Musings on the Battlefield: Sony "Share Play", and why EA needs to “do the decent”.

With Sony’s recent announcement about the features of their 2.0 software update for PS4 … well … one FEATURE in particular, “SHARE PLAY”, they have upped the ante for game distributors worldwide to either “put up or shut up”.

Games that don’t offer a “co-op” mode, like BF4, are going to have to give back a little of their profits if they are to keep pace with the increasingly SOCIAL NATURE of gaming.

copyright Mike Reed

Do you hear me sweetheart? I said, EA is going to have to allow for SHARE PLAY, and whatever Microsoft’s iteration will be, if they are to stay competitive in the mindset of gamers who prefer the online, multiplayer experience, to the single-player game mode. I count myself amongst the former.

Since Share Play requires the purchase of the PS4 AND the PS Plus membership, it’s not like either company is sacrificing much.

“Yeah, but how does EA benefit from Sony’s PS Plus sales?”

My guess is that Sony has extended a partnership agreement with specific distributors like EA. If a purchase of EA software is made via PS Plus, EA gets a cut, and EA get access to the PS Plus membership.

Make no mistake; EA wants to stay a PS Plus advocate. Sony has made it clear that PS Plus is their premium customer interface, and games which take advantage of the new feature(s) will no doubt get top-shelf treatment in Sony’s marketing campaigns, (see the nod to the Last of Us, NBA2K, and Child of Light; Sony Announcement).

But even if there were no economic incentive, EA and DICE need to do the decent and see that their faithful Battlefield customers are rewarded for their loyalty, and in the process, lay the framework for the future of Battlefield gaming online.

"FINALLY 120! But wait, WHAT DO YOU MEAN EVERYONE IS ALREADY 130!"

It's not fair but neither is the nature of gaming. We are a Darwinian lot and even though we chant "fair play" it's with a certain knowledge that the online multiplayer first-person-shooter is a dog-eat-dog, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST world in which we inhabit.

It, therefore, came as no great surprise when, in the midst of gloating my recent 120 - BRIGADIER GENERAL achievement, I became aware of the multitude of my superiors who had already attained 130. God bless em and I hope to meet you ALL on the BATTLEFIELD, jerks.

BOOM SALAD FOREVER! PSN>JOHNDAVIDFLORES