Nintendo allowing cross-platform play on Wii U, claims Ripstone

Nintendo is allowing cross-platform multiplayer on the Wii U and 3DS to other consoles and devices, claims publisher Ripstone’s creative director.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Phil Gaskell said Nintendo had given the greenlight for the company to implement cross-platform play in its upcoming Pure Chess and Knytt Underground games with other console players and smartphone users.

Ripstone is still talking to the likes of Sony however on whether developers on the PS4 and Vita would be able to do the same, but Gaskell believes the firm will not have an issue with it.

“They’re changing their policies on the technical side a lot swifter,” he said.

“We’re launching Pure Chess and Knytt Underground later this year, and on Pure Chess we asked whether we could do cross-platform multiplayer, expecting it to be the typical closed console platform I’ve been used to working with for 20 years. Within a couple of days they said, ‘yep, no problem. You can have other console players playing against Wii U players. You can have smartphone players play against them. No problem.’

"We’re still talking to Sony about them relaxing their policies, but we don’t think they’ll have any issue with it. So when we launch Pure Chess you’ll be able to play against Wii U, 3DS, iOS and Android players. And when we patch PlayStation those consoles will be added into the mix as well."

In the past console manufacturers have been criticised for offering closed systems and heavy restrictions on digital content, including large update fees.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo appear set to change this perception somewhat with the next-generation of more connected consoles however. Microsoft has already waved update fees for the Xbox 360, and Sony has worked closely with companies like CCP to ensure free-to-play and MMO titles can successfully run on a console.

Develop has contacted Nintendo for clarification on its policies for cross-platform play.