Crossplay: Power In Numbers is a new report from Improbable, which explores the size, opportunity and complexity of ‘crossplay’ games – which can be played across multiple devices.
The new normal
We’ve come a long way since cartridges and split-screen. Games are live, multiplayer is global and competing platforms are now connected.
Yet there is one driving force behind this evolution that remains unchanged. Players use games to connect and socialise with each other.
The arrival of live-service, multi-platform titles like Fortnite and Fall Guys gives them new and exciting ways to do this, expanding the possibilities of the multiplayer gameplay experience.
But while life got better for players, it got significantly harder for developers. Creating multiple versions of the same game for numerous platforms and storefronts, while also managing regular releases across them all,
is far more complex than building a single platform, single release game.
The same group of friends who used to crowd around a TV to play Goldeneye are now playing across different platforms, in different locations.
Not only do they still expect to play together, but they expect the game experience to be frequently updated with new features and enhancements. This is the industry standard for multiplayer video games, creating live-service games for a global network of players that can play together, irrespective of platform.
For so many years, groups of friends have been separated by the inability to play across different platforms
John Wasilczyk
The result? An enhanced gameplay experience, and an opportunity for studios and publishers to create games that players keep coming back for.
Reach 3.2 billion gamers
With the number of gamers continuing to grow globally and the value of the games market projected to reach $256.97 billion by 2025, the opportunities to reach more than three billion gamers through crossplay titles are growing.
However, the report does not shy away from the complexities of producing games that provide seamless crossplay experiences for all players.
Improbable’s vice president of UK and China games studio, John Wasilczyk, said: “One of the most exciting trends that we’ve seen in video games over the last few years involves huge companies and corporations coming together to be more flexible and do what’s right for the player. This is what’s core to the crossplay experience.
For so many years, groups of friends have been separated by the inability to play across different platforms. They would have to make an almost tribal choice of which platform to play on. But with the advent of crossplay, games are far more accessible to groups who no longer need to make this choice. Players now have more access to more people around the world anytime, anywhere.”
Crossplay complexities
Building out multi-platform functionality is a daunting task for any dev team. Every platform
comes with its own rules, quirks and certification requirements.
On average, it takes two in-house developers working three months full time for every new platform or store. That’s a total of 15 months worth of work for a studio launching a game across 5 platforms or stores.
Why does it take so long?
- Porting your game – Every system works differently. From APIs to in-game design/interface. It’s more than
just simple duplication, it’s complex rebuilding in most cases. - Quality control – For every release, and for each platform, the game needs to be built, submitted, pass
compliance/testing, and then distributed separately to each of the stores and platforms. - Safety protocol – The game’s identity and authentication system needs to support registration with
all of the platform/store specific accounts. - In-game purchases – Custom integrations need to be built for each store to allow in-game purchases. This includes changes to UI/UX, records of purchase and post-purchase navigation back into the game.
As Improbable senior software engineer Chris Giroir, said: “You should be launching on every platform that makes sense for your game. If your game plays well on a platform and it’s fun on a platform, there shouldn’t be a technical reason you don’t launch on that platform.”
You should be launching on every platform that makes sense for your game.
Chris Giroir
The crossplay connection
Crossplay enablement is now crucial to driving player engagement. The more engaged players are, the more time they will spend playing a game.
Yet out of all the games that currently exist, only 106 mainstream titles have crossplay enabled, giving all 3.2 billion players just 106 crossplay games to choose from.
Studios and publishers should prioritise crossplay when building a new multiplayer experience.
This applies to both new studios and ones with live games.
Friends on different platforms can play together, enhancing the player experience and increasing engagement. In a recent report by Epic Games, the company found that cross-players on Fortnite played an average 570 per cent more than non-cross-players, resulting in many more days of play every month.
Players aren’t siloed to platforms/stores so there are bigger pools for matchmaking. This results in both shorter wait times and more opportunities to develop gameplay enhancing matchmaking rules, like matching players based on experience levels, languages, and location.
Alternate game modes with smaller, more experimental features can thrive with a bigger pool of players to keep them active. Although these players may be in the minority, they may be some of the game’s most loyal and highest spending. Not only that, but these additional modes bring variety to the experience, keeping them playing for longer.
By aggregating players into one cross-platform pool, you can keep matchmaking times below acceptable thresholds for longer, enabling you to sunset your game much later, delighting your loyal players.
By enabling cross-platform progression and purchases alongside crossplay, you make it far more appealing to play your game more often on multiple devices, increasing engagement.
Players now have more access to more people around the world anytime, anywhere.
John Wasilczyk
Back-end business
For an online game to support crossplay, all of its backend services need to work across the boundaries of the individual platforms and stores. For this to happen, there are a series of complex requirements that need to be in place.
- Cross-platform networking – Clients across all platforms/stores need a networking solution to communicate with each other and/or the same server.
- Player identity & authentication – An identity and authentication system is required that enables players to register with their account across any store/platform,
and where players have multiple accounts be able to recognise them as the same person. - Cross-purchase/progression – Progression and in-game commerce systems need to understand that a single-player might be using multiple accounts. You also need a way of responding to policies and requirements for this across different stores/platforms.
- Social connection – In-game social systems such as presence, friends list and invites need to work across platform and store boundaries.
- Matchmaking on multiple platforms – Lobby and Matchmaking systems need to work across platform and store boundaries so players can be matched on other platforms/stores.
The full Crossplay: Power in numbers report is entirely free to download. It includes valuable case studies, and real-world examples of games that have enabled crossplay from the outset, as well as titles that have incorporated it after release.
The report offers developers and publishers insight into how they can plan and implement cross-platform multiplayer gaming and where they can find help and support when needed.
The report can be found and downloaded here.
