Minecraft’s cross-platform play comes with a catch for Switch players

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A recent revelation about how Minecraft will handle cross-platform play might explain why PlayStation decided not to get on board.

Confirmed by both Xbox head Phil Spencer and Mojang CEO Jonas Martensson that, in order to log in for cross-platform play, all users will need to sign in with an Xbox Live account, even Nintendo Switch players.

How that will actually work is still yet to be seen. When asked whether Switch players will earn achievements, Spencer was “guessing no,” as that aspect of the system is up to Nintendo.

Another game with cross-platform play, Rocket League, allows players to sign in with their native accounts, whether it’s Xbox Live, PSN or Steam. But Rocket League is a third-party game, whereas Microsoft is probably much keener to keep a close eye on its first-party cash cow while also offering a convenient and transferable experience on all platforms. According to Spencer:

We use Xbox Live as the way to make sure we know who our players are, controls around parental controls and other things that we put into our platform are there. And as you’re buying things in Minecraft, you want to make sure you have them available on other platforms, so we have to know who you are. If you have a realm that you’ve created on the PC and you want to get to it on the Switch, we have to have an identity system and we just use Xbox Live.


One question that remains is whether Nintendo Switch players will have to pay $60 for a yearly Xbox Live Gold subscription just to play with Xbox and PC players.

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Source: http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/minecrafts-cross-platform-play-comes-with-a-catch-for-switch-players/

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"Minecraft’s cross-platform play comes with a catch for Switch players" :: Login/Create an Account :: 12 comments

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MajPosted:

Paying extra for cross play is stupid. If it's implemented it should be free, end of.

SkatesPosted:

I'm sure players won't have to pay the extra live subscrtion fee for cross play. If they had to, it wouldn't do well and Microsoft knows that.

TOXICPosted:

Pretty decent idea i suppose :-)

ZydrinPosted:

Still not bad for a wicked cool idea like that.

PostMalonePosted:

So from what i gather from this is and the other article that was posted. Xbox players can play with PC players. Pretty much all platform,s can play with each other

Rocky5Posted:

I see some folk think this may charge you or it's similar to XBLG, buts all this is is basically a MS email account with a free gamertage. Nothing less nothing more.

It's used to make sure all the DLC works across all supported platform, that everyone can connect to a unified pool of servers and players and for parental controls since MS cannot access the switch profile information.

Basically if MS had access to the switch profile system then they might be able to do it without creating a new email or using an existing one ( if you have a switch you have an email ) but they don't and this is the only way to get unified players with persistent worlds and DLC.
( note PC players all have free XBL accounts or they can't play MC, java version is different but still requires an mojang account )

SakonPosted:

I hope they don't make switch players pay $60 just to pay with xbl, Unless they branch out and add way more games then just Minecraft.

TaigaAisakaPosted:

Seeing how Nintendo has their own online service, which also has it's own parental controls, I can't see why Nintendo users would have to sign up with Xbox Live. My only guess would be for better monitoring of I guess people trying to modify their game; however I have never heard of a person being banned in Minecraft. PC supports mods, Xbox and I believe PlayStation added in their own skin pack mods. The only thing left I can see would be trolling/harassing. That or I guess with the fact that Microsoft bought Mojang a while back. Just seems off to me that Nintendo and Sony users would have had to use an Xbox Live account, when all those systems have their own online.

FibrilPosted:

platyui What people don't understand is that Xbox live has a free version. It's what they call Xbox silver


I guess its not that much of a pain in the ass to create an Xbox Live account as long as you have an email address already.

platyuiPosted:

What people don't understand is that Xbox live has a free version. It's what they call Xbox silver


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