Generally, the gaming community has always been at the center of video games; we love competing. Unfortunately, cross-playing was previously impossible, and the only way we could compete was by using a similar gaming platform.
This meant that we had to consider our friends' consoles when buying a game since they were designed for specific platforms. But everything changed in the early 2000s when developers started creating cross-platform games for the pay-n-play casino industry.
After all, most video games feature multiple players; therefore, developers ensure they're compatible with various devices. Initially, cross-playing worked between PCs or devices that could easily communicate with each other. Later, they introduced the same games to other gaming platforms.
Currently, the only thing we have to consider when purchasing new games is the gaming experience and not our consoles or gaming platform. But is cross-platform gaming as beneficial to the developers as it is to players? And don't console-specific games mean more income for the developers? Let's find out.
What Is Cross-Platform Game Development?
This means developing a game that different players can enjoy on various gaming consoles at the same time. So, instead of working on other code bases for the many platforms, developers focus on a single code base.
This makes these games stable and easy to maintain/upgrade. To create a cross-platform game, they use various software/programs to adapt their code base to multiple platforms. With cross-platform gaming, you can enjoy games like Zombie Chronicles with your pals, irrespective of their platforms.
Why Develop Cross-Platform Games?
Developing cross-platform games is quite complex and has more challenges. Remember, online casino video games have to be interactive, irrespective of the platform. Making the same game for various platforms can be challenging and hardworking, but cross-platform gaming has more advantages.
For instance, developers can now work on a single and stable code base for various platforms. Therefore, the developers can use fewer resources and more high-end technology that will grant you an interactive experience.
On top of that, the upgrading process is relatively more straightforward since they'll be working on a single code base instead of multiple coding bases. This will save time and money in the long run as the team won't be working with a number of code bases.
The Advantages of Cross-Platform Game Development
As aforementioned, cross-playing has lots of benefits for both players and developers. For players, it will improve their gaming experience while saving cash. Some of the key benefits of cross-platform gaming development include the following:
- Potential to reach more players: By creating a game that can be played on PC, Xbox, mobile phones, and Nintendo Switch, you can reach more players. Developers can have more impact on a vast target audience.
- Accessible: A video game that can be easily accessed on different platforms can attract more users. After all, we all have our favorite platforms; therefore, this will fulfill our wishes. We can even join others while traveling, thanks to our smart devices.
- A great experience: The cross-playing features help developers bring people together. With cross-platform games, everyone can have fun regardless of their platform/console or geographical location. This means that players can stay with their pals online and play Overwatch 2, irrespective of their geographic location.
- Cost saving: Cross-platform game development lets developers save cash by using a single development cycle. So, instead of investing in various development cycles, they invest in one and ensure that it supports multiple platforms. On top of that, cross-platform games are pretty famous, so they don't spend much on advertisement and marketing.
- Low maintenance cost: Generally, if they have to update the video game, then they will work on a single code base. This means lower development and maintenance costs. After all, updating a single code base is easier than working on multiple codes of the same game.
- Effective marketing: Since there will be no competition between consoles for sales, companies can focus on a single audience group. Therefore, developers can centralize their marketing efforts while lowering their expenses and improving their profits.
What’s Available for Cross-Platform Gaming?
Currently, the demand for cross-platform gaming experience is relatively high. Therefore, developers are switching to these types of games. In fact, they're even converting some old games to cross-platform gaming.
For instance, Halo 3 was originally exclusive to Xbox 360. But since the launching of Master Chief Collection on PC, this game has been introduced to multiple platforms. Some of the top games that you can use on a wide range of platforms include:
- Call of Duty (Vanguard, Warzone, Modern Warfare, and Black Ops Cold War): they're compatible with Xbox SeriesX/S, PC, Xbox One, PS4 and PS5.
- Overwatch: PC, Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.
- Chivalry 2: Xbox SeriesX/S, Xbox One, PS5, PC, and PS4.
