Leading into the next generation of gaming, many will say that the days of exclusive software are numbered. In fact, some analysts have said this is the last generation that will feature multiple systems, as one universal console is in our future, like it or not.
Certainly, many franchises that were once exclusive to one platform or another are now multiplatform. Notable titles include Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid (if you want to count Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as part of the series), and we know Thatgamecompany's ( Journey , Flower ) new project will be multiplatform. It's the way of business, really.
The bottom line is that if you're a third-party developer in this market, you need to reach the biggest audience possible in order to cultivate success. That much is understandable, so the majority of major titles today are multiplatform. And it does make sense to assume that next generation, this trend will continue. But while Sony, for example, lost several major exclusive franchises this past generation, did they not replace them with others? Uncharted , God of War , Killzone , LittleBigPlanet , Resistance , and the Quantic Dream games ( Heavy Rain , Beyond: Two Souls ) are all exclusive and they're all pretty damn good.
First-party titles from Sony may prove to be the PS4's bread and butter, as first-party games are for the PS3. Why should that change? Those first-party teams don't seem to be going anywhere, and they won't stop making games any time soon. I can't speak for Microsoft, as they have never relied as heavily upon exclusives (nor is the Xbox exclusive lineup a patch on Sony's, as far as I'm concerned). Still, we've heard a rumor that at least on of the Xbox 720's launch titles will be a brand new exclusive IP. So is it really true that the days of exclusive software are numbered?
I'm not so sure. Just not yet, at any rate.
I've already weighed in before about the death of exclusivity due to the relative ease of making emulators and pirating them on PC with the change in the PS4's hardware. Some may like to disagree–that there's some uniqueness that'll hinder this happening, but I doubt it. Sony will either have to adapt to that change or unfortunately lose out on a lot of potential profit.
Microsoft doesn't really have that problem. It has hardly any worthwhile exclusives. Aside from upcoming Halo games and maybe an Alan Wake sequel, they've given up on exclusivity for the most part.
But whether or not there will be possible to make an emulator (at some point in time *every* system ever made will be possible to be emulated) has nothing to do with the topic? An exclusive is an exclusive, if it later is possible to enjoy that exclusive via an emulator it doesn't make it less of an exclusive when it was released.
Just like a pirated game doesn't make it free – just pirated. If you catch my drift.
Well it seems that Call of Duty will still have some sort of exclusiveness with the next-box, since they are unveiling their next game at the xbox event on may 21.
It's just so huge on Xbox, that's all. Trust me, any CoD will be multiplatform; otherwise, Activision wouldn't get their billions.
I'm sure it's just to announce that DLC will be exclusive to Live for a month, as usual.
That type of analysis makes me laugh. Ben you pretty much nailed it that Sonys 1st party devs are the "bread and butter". Sony has so many first party developers its unreal and that wont change. Sony wont let it. They enjoy their games too much.
Thats why a solitary system wont survive. 3rd party games wont drive a system. Arguably CoD might assist in sales but its hardly a system seller. You can get it for 3 other platforms.
I think Sony will keep bringing it, and just taking a glance around comments sections it almost looks like here at the end of the generation many Xboxers that later got a PS3 came to understand how great the exclusives are and plan to get a PS4 instead of 720. And now all the third party games will run better on the new architecture so there's fewer and fewer reasons to own an Xbox.
I'll probably think so for the next xbox since the 360 doesn't have that much already. It might be the same trend rolling slowly in the next gen race.
I think, well possibly, that a single platform or architecture to play games will prevail. Like there are many brands of Blu-Ray players out there, I think it may come down to paying a service either with Sony or Microsoft. Possibly others as well. Media companies are buying up all forms of media so its possible the two big companies will have competition long down the road.
Essentially it will be a no brainer for devs. You create a game based on a single identified architecture that of course upgrades over the years. They will no longer need to have multiple teams working of different version of a game. They build it, and services by the license to distribute the game.
Is this a good thing. Not sure. Would be for devs/publishers.
Don't know, but we shall see.
Keep Playing!
In a way it would almost seem logical to due away with exclusives at least from a profit standpoint. But until Sony decides that having first party developers is no longer a viable business model, I think the analysts are wrong yet again(for about the millionth time).
PC_Max put up a model in which I could see this happening, but I think we are still a ways off from that.
