The Agency: chances of cross-platform play are slim

To cross-platform, or not to cross-platform, that is the question for Sony Online Entertainment’s upcoming MMO shooter, The Agency. The game will appear on both the PlayStation 3 and the PC. Unfortunately, SOE CEO John Smedley remarks that the chances of cross-platform play for the MMO are slim. Read the full story in the full article.

Sony Online Entertainment expressed last year that they were still on the fence on cross-platform play for their new MMO shooter, The Agency (PlayStation 3, PC). In January,
they expressed that cross-platform play would have its hitches.

They reasoned that updates and patches for the PS3 and PC versions won’t run on the same schedule because of the differences of their certification process and this would make it difficult for cross-platform play.

This time, SOE CEO John Smedley explains another hitch in having cross-platform play for The Agency, saying that gameplay between the two platforms would inevitably lead to balancing out the strengths and weaknesses of each platform:

I think that our expectations are that weÂ’re going to decide that we wonÂ’t have cross-platform play, simply because of the difference in [control schemes]. Would the mouse player have a unique advantage? Would we have to make the auto-aiming system on the console a lot better to compensate for that? That would take some of the skill element away on the console.

That doesn’t mean they’ll stop trying to make cross-platform a reality: Smedley says that they “are honestly going to give it a try.” Also, there may be a compromise. Sort of. If cross-platform play doesn’t pull through, players may still be log on their characters from either platform.

Via Next Generation