Nintendo COO addresses Sony’s ‘Fortnite’ controversy

Sony’s stock may be taking a hit in the wake of crossplay problems with red-hot video game “Fortnite,” but its fellow video game company and competitor Nintendo has taken the issues in stride.

“Fortnite” -- perhaps the most popular video game in the world right now -- was made available for download on the Nintendo Switch earlier this week, but the game’s debut hit a snag. Although downloads on the Switch skyrocketed to more than two million within hours, players quickly found their accounts would not work if they had previously played on the PS4.

Sony dodged the problem for days before issuing a statement to the BBC that barely touched on the issue, further infuriating fans.

“We’re always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience. With more than 80 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, we’ve built a huge community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles,” the statement read in part.

Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime said during an interview with FOX Business’ Liz Claman that his company has not reached out to Sony regarding the problems with “Fortnite.”

“The decisions that our competitors make are really in their own hands,” he said on Thursday. “What we control are the decisions we make. And for us, at Nintendo, we believe that honoring the vision of a developer, honoring the fans and allowing the crossplay is really the right thing to do.”

And despite the problems, Fils-Aime said the number of downloads of “Fortnite” onto the Switch has continued to skyrocket.

“We’re thrilled about the momentum,” he said.