Console Exclusivity – Does it Really Matter??

Shane Henry of Level Complete explains why exclusivity is a love/hate situation in gaming today

[Godmars290]

When it uses the actual assets of a system, rather than a gimmick, yes. An Exclusive can mean something.

Thing is no one - meaning 3rd party devs - have really bothered trying to exploit a console's hardware since the PS1.

[ArchangelMike]

Only if those exclusives are really used to push the hardware, and only very few devs this gen have done that. Not wanting to sound like a fanboy, but Sony devs know how to make their exclusives outshine the competition.

[come_bom]

Don't necessarily agree with you. The best games of this generation have been multiplatform... with a few exceptions (some exclusives).

[Software_Lover]

Thing is no one - meaning 3rd party devs - have really bothered trying to exploit a console's hardware since the PS1.

The original Xbox? The GTA games were great on that console.

MGS4 for the ps3? The installs sucked but he used the blu-ray the best he could.

[Godmars290]

What did the original - first? - Xbox do differently than the PS2?

[Godlovesgamers]

Bubs, my sentiments exactly. 1st party Sony games that really push the hardware and also happen to be great games is an instance when I think exclusives matter.

[PopRocks359]

Depends on the game. Exclusives like Halo, InFamous and Mario? Very significant.

Exclusives like Blinx, Haze and Steel Diver? Not so much.

[mcstorm]

I agree it all depends on the game and the gamer.

[majiebeast]

How dare you make fun of Blinx the cat.

Cat+Vacuum Cleaner=Awesome.

[live2play]

i really dont see how anyone can seriously ask this question

i mean, how could they not, its the very reason why some people choose a specific console to buy if they only have room(as in time) or the money for one out of the 3

if every console had the same games then what would be the need to own a specific one?

maybe in power consumption, controller, online features etc, nitpicky stuff

well speaking as a nintendo gamer, their exclusives are important to me, gotta get my dk, mario, irby, yoshi, samus, link, mario kart, ssb fix from somewhere

[Software_Lover]

They really do not matter at this point in the game. It's all about the console allegiances.

If Halo was on the playstation, the same people that tout Killzone now and bash Halo, would bash Killzone and tout Halo. Vice Versa

If Mario was on the Xbox and God of War was on the Wii-u, God of War would get trashed and Mario would get praised.

If The Last of Us was a Wii-u exclusive and Pikmin was on the ps3, the same ps3 crowd would praise the ps3 for the diversity and bash The Last Of Us as just another Zombie game.

It is what it is these days.

[Indo]

I bet they would be completely different games then. GOW being made by Nintendo, Mario made by M$, and Halo by Sony would be way diff then what we see now.

[Sitdown]

I think you missed the point...

[ForgottenProphecy]

I agree 100%. Most gamers have decided which platform they are loyal to, and not many will chance. I've been playstation since 1995, and if PS4 was the one with the DRM and always-kinect, and always online, I would of still pre-ordered my PlayStation 4. nobody can ever change that, I am just loyal to PS.

[Jay70sgamer]

You are not really a gamer ...gamers play whatever game is good on whatever system ..food for thought ...we all have preferences but a true gamer loves games whether it be on nintendo ,Sony or Microsoft

[ForgottenProphecy]

@Jay just because my preference is PlayStation, and I won't be purchasing Xbox One at launch doesn't mean I'm not a true gamer. I don't have $900 for both. I'll get the Xbox later into the generation, just not right away. I'll buy the Wii U when it gets a game I'm interested in.
I'm just saying that I prefer PlayStation, and I'll buy that day one over X1 day one.

[admiralvic]

I think you're being a little too cynical here. Yes sometimes games get unfair labels, like PS All-Stars being attacked from every angle due to SSB (They're similar, but being similar does not exactly make a clone, nor was SSB the first game to do crossovers), but this doesn't exclusively happen either.

Like I never once heard someone say Modnation Racers / LittleBigPlanet Karting were better than Mario Kart. Not once in my 2 - 3 years on this site have I ever ONCE seen that claim be made. Now I've seen people hope it would be as good and some people saying it's looking to be a better game, but it seems even Sony supporters can agree that Mario Kart is more enjoyable than MNR / LBPK.