Exclusives aren't really that important to me provided I get to play the games I want to play. Most of the current gen top titles (the Lionshare, in fact) have been multi-plat releases and I don't see any reason why that might change.
My primary concern NOW is quality of build, quality of service and total cost of ownership as well as focus on game-specific features as supposed to concentrating on Nintendo-chasing entertainment or 'integrated TV' features (most of which don't work outside of the U.S. anyway) The manufacturer that shows love for ALL of its markets, not just the red-neck robots, will win mine and many other hearts.
There will be exclusives as long as there are first party devs. Their sole purpose is to make software exclusively for their owner.
So, the day Sony part with all their dev houses is the day the exclusives will end.
This will hurt S as Gears will no longer be exclusive to them and the next xbox will not have a head start so Live and SN will both be equal in terms of fan base so it would be a bad business decision for COD to have exclusive content on the next xbox.Activision is probably at their event to demonstrate COD or just exclusive content for the 360 version of the game. Why buy an xbox when PSN will have the same features,the PS4 will be the same price and have more games to offer?Unless you are a HUGE Halo fan or MS fanboy,I see no reason too.It appears their focus is less on games and more on casual entertainment anyway with illumniroom.
Hate to say it but every title will go multiplatform by the year 2030. In a way it sucks but in a way that means we get to play more titles that would other wise be exclusive to a certain console.
the notion of a universal system is just ridiculous!
the day we have 1 console manufacture is the day we have 1 ISP, 1 car manufacture, 1 coffee manufacture, 1 computer manufacture, 1 electronics manufacture, ect, ect.
1 everyone likes making money, people see manufactures making money in something they want a slice of that pie!
2 every industry needs competition, without competition, you have no reason to drive forward and innovate.
case in point the iphone and ipad.
no one has really challenged the iphone until the galaxy S3 came out, then manufactures finally woke up and started taking advantage of things apple was ignoring.
and now all of a sudden apple has lost a massive piece of their market share and now the dominating mobile platform is android, not IOS!
and hopefully that has shaken apple up, and will finally force them to pull their finger out and get with the times!
IOS 7 is suppose to be a WHOLE redesign, the home screen, tiles, everythings going to be changed.
would that be happening if android did not exist, and the only mobile platform out there was ios?
of course not!
as for exclusives well that depends, how do you define exclusives?
first party, second party, or third?
first party where the developer is owned by the publisher and the publisher is funding development.
second party where the company is not owned by the publisher, but the publisher is funding the title like what ninty is doing with bayonetta 2.
or third party where a external third party publisher creates a exclusive because of a licensing agreement, like what $ony had with LA noire till they pussied out!
morons!
first party we wont.
yea $onys lost allot of studios this gen, but there also expanding their existing studios.
$ony SM have had their hand in so many games this gen its not funny!
ND have split into 2 separate teams and are working on separate titles.
insomniac has done the same, yea their third party but im still hoping they will work with $ony on some exclusives.
we NEED another R&C game, something to follow up the story from ACIT!
second and third though, is almost a certainty.
especially now with all platforms running on the same architecture, there is even less reasons and incentive to create a exclusive.
this gen you had allot of games not come to the ps3 because of the stubborn difficult cell.
next gen though were already starting to see that change.
and it will continue to change, its just not financially feasible to create a exclusive these days.
another thing that will hurt that next gen, the install base will be much much smaller than what it was this gen.
hence again rising the needs for multiplatform to reach required sale profits.
if you have 100M ps4s out there who cares make it a ps4 exclusive!
if you have only 60M tops, well, thats a different story you need to bring in other systems to make up that 40M+ quota.
if we see less exclusives next gen, imo it'll be because of M$ using their
deep pocket
So what is going to set the consoles apart?
Why should someone switch from MS to Sony or vice versa?
Is it going to come down to the social media hoopla surrounding both consoles?
What are the console makers going to do to attract people to their machine?
Why should someone buy one specific console when they could get either and have virtually the same experience?
It's going to have to come down to the games in MHO. And exclusives are where it's at.
Playstation has been the leader in Exclusives and it ain't gonna change the next generation.
On PS3, we'll get even more exclusives, you can be sure about it.
On XBOX360? They'll lose the Gears of war exclusivity, as it was settles for 3 games only (I have no source, but Epic has implied a lot they're glad to be free of Microsoft eclusivity).
Sony/PS4 has set things high enough to make developers/publishers not want to do any more exclusivity with Microsoft.