A little under two weeks ago, 2Krevealedthat it was porting the latest entry in its classic turn-based strategy series, Civilization VI, over to Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One this Nov. 22.
Although Civilization VI doesn’t feature cross-play multiplayer, the expansion to even more platforms afterjumpingto Nintendo Switch last year was welcome news for players eager to carry their progress with them across multiple platforms.
No Civilization VI Cross-Progression On PlayStation 4
Sony, in its infinite wisdom and on-going resistance to open play despite cross-play effortsreportedlyout of beta, has decided to spoil everyone’s fun and not support cross-saves for Civilization VI on PlayStation 4.
The news emerges from aninnocuous tweetfrom Civilization VI announcing a game overview notification feature in the upcoming PlayStation 4 version of the game.
Responding to a question as to whether the strategy game would now support cross-play across PC and console, developer Firaxis Games confirmed this wouldn’t be the case before adding that cross-save was available across all platforms except for PlayStation 4.
Policy Limitations and PlayStation Plus Barrier
Accordingto an interview with Gaijin Entertainment supremo, Anton Yudintsev, Sony crippling yet another game with its prohibitive stance may stem from new cross-play policies that impose even stricter limitations on cross-save features. Yudintsev is no stranger to grappling with the powers that be at Sony exemplified by the on-going struggle to secure cross-play permission for Gaijin’s multiplayer vehicular combat sim, War Thunder.
Another possible reason could be linked to Sony’s policy of requiring a PlayStation Plus subscription for cloud saves. Conscious of not putting off potential players by advertising the cross-progression feature on PlayStation 4 as requiring PS (another monetary investment on top of the price of the game), Firaxis and2K Gamesmay have decided to sidestep it entirely.
Speculation aside, what’s certain is that Civilization VI is the latest game to fall victim to Sony’s draconian and, by this point, misguided policies to keep players locked into PlayStation platform despite the rest of the industry embracing an intertwined multi-platform ecosystem.
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