

lordrichter wrote: »

It is too bad the megaserver technology could not be arranged to allow XBOX and PC/Mac to play together, PS4 and PC/Mac to play together, and keep XBOX and PS4 players hidden from each other.

Edit: Elaborating on that... it is too bad that ZOS cannot use the same megaserver for all platforms and just hide the platforms from each other (never in the same channel)

NO. We get enough lag in PvP already.

Drasn

Surragard wrote: »

Based on reading the announcement info available it sounds like Microsoft will be starting this off as first-party tech while they hammer out the details then will later let third-party publishers give it a go. No time table on anything yet and Fable Legends is still in development so who knows.

@UPrime Excellent point but this tech will probably be at least a few years out. By that point ESO patches will likely have slowed down and it might be feasible that console and PC run on the same version.

As for the corporate greed arguments the only thing I can say is this: they own the technology so it's their call. Personally, I think opening up cross-platform multiplayer encourages a bigger player base to sell DLC and other content to but I don't know enough about the industry to weigh in on the politics.

I do think that there's enough PC v console bias and lag worries between the systems that player feedback might be problematic especially for PvP in an MMO. That said, Final Fantasy does seem to show that the tech hurdle can be overcome. I think it's an interesting concept overall and I look forward to trying it out in the future.

It's not about owning technology, or anything like that. It's not even a "tech hurdle" as you put it.

A server runs a piece of software that will receive input from its clients. It doesn't matter what language that info is received in as long as the server software can translate it. The server then sends new info back to the clients, clients translate, repeat. It really is that simple.

Microsoft doesn't want cross-platform, especially with sony.

granty2008cyb16_ESO

cross platform with Xbox one and windows is coming fable will be the first game to do so

Gidorick

Game has to be made specifically to support it. ESO wasn't.

BigM

It will never happen forget it.