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Growing up in the bad old days of the internet I remember the browser wars. Netscape, Internet Explorer, Safari, and a handful of other browsers all had different rules for which html code would display properly on each browser. Some of the browsers even had their own proprietary code that wouldn’t work on competitors browsers. Essentially the tool that people used to get access to the internet was setting up fences and restricting what content could and could not be used by the user. This was considered unacceptable and from that fetid toxic war the W3C was born that enforces a standardized form of html for use on the internet.

Fast forward to the current day and shift your focus to at home gaming consoles. Many games nowadays have always online requirements and run off of 3rd party servers. What are 3rd party servers I hear the crowd unfamiliar with networking infrastructure ask? For a PC user, A 3rd party server is a server not run by you nor run by your internet provider. For a console user, a 3rd party server would not be run by you, your internet provider, nor your console manufacturer. For games that use 3rd party servers for saving progress and items, you make an account to access the server with the 3rd party and play the game.

Console Gatekeeping

If you use a pc for gaming you are likely familiar with online games you have to make an account for. League of Legends is an excellent example of this. Your data is saved to their servers and linked to the account you made with them. You can log into any computer anywhere in the world and your account will be there ready and waiting for you.

Consoles as of late, don’t like to allow this. If you keep up with gaming news you may have heard of the fiasco with Epic Games, Sony, and user’s Fortnight accounts. Fortnight runs on 3rd party servers and all your information is bound to your fortnight account. Unfortunately, if you linked or created your Fortnight account on the PlayStation 4 your account became locked to that platform. You could no longer use your account on Xbox, Switch, or the PC.

As Consoles have fully entered into the online gaming scene with last generation and even more so in the current one, they have become more guarded and recalcitrant when it comes to ensuring a player base stays where they want them. The easiest way to do this previously was brand exclusive games but an easier and cheaper method is now being exploited: user accounts. Say you play Warframe on the Xbox One and you decide you want a really sweet gaming rig for PC gaming. You build your box and learn Warframe is on pc, sweet right? WRONGO BONGO you can’t transfer your account, it’s locked to Xbox. 

Why you should be mad about this + free torch and pitchfork*

Consoles are no longer what they were back when the Super Nintendo was king. They are not a tiny computer built only for games they are now a tiny computer for in home media centres and games. But the key part there is tiny computer, they use the same bits and bobs albeit handled in a proprietary manner as computers do nowadays. They also come with web browsers, online stores, and can connect to third party servers with great ease. A console is just a computer with less user control. Go back and read that again, I need you to really get that.

We wouldn’t be okay if a Dell decided that your OneDrive could only be accessed if you used Dell and if you tried none of your files were available. What if google docs said you could only access your files if you used a Samsung notebook? People would revolt those products would be down the shitter and those brands would be up crap creek without a paddle. So why is it okay for gaming consoles to do the same thing to your 3rd party gaming accounts?

Email Microsoft, email Sony, start a petition, don’t let these new age internet gatekeepers set up shop at our inconvenience. Dissent

*the torch and pitchfork is both invisible and imaginary