Since the dawn of online gaming the worlds of Xbox and Playstation have been divided. People around the world have begged for the powers that be to destroy these Walls. Well, these cries have been heard and times are changing. Last March, a statement was released by Microsoft that it was interested in creating cross-network play between the XBox One and the PS4. If this were to happen, it could eventually lead to complete desegregation of online gaming. Although no official agreement has been made by either company, I foresee that this gaming miracle will come true. If so, the gaming world will see huge improvements and here's why...
1. Cross-Network play will open the doors and unite more gamers with one another
I don't have a lot of friends…that play on the Xbox One. Yes, I have an Xbox One and if you're alone like me, send me a message and I'll send you my gamertag. However, I do have friends that obsessively play the PS4. With cross-network play, gamers would have the opportunity to play games with friends regardless of their differences in gaming consoles. This is important because nothing is worse than playing online with a bunch of random people. It's comparable to playing basketball except your teammates change every time you play another game... and some don't even know how to play basketball. No one enjoys this.
2. It will make the industry more competitive
While the competition between Playstation and Xbox is already pretty intense, the cross-network would create opportunities for even heavier competition. Having consoles compete directly could lead to competition in the way of how the two companies sell their products. This being said, we could possibly see a change in pricing of the consoles, headsets and downloadable content.
3. Production of upgraded consoles will increase
As seen by cell phone providers and computer companies such as Apple and Samsung, production of products are consistently coming out on a yearly basis. By making the two consoles more compatible with one another, communication and ideas about the consoles are able to be debated. This will put even more pressure on both companies to create better products and release them sooner.
4. Increase In Online Games
The Cross-Network play will create a higher demand for online games. By having a larger community by fusing the two online communities together, it will create a more enjoyable environment due to the reasons I explained above. Therefore, more enjoyment will create a higher need for companies to create more online games to keep gamers from becoming bored.
Besides console snobs, everyone in the gaming community would benefit from this new link between the two consoles. The decision would not only be economically beneficial but socially beneficial for all parties. When there are opportunities to connect people with one another, there is no reason not to. The gaming world shouldn't be any different.
