Sony has admittedly come leaps and bounds from its initial, dismissive stance on cross-platform functionality, though many have stated that the PlayStation company still has a long way to go before reaching the same levels of cooperation as Nintendo and Microsoft. Now, one developer has weighed in on Sony’s lack of cross-play options, suggesting that the company needs to make up for its shortcomings in other areas.

The folks over at gamingbolt recently sat down with Jim Dirschberger of Wide Right Interactive, the latter of which have a new shoot ’em up titled Freedom Finger releasing later this year. According to Dirschberger, Sony needs to step up its game and offer more PlayStation-specific content to make up for its lack of cross-play functionality. “Unless they can substitute the lack of cross-play with some PlayStation-specific perks, it seems like an unnecessary burden to shoulder,” Dirschberger said. He did however relent, stating that he can also “see the risk” associated with going down the same road as both Nintendo and Microsoft.

They’ve worked hard to create a very specific kind of online environment for their customers, do they really want to open the floodgates and let the competition in?”

Despite Sony’s apprehension, Dirschberger says that cross-play absolutely needs to become an industry standard. “It really has to, you know? he said, when asked if he sees cross-play functionalities becoming a more mainstream feature on next generation consoles. “I think developers have to demand it as well. I have fond memories of playing 4×4 Evo’s multiplayer on my Dreamcast against PC players. It just worked and was a ton of fun. Beyond the obvious benefits to players, it makes the games somewhat future proof, because when a console’s multiplayer server inevitably shuts down, you still have some alternative options.”

Freedom Finger will release later this year for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

So, thoughts on Jim Dirschberger’s stance towards cross-play? Do you agree that Sony needs to do more? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment news! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!