Borderlands spin-off Tiny Tina's Wonderlands will support crossplay across every platform when it launches at the end of this month. Releasing for PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, the feature lets you interact and play with friends no matter what box sits under their TV. The reason this is noteworthy is because Borderlands 3 still doesn't support crossplay on Sony consoles, although Randy Pitchford seems confident it'll happen eventually.
Back in May 2021, support for crossplay in Gearbox's comedic looter shooter was patched into every version except for the PS5 and PS4 ones. At the time, this was apparently due to "certification" purposes. However, in a response to fans earlier today, Pitchford says the publisher may have information on the topic to share soon. "The future addition of PlayStation to crossplay for BL3 is now what I would consider to be inevitable."
Back to Tiny Tina's Wonderlands and it sounds like the team has had to put in extra work to make crossplay possible. Pitchford says "none of the platforms were designed for this" and there could be "hiccups" at launch. "We’ve done impossible work to make it happen and to try to make it as easy to use as possible, but this is new territory and the wild is not a test environment."
Therefore, it sounds like the upcoming title is taking a slightly different approach to crossplay when compared to other PS5, PS4 Crossplay Games. The charismatic Gearbox lead thanks Sony and 2K engineers "for working together on this", so there's certainly been some tinkering under the hood. The game launches for PS5 and PS4 on 25th March 2022.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 32
It's weird what games Sony will budge on for crossplay and what other games don't get it
"The charismatic Gearbox lead"
The wut?
@TechaNinja Especially considering that if it's built on Unreal, I'm pretty sure it's built into the engine.
Is it cross-save? That's more important to me than cross-play since I mostly play single player games on both console & pc.
This is awesome news!
I love how Magic Man Randy Pitchford has to throw the subtle jab of "including Sony" in the tweet as if it wasn't implied with all first parties. But with sony's recent history against cross play its understandable.
@Jayslow yeh but Randy should be the last person targeting anyone lol yeh Sonys been slow on the crossplay but that's improving but at least it wasnt Sony studios that make Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines XD
Ok, gamers have to stop being so misinformed. Sony wasn't against cross play. Games not having cross play, especially after rocket league and fortnight is due the developers, not Sony.
@wiiware I agree...I am more interested in cross-save than cross-play
@Cutmastavictory - So when Gearbox introduced Borderlands 3 cross play to Xbox One, Series X|S, PC and Stadia, they deliberately chose to not include Sony consoles? Seems legit..
@Shigurui If Gearbox couldn't pass certification, which is something that every other publisher that does crossplay can do with the help of TRG and publisher Dev and QA teams, then that's on them or how they built certain UI elements into the game. Sony's guidelines are a little more strict, but they are not unfeasible if you built the game with crossplay in mind which Gearbox did not do. It usually just involves not seeing other logos or things like that from other platforms and having prompts be consistent on Sony's platform, and considering Stadia, PC, and Xbox all have the same prompts (Xbox controller or keyboard and mouse), and have the same logos and stuff (the Stadia just looks like PC) that would be a lot easier than ensuring no logos appear on Playstation.
And to fair to Sony, MS requires more or less the same certification. As they don't like you seeing Sony's logos on Xbox either. Although the support that MS provides is a little bit better...
It needs crossplay to be able to just about scrape together a 4 man team
As long there is an option to turn cross-play off.
@Cutmastavictory
No, it's well documented that Sony was against cross play and the lone holdout. They're the only ones requiring compensation in these cases.
The industry is always changing. Gamers were demanding it. That's just the way it is.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/3/22417560/sony-ps4-cross-play-confidential-documents-epic-games-agreements
@EVIL-C if that was true cross would not have existed on the ps3. And the thing about compensation affects fortnite and almost no n one else.
@Shigurui deliberately, I wouldn't go that far. But y'all really just believe what developers say when facts speak against what they say.
@Cutmastavictory Crossplay as we define it today, playing against rival systems, did not exist on PS3.
There were a few games that could be played across PS3/4/Vita, but that's still within PSN. That doesn't count within the modern context of cross-play, nor within the citied information from that article which I posted.
Sony was the last holdout on crossplay. That is undeniable. Honestly, I'm surprised the issue is still persisting into the PS5 era, but apparently so.
@EVIL-C There were some that were PC cross-play, and one or two might have even had crossplay with Xbox (not that Pc had many more), but it was extraordinarily and the exception rather than the rule.
@Jaz007 Can you cite anything specific?
I've gone back and researched and I suddenly recalled Portal 2 having Steam connectivity.
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-18-portal-2-ps3-steam-cross-platform-play
Otherwise, haven't found anything else.
@EVIL-C The biggest mmo right now, FFXIV, was cross play between PS3, PS4, and PC when they still supported PS3. Dust 514 and EVE Online has some type of cross play. DC Universe Online was also cross play.
