It would certainly be interesting if this happened in the investigation of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft.
Xbox and PC readers of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 received a rude awakening today when it came to crossplay.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is playable on PC via Steam and Activision Blizzard's own client, as well as Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. PlayStation players have the option to disable the cross-play so they can only play with other PlayStation players. Xbox and PC owners have just found out that they don't have this option for their own platforms.
This doesn't exactly give PlayStation gamers an edge, but it's a problem due to the lack of options. Most gamers find it easier to play with a mouse and keyboard, compared to using a console controller like the DualSense or Xbox Series controller. The most Call of Duty control setup gamers have on their computers is, of course, mouse and keyboard.
However, it's worth pointing out that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 actually has mouse and keyboard support for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S already built in. If players want, they can also use an adapter to use a mouse and keyboard setup on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, but that's not common given the extra cost.
Although console players can use the mouse and keyboard controls for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 themselves, they will need to purchase specific keyboards and mice that have been licensed to work on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. to this end. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is also configured to notify other players if you are on console, but using this configuration.
In practice, most gamers stick with the default control scheme they have on their given rig, which means PC gamers should have the edge every time they enter crossplay. .
Only, PC players also have to deal with the fact that console players have automatically enabled aim assist for them. If you use a mouse and keyboard for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on any platform, the game will permanently disable this aim assist. Aim assist is meant to level the playing field for console players, but some PC players may also not want to deal with this from their opponents.
In general, the ideal arrangement for an even playing field would be to have the ability to disable crossplay, so everyone has the same controller setup. PlayStation players have this option, but Xbox and PC players do not.
It's unclear at this time if this was a simple mistake on Infinity Ward's part, or a deliberate decision that they might not have realized would be extremely unpopular. After all, they're selling a disc for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 that doesn't even have the game on it.
Interestingly enough, this situation reinforces the case for the edge PlayStation has through its marketing and exclusivity deal with Activision Blizzard and the Call of Duty franchise. Microsoft can't even add Call of Duty to Game Pass if they complete their acquisition through this deal. With that in mind, it will certainly be interesting if this happens in the UK's CMA investigation into Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Source: Chronicle of video games
