It’s been quite a year for racing games, especially in the competitive scene. The racing world of esports appears to grow larger by the day, with just about every major player onboard. If there’s one thing that could improve competitive racing, it would be the growth of the community at-large.
One thing that would help: being able to race against others, regardless of their gaming platform.
Fortunately, what was once a pipe dream may soon become a reality. Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, want to make it easier for other developers by sharing the cross-platform technology it has built for its wildly popular, free-to-play title.
Cross-platform play, or cross-play, is exactly as it sounds. It allows players to compete against and/or play with others in the same game, regardless if they are playing on an Xbox, PlayStation, or PC. This is a challenge from both a technical and business perspective: things like gamer tags and server infrastructure are not shared between platforms, and the console makers would prefer to keep players within their own walled gardens.
Epic Games is working on breaking down those technical barriers. In a post on the Unreal Engine website, the team revealed its plans to release the tech throughout the next year. The services will be free for all developers, and will be open to all engines, platforms, and storefronts.
If this doesn’t seem like a big deal at first, consider the possibilities.
Take Project CARS 2, for example: no longer would players be forced to buy the game for the platform their friends are using, only to be forever isolated from players using other devices. PC, Xbox, and PlayStation owners could all race together. To go a step further, true cross-play opens the possibility of bringing mobile (iOS and Android) and Nintendo players into the mix as well.
The wheels may already be turning. After all, Slightly Mad Studios has announced it’s developing a new pCARS. While there may not be any concrete details beyond that, who knows — it could be one of the first racing titles to bridge the gap.
It’s worth pointing out this will only apply to titles that are already multi-platform. The likes of Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo will remain exclusive to the Xbox/PC and PlayStation, respectively. For others, such as Need For Speed and Assetto Corsa, this tech is fair game.
We couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds in regards to this. Before getting too excited, it’s worth remembering that the major players in the industry — Sony and Microsoft — have to agree to this first. Fortnite’s massive player base gives its developers more leverage than most, but the fact they have been able to break the ice in this area is an exciting development for all gamers.
With the ninth generation of consoles just over the horizon, the timing is right to shake things up. With rumors beginning to perk up again, it’s only a matter of time before more pieces of the puzzle start to come together, and the racing genre could benefit the most of all.
Photomode image courtesy of Cluck.
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