Play Anywhere Extends Past Microsoft
At E3 last year, Microsoft was quick to promote Play Anywhere, their rollicking gimmick designed to sell more Xbox Ones. Play Anywhere allows fans who buy a first party Xbox One game also play it on PC, a real boon for gamers too lazy to move between their study and living room. It allows gamers to play anywhere, with the minor caveat that it has to be a Microsoft operating system and not on a mobile device.
Since Microsoft snubbed the other console companies, Sony and Nintendo have decided to snub Microsoft right back. The two competitors are releasing their own version of Play Anywhere; however, rather than releasing the games on PC for fans to access, the companies have joined forces to collectively bundle games.
This has resulted in Dragon Quest XI being released in a bundle containing the game on both the Sony PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo 3DS. The bundle has been announced in Japan, where you get both versions of the game, along with a knife you can use to stab anybody asking about playing the game on Xbox.
The bundle is being released at the price of 14,960 yen. This equates to approximately US$135 or AU$180. Either Sony and Nintendo are making you pay for both copies of the game, defeating the purpose entirely; or it’s a bargain and you’re paying a hefty special edition surcharge for the knife.
Silent Protagonist contacted Sony and Nintendo for comment, but it devolved into squabbles about whether Dragon Quest XI is a PS4 game bundled with a copy on 3DS, or a 3DS game bundled with a copy on PS4. Both companies vowed never to work together again, so sorry about that.