@EVIL-C final fantasy 14 is on pc and ps and not Xbox because Xbox refused cross play. I don't think you know much about what you're talking about. Just regurgitating stuff from sites that don't know what tf they are talking about
@EVIL-C As a few others have mentioned, there were a handful on Sony's platforms, even going back as far as the PS2+PC+X360 with cross play on FFXI. It has (historically) been Microsoft that was against cross play (which was the reason FFXIV was indefinitely postponed for Microsoft consoles).
My working theory is that the platform holder that is on top (as far as number of players online) doesn't want cross-play because they want to lock you in to the platform your friends are playing on; however the platform holder that has fewer online players wants cross-play to prevent this. During the PS3 era, it was Sony on bottom and Microsoft on top; and in PS4 era it flipped. This mirrors each platform holders stance on cross-play.
Cross-play isn't easy to implement (even on engines with it built in); but I think its a necessity for any online multiplayer game since it expands the player pool and gives the game a much longer shelf-life.
@Floki So, basically some MMOs are the exception. The Dust and EVE examples are titled completely differently, talk about obscure. 😳
@Cutmastavictory Yes, FF14, an MMO. Fine. To which those old Live policies have been removed. https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/final-fantasy-xiv-xbox-nintendo-switch-port/
There's no question Sony was the last to budge when XB/Switch/PC players began playing together. I love how you can't explain why TTWL's and Borderlands 3 is only again hung up on Sony's systems now. 🤔
As a bonus, as of October 2021, the director still suggests FF14 will release on Xbox. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-18-yoshida-positive-about-final-fantasy-14-coming-to-xbox
I have no horse in this race. I don't play nor couldn't care less about what platforms FF14 is on. What I will say though is what you call regurgitating, I call citing evidence and data. Try it some time. Personal feelings =/= evidence.
@thedevilsjester
Ah yeah I forgot FF11. (Not an MMO/FF fan) It's always MMOs, never something like a racer or FPS. 😋
I completely agree with your theory, as it's logical if you're on top, you want to retain everyone and their friends on the same platform. MS has removed those old policies, to their credit, and Sony did relinquish too, and I'm genuinely surprised BL3 is having issues still.
It's definitely hard to implement, but also it's a natural evolution of the industry, and it prolongs a game's lifespan. Thus setting the stage for further DLCs and expansions.
We could even go a step further and mention how even Sony is releasing a lot of their first-party titles on PC now, as is MS, because they know where the rest of the money is. Interesting times.
@EVIL-C it isn't v evidence when it's wrong. How can Sony be last to budge when they already allowed it and continued to allow it
You just want to be right, and that's fine. But you were wrong.
@Cutmastavictory They allowed it, than rescinded, then reverted back after pressure. I'm no fan of Gearbox, but even they are citing issues with Sony at this very moment.
You think Sony can do no wrong, I get it. I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong, but the evidence counters your claims. Sorry to hurt your ego. Personal feelings =/= evidence.
@EVIL-C I call Sony out when they do wrong. In this particular case they didn't nothing wrong. Great box said it was Sony online policy, the one you referenced, that really only affected fortnite.... but that isn't an issue now. Even though Sony changed nothing about the policy... smh. No feelings, and your evidence was biased and wrong.
@Cutmastavictory You've yet to cite anything.
@EVIL-C there's nothing I need to cite. It's a fact final fantasy 14 is cross play and it existed before ps4. It's a fact that gearbox stated last year about cross play not being on ps4. You don't have to believe it, I was just stating how you're wrong. Have a great day. This might not be the best place for a back and forth.
@Cutmastavictory Yeah, which I even acknowledged FF14 was cross-play, if you'd bothered to read my response. I also said the odd titles that were, were all coincidently MMOs. Cross-play was an exception that generation, not the rule.
You, however, are choosing the ignore the network-wide crossplay issue; an entirely separate matter. The FF14 matter is done. It was crossplay. I admit it. TWICE. Yet you're still unsatisfied.
However, I'm not wrong that Sony is still causing issues for some publishers. You're the one who refuses to accept that Sony was causing issue, at least as far as Gearbox is concerned. Borderlands 3 still doesn't support cross-play. They had to remove it for certification by Sony. This is well documented, which I cited. You're choosing to ignore the words of Pitchford, not me. https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/05/borderlands_3_crossplay_kyboshed_on_ps5_ps4_by_publisher
Removed - flaming/arguing
@EVIL-C look, don't resort to name calling. You're being the thing you're calling me. And no, I didn't keep it going after you conceded, I only replied to your comment. No one is running, just no point in arguing, not sure why you have a burning desire to continue being wrong, but again, enjoy your day.
Grats to the fans! I'll be waiting for this to drop down to $20 New before I pick it up.
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