With "DC Universe Online" debuting on both the PC and the PS3 sometime next year, gamers have been wondering whether or not they'll be able to play with their friends across platforms.

In a phone interview last week, Chris Cao, the creative director at SOE-Austin, told me that cross-platform compatibility was one of the development studio's highest design goals, and while it is technically possible, there's one particular issue that's giving them trouble.

"Right now there's no technological reason why we can't," he said. "We want you to play with your friends, so everything that we do tries to get people to play together."

So if the technology isn't the problem, then what's preventing SOE from committing to cross-platform compatibility? Read more...