Bethesda Hesitant to Bring ‘The Elder Scrolls: Legends’ to Consoles Without Cross-Play
By Brittany Vincent
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – When it comes to Bethesda’s popular card game ” The Elder Scrolls: Legends ,” cross-play is the name of the game. According to head of marketing and comms Pete Hines, the team isn’t keen on releasing it on any systems that won’t support said feature, which could leave PlayStation 4 users out in the cold.
Speaking to Game Informer at QuakeCon 2018 , Hines explained that the strategy card game features cross-platform play and progress, and that it is the company’s “intention” that for it to come out on consoles, it has to include those features on any system it lands on.
“We cannot have a game that works one way across everywhere else except for on this one thing,” said Hines. “The way the game works right now on Apple, Google, Steam, and Bethesda.net, it doesn’t matter where you buy your stuff, if you play it on another platform that stuff is there. It doesn’t matter what platform you play on, you play against everyone else who is playing at that moment.”
Hines explained that those terms, allowing cross-play across every system, are “non-negotiable.” While he didn’t go into specifics, he’s almost certainly referring to the fact that Sony and the PlayStation 4 have been causing quite a stir in the gaming community over the feature – most recently regarding an issue with “Fortnite” after it debuted on Nintendo Switch. Players who had ever logged into their Epic Games account via PlayStation 4 to enjoy the battle royale game quickly discovered that they would no longer be able to use those accounts to take their games on the go with the Nintendo Switch.
This wasn’t the first or last time the PlayStation 4 has been left out of cross-play opportunities, as the latest “Minecraft” update demonstrating, bringing players together on nearly every system except the PlayStation 4. Players have been frustrated with Sony’s decision to keep players from enjoying their games with friends, and it looks like the company’s refusal to play ball could end up costing it “The Elder Scrolls Online” as a console experience as well.
Bethesda initially announced that “The Elder Scrolls Legends” would be coming to consoles during its E3 press conference in June. The free-to-play card game is currently available on PC and mobile devices.
