Minecraft Cross-platform gaming

1. The definition of cross platform gaming is a term used to describe the ability of a video game with an online gaming component that allows players using different video game hardware to play with each other simultaneously. 

2. Microsoft's "Better Together" update is so exciting for the gaming world, as it the first time a game that has offered cross-play across all these platforms ( Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile, and VR). Which is an incredible thing as Minecraft could be one of the first platform-agnostic titles.

3. Their might be concerns over online child protection, as allowing cross-platform play puts players at risk due to online communities at large not being able to be controlled. So for example sony pulled out of cross platform gaming, this is why the Playstation was not included in the list, as they have a contract with the people that go online with them and they say that they look after them when they are within the PlayStation curated universe. Therefore they would be liable if they broke this contract.

4. The future for cross-platform gaming, in my opinion has many opportunities that cross-platform gaming will present for example increased longevity for multiplayer titles, bigger audiences for niche market games, and more word-of-mouth promotion of games between owners of various consoles. In which lies the future, which is cross platform gaming and any company who is not going this way is pedalling backwards.

Implementing cross-platform gaming would be advantageous as this would introduce more players and hopefully keep the game relevant also if a game comes out and is available on all platforms this would cut into the profit of hardware sales.

For the audience genre-Specifically a con for cross-platform games would be that on consoles the gamers do not have access to an ultra precise mice or keyboards therefore the other gamers would be slaughtered as PC gamers have an advantage in the first person gaming arena.

Another con to Cross-Platform gaming both for the game developers and the audience would be that the concerns of online child protection.