Ben-DutkaAs we all know, great exclusives push hardware sales for a very obvious reason: if you can only play a game on one particular platform and you don't own it, you're gonna need it. That's it. But as we've found in this new generation, third-party multiplatform titles are the norm, and we certainly can't blame developers or publishers. It has become awfully expensive to produce a game for the current consoles and in order to insure a better return on investment, a company really needs to reach as many people as possible. Therefore, most games come to both the PS3 and Xbox 360. But does this encourage one-console ownership?
First of all, we're going to eliminate the Wii from this discussion, just because it doesn't actually have next-gen games and many titles in its library are exclusive. The Wii is in no way comparable to either the PS3 or 360 so if you want Wii software, you need a Wii. However, that being said, this can also factor into the argument as the Wii has sold about a gajillion units worldwide…doesn't this prove the aforementioned point? Now, say you either own the PS3 or 360. Just about every time a game comes out that you want to play, it's available for the machine you have at home. Hence, what's prompting you to drop the significant sum of money for the other console? Any true avid gamer will say you need both systems to get the most out of this generation – and that remains true – but exclusive titles, especially for the 360, are few and far between.
At this point, I've found it difficult to convince friends of mine to own a 360. They already have the PS3 and because most everything is multiplatform and the current state of exclusives certainly fall in favor of the PS3, my argument falters. The same can be said of convincing 360 owners to buy a PS3, although it's easier to point to the exclusive list and find a game they're definitely going to want. But the bottom line is that we're a good two and a half years into this generation, and I have a sneaking suspicion that there are many single-console owners out there because of the huge amount of multiplatform titles. In fact, if you ask people outside the industry, who really have no idea about video games, they'll often ask, "why would you have both? Aren't almost all the games on both machines?" It's hard to answer that even if you can turn to exclusives. Then again, we could always cite other options and features on the console, but software is always a top priority.
I just think that if there were more exclusive games for each system, it's perfectly logical to assume that console sales would rise. Single-console owners who love games simply wouldn't be able to resist any longer. It may be a strange way to look at things, but, well…sometimes I do that. 😉
Your PC might be OK for games now, but in a year or two you'll be looking to upgrade to stay current. Are you willing to pay such a high price for a small proportion of the games you play?
@TheHighlander
Your right(sigh)it dose cost a lot to keep my computer up to date but I love playing games on the PC so much, I don't think I can let go.
If you like it, keep on doing it then.
That's why it's a Personal Computer – your choice.
Personally, I built my own system – as a hobby I tinker with it. So I will no doubt spend an unfortunately large amount of money to make my Internet browser faster in the future. The last PC game I purchased was Civ IV, and I don't see that changing.
Of course I do use my PC for ripping CDs and DVDs for portable playback, and the video transcoding performance could be better, so I do at least have something other than email and browsing for my PC to do.
but how many pc games come out?
when i go to gamestop. they have half a shelf of pc games while the rest of the store is console games.
when i went to circuit city, there was 1 miniature shelf of pc games while console games took up 4 whole isles.
pc games are fun and addicting, but there is a lack of software. im a big blizzard fan.
Agreed! theirs not enough PC games anymore.
Wii play is better for the wii ;).
I have a PS3 and Wii, and i know the Wii doesn't count.
PC gaming is in it's own league just like the Wii.
My bro has the 360 and a PS3 he got the 360 first but he's had some unfortante issues he got fed up and got a PS3 now he sees info on MAG and say's he'll never go back to Halo or Gears.
I do worry on multi-platform on performance and look on games. EX: RE5 my friend has on his 360 and i have it for the PS3 and i do believe they could of pushed the visuals on the PS3 farther if it was an exclusive title.
Ya, I bought RE5 and KZ2 at the same time….I first played through RE5 (cause I love RE), and I thought the graphics were sick. Then I played KZ2 and going back I was like meh. Although the bosses were badass.
I have a PS3 (and my dad has a Wii, but whatever), and there's no game on the 360 that I really want so bad. Fable and Gears are okay, maybe Halo too, but they're no must-haves in my opinion. Killzone, LBP, Uncharted, God of War and Gran Turismo on the other hand…
PS3 is a must-have for me.
Do multiplatform games affect console sales? Of course. This is one of the reasons why the playstation 3 is behind the xbox 360 in sales.
I think if you like and can afford PC gaming thats cool, have fun, but lets say your system can run something like Crysis with its awesome visuals, the problem is that game is going to have to keep you busy for a very long time while over on the consoles we get new games all the time. So "avid" gamers always have consoles too. Otherwise you find yourself behind the times or sucking up Microsoft's cast offs.
lol @ "cast offs"
Love the avatar but it just can't hold a candle to your karate kicks. lol
Anything that is online focused I usualy will get it on 360 as most of my friends have a 360 and the online experience is just easier with party's and private chat across games. Everything else is on my PS3 as the I think its just a higher quality hardware and I never know when I turn on the 360 if its the last time cause of RROD. I'm on my 3rd and outside of the warranty so of this ine goes I'm done with it.
