ESO losing out by not going cross-platform?

Nermy · May 2019

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidjagneaux/2019/05/31/lack-of-cross-play-is-holding-elder-scrolls-online-back-as-the-industry-moves-forward/

Thoughts??

mague · May 2019

I thought this is prevented by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo ?

I play PC/Gampad and would love it to play with the console guys.

ApostateHobo · May 2019

I hope they're at least considering the possibility of cross play, but I don't know how difficult it would be to actually implement it. There's a lot of stuff that could go screwy.

Zephyris_Kalnoris · May 2019

1st let ZOS fix server performance then we can start thinking about cross-platform servers merge.

Gythral · May 2019

Hell they cant ever get working servers without it ...
is cross-play holding the game back, or is it the lack of investment in areas that need it?

Hyperion616 · May 2019

I'm still wondering what held World of Warcraft back for what, at least 12 out of the 15 years it's been around. Sub based only game, not on any of the consoles only PC and it didn't start it's decline until around Mist of Pandaria.

I guess some games are just not capable of standing on their own as a Pc game but need the backing of consoles to help prop them up.

VaranisArano · May 2019

My thoughts?

Forbes seems to think that ZOS needs to embrace cross-platform play to bring more players into the whole game world.

I look at the issues ZOS seems to have when lots of players are involved, and I wonder if that's wise.

Dungeon groupfinder consistently breaks under high demand.
Cyrodiil lags and crashes whenever large numbers of players fight in the same battle.
ZOS didnt prepare adequately for the EU server to experience an influx on players at peak times.

I mean, it would be cool if ZOS could do it...but they've got to get their code in order if they do.

Vietfox · May 2019

Although i would love it since i play and got friends on both PC and PS4 i don't think Zos could handle it. Look at the state of the current servers just for a single platform...

Nermy · May 2019

I just wonder how add-ons would work if they ever did. Plus there's more that could go wrong than right! lol

AlnilamE · May 2019

I find it funny when someone writes an article about how a game developer should proceed and then demonstrates a lack of basic understanding of how the game works.

We don't have 3 servers, we have 6. So unless he's also arguing that we should join the NA/EU versions into one, we'd still be split. And that is not feasible since the servers are full right now, at least on PC. So if they decided to allow cross-platform, they would have to consider adding more servers (ie an Oceanic server, as has been requested multiple times).

Not to mention that he's not even touching the topic of addons, which I think would be a huge hurdle to overcome if ZOS ever entertained the idea.

Siohwenoeht · May 2019

It just wasn't originally designed with cross play in mind.

1. There are limitations to console and gamepad design that can put it at a severe disadvantage compared to mouse and keyboard in head to head play.
2. Megaservers have been independent for 5 years, if they go cross play, what do you do with duplicate character or account names.
3. It would need to be a complete server merge, it couldn't be optional.
4. It may not be possible with the current game architecture as there are differences between the three platforms, mostly in the UI and associated options.
5. What do you do with add-ons? Sony typically rejects the idea, or severely limits mods, Microsoft seems ambivalent, but the PC crowd wouldn't want to give them up for cross play.

Tandor · May 2019

For a game that is apparently being held back, ESO is doing remarkably well.

adriant1978 · May 2019

Nermy wrote: »

I just wonder how add-ons would work if they ever did. Plus there's more that could go wrong than right! lol

I fear that they'd pull add-on support if they ever did cross-play.

Browiseth · May 2019

i mean splitting the community up due to selfish reasons set by publishers holds every game back

Skwor · May 2019

It likely has nothing to do with zenimax. Look to the businesses like Microsoft and Sony

RodneyRegis · May 2019

mague wrote: »

I thought this is prevented by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo ?

I play PC/Gampad and would love it to play with the console guys.

Surely this is pretty easy to debunk, considering there are other cross platforms?

barney2525 · May 2019

ryh wrote: »

1st let ZOS fix server performance then we can start thinking about cross-platform servers merge.

Probably good advice. One server issue at a time.

HEBREWHAMMERRR · May 2019

This would be great but the performance issues currently would only get worse. ZOS has had 5 years to work on this and only seem to care about cash grabs in a crown store. When’s the last time the crown store had a problem and how quickly was that fixed? How about cyrodill?

