"I would love for players on all platforms to stay connected... The fact that somebody would make an assertion that somehow we're not keeping Minecraft players safe ... I found, not only from a Microsoft perspective but an industry perspective, I don't know why that has to become the dialogue. That doesn't seem healthy for anyone. We can always do better with anything we do. I find the whole discussion around safety with our game and that somehow we wouldn't take that as a top priority … and frankly, through our parental controls on Xbox Live and everything else that we've done, shown that that's incredible important to us as a platform."

-Xbox boss Phil Spencer

Taken from:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-e3-2017-sonys-reasoning-for-blocking-cro/1100-6450966/

if xbox one is ahead of the ps4 worldwide, they would block cross play just like they did last gen

Can speculate all you like, the only current fact is that MS and NN are allowing it and not sony. 

Why is it unhealthy? Or who even cares? One 6 year old game cannot be played cross-platform, something that was never even promised in the first place? Yeah, I mean this mentality surely destroys the industry, not the fact that MS locks their PC offerings behind that dump that they call the windows store. No sir.

This is yet another big deal that was born out of the need to find an issue with Sony. Just like the lack of 4K BD playback...

Its not speculation, that actually happened last gen.

I agreed with Sony last gen when they were lagging behind and wanted to support cross play between the ecosystems and I agree with MS this gen while they are lagging behind and want to support cross play between the ecosystems.  More people to play with is better for everyone.

Well, for once he's not lying. It's still just PR blubber though.

The reasoning is business - either "our market share says we don't need to even bother with these guys" or "we gotta cover our asses in case of legal purposes." Lame either way. Yet I can't say I was ever seriously thinking of playing Minecraft, let alone with friends (and Xbox friends at that).

Exactly, some people dont realize that at the end everything is a BUSINESS and its all about the MONEY !!! Most of the games on PS4 have bigger playerbases than all other platforms combined so why should Sony help them and potentially lose PS4 Sales!?!? Of course the reasons Sony said are stupid but they dont want to say its because of the money and PS4 Sales, but i would rather say nothing and when there are people who cry about it and attack Sony for it!? Who cares, as long PS4 keeps selling like it does, they wont give a f*ck !!

Microsoft would do the same, in fact they did it last geneartion when they were the market leader, but now they are the company that can only benefit from it so of course they are going for it. And when i see people complain about the 4ThePlayers Hashtag, do you really think, this includes Xbox, PC, Nintendo players, hell nooo. !!

I just find it funny how people dont get that at the end of the day every god damn company is a Business and its all about the money, but comments like from Jim ryan wont help of course, just Shut up and say nothing about it, thats the best way imo.

You know I wondered about that because PlayStation and PC users were playing Final Fantasy Online together, yet Xbox owners weren't.

Sony and Xbox are just posturing for who gets to the top of the cross-play heap. They each want to own the single go-to account for cross-platform play.