Category: Gaming News · PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo
Part 1 — Introduction to Cross-Platform Gaming
Unlike a couple of decades ago, now gaming is not confined to a single device whether it is a console or a PC. Today players are likely to use several kinds of devices to play the same games. As a result, there appears the need for cross-platform gameplay experience which includes cross-platform progression as an important part of such systems.
For example, imagine spending hours unlocking some kind of equipment or missions in your game or developing a character in a game world. Without any system of cross-platform progression, you will have to start all over again on a different platform. The cross-platform progression system is designed to provide more convenience to gamers.
It should be noted that the cross-platform progression differs from the cross-platform multiplayer feature in that multiplayer lets people from different platforms to play together whereas the progression synchronization allows carrying the progress made on one platform to another supported one.
How Cross-Platform Progression Works
Most cross-platform progressions involve an account through which all the game information is connected between the supported platforms. This may vary depending on the particular game but could include campaign progress, characters unlocked, items in your inventory, achievements, and multiplayer statistics.
Once the player logs into another supported platform, the game gets all the information from the account and the eligible progress becomes available for use. Cloud computing and server-side technology can help in syncing the information even though it varies depending on the game.
There may not be a transfer of all the information. Some purchases, downloadable content, premium currency, and platform-specific rewards might only be available on the platform on which the player got the content.
It is important that you read the documentation of the cross-platform progression of a game before buying content on more than one platform. You should know which accounts need to be connected and if this can be reversed.
If done correctly, cross-platform progression removes any friction while making it easier for you to keep progressing.
Benefits for Players
The first and the most obvious advantage of cross-platform progression is its convenience. Gamers can continue doing the supported activity on any device without creating a new character or starting to do the missions that have been done before. The possibility of cross-platform progression can be especially helpful for gamers who spend their gaming time both on consoles at home and on PC.
Moreover, this feature can be quite useful for making gaming accessible. For example, a gamer may find it convenient to use his or her powerful computer to play complicated games, but would prefer to use some other portable device to spend time on shorter playing sessions. Thus, synchronization of progress will be helpful in such cases.
In addition, the ability to continue supported gameplay on different platforms will allow players to keep their eligible unlocks, character progression, and achievements when they join supported communities in multiplayer games.
However, it is worth noting that cross-platform progression will be possible only in case of good implementation of the game. Otherwise, the absence of the opportunity to support certain purchases, having different progression on various platforms, or inability to link accounts may cause difficulties for gamers.
Thus, cross-platform progression will
Technical and Business Challenges
Creating a connected gaming environment requires more than just putting information about players in the cloud. The data structures need to be consistent, the accounts need to be secure, there are synchronization problems, and the progress has to be accurate across all supported versions of a game.
Different platforms mean different problems too. Every platform can have its own rules about account management, purchasing options, online services, and certifications. Designers have to work with the platform specifics, but make the experience coherent for the user.
Commercial aspects are important as well. A company may allow cross-progression when it comes to game achievements and restrict the ability to buy something or use virtual currency. Thus, the two versions of one game may have different entitlements.
It is vital to consider security as well. The linking of accounts makes users vulnerable to different kinds of attacks. If the credentials are stolen or if the user gives some rights without understanding what he or she did, the game experience can become problematic. So, there needs to be good authentication, easy account recovery, and data handling explanation.
All the difficulties described above explain why maintaining cross-platform features is necessary. Game updates, launches, and changing
Cross-Platform Progression and the Future
The more gadgets players have, the more relevant expectations about account continuity are going to be. In modern times, gaming communities are becoming more convenient, supportive of user communities, and focused on long-term preservation of progress.
These processes can be enhanced if developers inform players about compatible platforms, clarify transferable purchases, and offer efficient means for managing one's account. Such communication allows users to be aware of restrictions that they face before purchasing the game or connecting accounts.
Internet cloud gaming services can make game-play more flexible, but it will also depend on the availability of Internet connection and the specifics of the software and service itself. Playing offline can cause new synchronization problems if progress on several devices is modified.
However, the development of such systems can occur only if there will be cooperation between game developers, publishers, and platform providers. Pure technical solutions will not be enough, as commercial restrictions and peculiarities of certain platforms will always exist.
In case of players, the optimal method would be checking cross-progression compatibility of the game before investing money into it.
Conclusion
One more aspect that became crucial in modern gaming is cross-platform progression. In other words, it gives players flexibility when they switch to another device among those that support the game. Connecting appropriate game data helps players keep their progress in character development, finished tasks, and other achievements.
However, sharing the game progress is different from cross-platform multiplayer. Moreover, these two features cannot guarantee that all purchases and rewards will be transferred, as there can be account-related issues or others that prevent this process.
The best implementation of this feature is when the company provides synchronization, clear and understandable rules, secure account management, and well-written support documentation. These aspects are able to create some trust and eliminate confusion.
Before making a purchase of the game on different platforms, players should look through the progression policy of the game and learn about the content that will be transferred.
This option can stay relevant depending on the further evolution of gaming ecosystems. It will succeed or fail based on how developers will cope with different aspects of the issue.