Donny_Vito · May 2019

Good article with valid points. Time to keep up with the times, ZoS.

vamp_emily · May 2019

I'm sure the author is one of the forum users here.. OP? Funny how they pin pointed ESO when only 3 games in the world are cross platform.

DocFrost72 · May 2019

As others have noted, there's two big issues. Addons and Na/EU lockouts.

Zos cannot copy your information from NA to EU and vice versa. The servers are already live. "But they did a console transfer!" Yes they did, day one before anything had happened on the server. They also cannot put you on console from pc now for the same reason. ZOS would have to make entirely new servers, from scratch. That isn't happening.

As far as addons go, you either need to get Microsoft and Sony to play nice with addon writers -

-or remove addons from pc, to which the only question I specifically have for anyone pushing this is;

Quite honestly, AlnilamE has the right of it. The person who wrote this article (saying there's no legitimate defense of it- LOL) is too late. Had this conversation happened pre launch on a pc or console exclusive, decent talk. As it stands, they just come across like;

RodneyRegis · May 2019

I don't think it's a good article. It ignores many of the points above. A game almost certainly needs to be designed from the ground up to be cross platform. On the complication scale Fortnite is about a one to eso's 5 million. It's an incredibly simplistic game. Haven't played dauntless yet but planning to do so, but it's not 5 years old with 5 years of quirks. Sure, cross platform might be possible on future ESO releases, but they will be very different games with very different features (or lack thereof with add-ons) and would require much more up to date servers/ engine.

maboleth · May 2019

vamp_emily wrote: »

I'm sure the author is one of the forum users here.. OP? Funny how they pin pointed ESO when only 3 games in the world are cross platform.

I know right... a lousy article. There are tons of exclusive-only games for consoles & PCs. Cross platform is still far ahead and nowhere near "here and now".

tgrippa · May 2019

What a sh*t article.

Delete console servers and force them onto PC servers? Delete console guilds? Delete their leaderboards? Force gamepad players to compete against kb/mouse players in PvP? Force console players to now have to compete in endgame raids without addons, being either at a disadvantage or excluded from raiding guilds because of this?

There is no issue at the moment, population and game growth is in a good spot. There is no benefit to anyone in doing this, the resources would be better spent fixing bugs and improving performance.

Imagine thinking before writing an article. But then again it’s Forbes in 2019, a shadow of what it used to be.

THEDKEXPERIENCE · May 2019

Nermy wrote: »

I just wonder how add-ons would work if they ever did. Plus there's more that could go wrong than right! lol

Highly likely they would be completely removed. Otherwise a large portion of the console community would straight up leave.

Also it’d be funny as hell to see the console players wipe the floor with add-on-less PCers.

Grimm13 · May 2019

My thoughts OP is that you need to have your point typed here in your thread, not some link to another site.

idk · May 2019

mague wrote: »

I thought this is prevented by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo ?

I play PC/Gampad and would love it to play with the console guys.

I would expect it is blocked by the agreement with those companies. However, consoles would be at a huge disadvantage since they do not have access to addons.

NordSwordnBoard · May 2019

Wouldn't it be great if they took three of these:

...and combined them into one big one!

Elsonso · May 2019

mague wrote: »

I thought this is prevented by Sony, Microsoft [snip] ?

My understanding is that they did not want this. I don't know if anyone at ZOS actually confirmed this.

I have to think that, 5 years into the game, it probably would not be an easy task to make it happen, technically.

If Sony and Microsoft decide otherwise, it will probably be for the Next game they make, not this one. It is much easier to design this in at the start than it is to retrofit after blocking designs have already been implemented.

Elwendryll · May 2019

There are already too many people. People everywhere, do you really feel like this game lacks population?

I don't really see the benefits of cross-platform for this game, considering we have technical differences between them, Add-ons and release dates.

Grianasteri · May 2019

Cross platform is resisted by numerous companies because they believe it will or could damage their brand and sales.

It has been available tech for a long time, no issues. I played most recently Paragon on PS4, along side PC players. No problem.

With ESO, there would be a problem unless all the metric analytics, add ons and game enhancements were made available to console players.

If that happened, I would be hugely in favour. But as it stands, PC players have a massive massive advantage in relation to their on screen information and the stats/analysis available regarding DPS, builds etc.