Exactly my point about xbox live. People have paid for it so they buy the 360 version of multiplats to make their investment worthwhile. Not only that, but their "friends" have all paid too so the 360 (sometimes) gets higher sales numbers.
i dont think it does, but that doesnt stop M$ from pimping multiplatforms like their exclusives. They sent out letters with the review build of RE5 boasting about how much better it was on the 360 then the PS3. lame.
Pc gaming has the largest exclusives on any gaming platform. In fact ps gaming has genres that is exclusives to it. Genres such as RTT,RTS,murder mistry,MMO's,Space sims,SIM,ocean games.
Here is a link list of just some of the tittles on the pc.
http://adrianwerner.wordpress.com/games-of-2009/
dreamhunk the Wii. Wii, the dreamhunk.
You two run along now.
THIS ISN'T 1998.
NONE of those genres are "exclusive" to the PC anymore.
It's as if those clinging to PC gaming have not evolved with the times. Nor do they inform themselves about what's actually on the consoles these days.
That's exactly it. They're stuck in the past.
I own 2 the Wii and PS3 but if I only had the PS3 I would be just as happy.
Although Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead are 2 very posible reasons for me to pick up a 360 I dont think I ever will.
You could buy Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead for the PC and use a PC Xbox controller.
Wow, funny that there's a bit of postings here about about where PC gaming is headed today, cause I finished reading an interesting article about the very same thing, that just came out today in our Atlantic City newspaper.
"Trying to reboot computer gaming"……..
What ails the world's biggest gaming platform?
It is the most powerful gaming platform in the world, and with more than 300 million users, the most widely owned as well, so why does computer gaming seem to be suffering from an inferiority complex?
With retail chains increasingly limiting their shelf space for PC games, and most mainstream media coverage of gaming directed at the splashier Play-station 3 and Xbox 360 multimedia consoles and family-centric Wii, PC gaming finds itself in a fight for the hearts and minds of gamers.
(In order not to take credit away from the site, you'll have to read the "whole" article here yourselves)……..
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/life/article_40f35d34-51e8-555b-bb1c-7e8267e43b96.html
this is just in from EA
"
During a quarterly earnings call, Electronic Arts executives expressed their optimism for the digital download market on reports of strong financial progress in the sector.
EA CEO John Riccitiello reported that the company had seen its digital direct revenue grow to $400 million in the last fiscal year, while CFO Eric Brown noted that digital game distribution alone nearly doubled in revenue year-over-year to $80 million.
"This is a big year for us," said Brown. "The online part of our business is growing as much as 60% year over year."
"In terms of distribution, the way we look at a lot what's happening in the future is, we've got probably a billion PCs out there in the world," he continued. "Very rapidly the PC is becoming the largest gaming platform in the world, just not in a packaged-good product."
"As you look at what that means in terms of distribution of product, we think that's incredibly exciting because it's going to open the market to new demographics, new countries and new types of gameplay," he added. '
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58497
wow has about 11 million players
guildwars has about 6 million players
sims as well over 16 million players
empire total war old sold and beat killzone 2 for top spot.
By the way TBS,RTS,MMOs, space sims,sims oceasns, musrder mistery, either don't work well on consoles or they don't sell well on consoles.
I have not even got in to retail or dd of alot of the games. Also pc games last alot longer than console games.
…as far as I can tell, you didn't really prove anything, besides the fact that people play a lot of games online on the PC. Whoopee.
So EA says there's billions of PCs in the world. Of those billions, 11 million are playing WoW. Doesn't that pretty much show that no one's gaming on the PC?
By the way dreamhunk, ocean sims don't work on PC either.
Lets not sound like Xbox fanboys dising on the PS3, lets not sink down to their level lol, the PC is just as fun to play on like the consoles, it just needs better games to play.
Look dreamhunk only listed a few games, and how many million of each are being played on the pc. The article was talking about non boxed games ect… but pc gaming is still in competition to a degree as this example for Fallout 3 shows:sales of 55% on Xbox 360, 28% on PS3, and 17% on PC. So don't be so fast in counting out pc gaming. Both boxed and online has a very large market, and EA's point is about online and downloadable digital content, and not boxed games. There are other games like World of Warcraft ect.. that has millions of players. So like I said don't count out pc games yet. Oh and the Fallout 3 sales percentages I listed were from Bethesda.
Here is the link for all you non-believers on The Fallout 3 sales percentages.