Developers of 'Tekken 7' want to make it possible for PlayStation and Xbox users to play multiplayer games together.
Tekken 7 screenshot
Katsuhiro Harada, the boss behind the fighting game, has said he supports the idea of the two consoles using their online systems, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, to allow users of either console to cross-play with users of the rival platform.
The developer admits he has been speaking to both Sony and Microsoft to try and "champion the cause", but so far has yet to make the breakthrough due to security protocols and policies that are proving difficult to work with.
Speaking to GameSpot.com at a 'Tekken 7' event in Sydney, Katsuhiro said via translator and producer Michael Murray: "Since 'Tekken' has three platforms, to do [cross-play] is much more difficult because fighting games are peer-to-peer, which means you connected directly to your opponent.
"That means all the security protocols regarding PSN or Xbox Live, the user IDs and such, is quite difficult to match that - not technologically."
Katsuhiro went on to say that people often don't understand the level of the problem as they assume it involves a simple "technical feature", and says the end result unfortunately won't be "viable" until the companies change their security policies.
He added: "A lot of players, they don't know the problems involved with this. Many assume it's a technical feature and if you overcome it you can do it.
"[But] until there is some kind of progress between the first-parties adapting their security policies and just policy in general regarding online, to allow that, it's not going to be viable at this time. It's not to say that's the case forever. But until they change their policies, there's not a whole lot we can do."
Katsuhiro claims he has been trying to make cross-play between the two platforms happen for "quite some time", but as of yet he has not been successful.