For the most part people are fairly respectable, though some games bring out the worst in people. Like you would think speaking ill of Naughty Dog was one of the 10 commandments on this site. They make good games and offer solid experiences, but that doesn't mean they're the most impressive developer to ever exist and anything else is hate / wrong.

Also not that it matters, but the people behind these games also have a impact on peoples reactions. Like Cliffy B killed my interest in Gears of War, which is not exactly a unique or uncommon feeling.

[dcj0524]

Why would they bash killzone of they like the game?

[_QQ_]

PC pretty much outclasses consoles in every way.Exclusives are all consoles have going for them so of course they matter,even in that catagory PC is pretty much equal to consoles when it comes to exclusives.

[JunioRS101]

Wrong.

Outclasses consoles? Maybe in graphics. In game quality? I'd say it's actually more 'fun' to own consoles for the simple sake of owning games like Halo or LittleBigPlanet, which never release on PCs.

The best games are for consoles.

That's not to say a PC wouldn't run them better, it's just that they never even have access to the generation defining experiences in some cases. Not all cases, but some cases.

[_QQ_]

Do you even own a gaming PC?Game quality is obviously subjective, but you say it as if PC doesn't have quality games, in which case you are very wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[RavageX]

As usual a PC person shows up in a discussion that has NOTHING to do with PC gaming.

This is about consoles.

Fact is, some people rather play on consoles than a PC and some rather play on a PC.

There's no reason to run around in discussions(that have nothing to do with your platform)and try to boast, it just makes you look like a prick.

[_QQ_]

The questions was do exclusives matter on consoles.The answer is yes for the reasons stated above. If every system shared the same games why would you not buy all your games on the system that plays it the best? thats why console exclusives matter.

[R00bot]

Well, I guess it depends if you have a good PC.

I've got a mac, so not much gaming going on over here. :/

[romancer]

I have a hunch that Apple is going to have a major impact on video gaming -- not through Mac versions of games, and not necessarily iOS based apps either.

The time is approaching when it will be possible to download mainstream games to Apple TV; played with controllers (possibly with touch screens but not necessarily so) and dedicated servers for multiplayer.

Apple is not the only company capable of revolutionizing the video game experience beyond what we currently know and accept.

It's even possible that during the lifetime of the next-gen consoles, there will be developments that provide a new wave of game-changing competition.

[ForgottenProphecy]

I have a decent PC, so I can't run games any better than Ps3 or 360 can. PS4 and Xbox One will blow my computer away, and I have no idea what I'm doing with the video card mumble jumble so I'm just going to stick with my consoles, where I know it can handle every game on that platform.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

really then where are the must have JRPG and 3D Platfomers or Kart Racers

[_QQ_]

There aren't any, thats why i said console exclusives are important... because if mario kart,smash bros, monolith's X and 3D Mario were on PC i would get them for PC,but they aren't so i'm getting them on my WiiU.

[PopRocks359]

PCs only outclass consoles when people know what they are doing with them. The problem with PC gaming is it can be complex and anything but user intuitive. Not to mention the amount of things that can go wrong. Consoles are usually there to get away from those gripes.

As for exclusives, I won't doubt there are many exclusives, but not many that I can say I personally care for, especially since many of the indie games out there (once the bread and butter of PC gaming's comeback for the past few years) are now being ported to consoles, I have little reason other than excellent Steam sales to continue using my PC.

[JunioRS101]

Well, I consider myself a pretty average demographic, and they certainly matter to me.

It definitely gives each platform their respective advantages.

Like, I'm sure Sony fans would have loved Halo or Gears, and Microsoft fans would have loved The Last of Us or LittleBigPlanet.

The problem with all games being cross platform is when there's such a massive audience, developers tend to be less driven to create something truly great. When they have a limited audience, they have to release something epic to absolutely sell their game to the platform consumers.

I like the idea of exclusives. It's good for competition.

[n4rc]

Not really..

My opinion (and sales back it up) is 3rd party games are the most popular.. And usually best gaming experiences..

Some games are iconic like halo or GT.. but for the most part, take away all exclusives and we all still have tons of games to play.

I don't buy into the exclusive model.. Doesn't seem ms does either, the more the merrier. BioShock was one of my favorite games of all time... I didn't care that it came to ps3.. It didn't diminish the game I enjoyed..

[Nocando]

Sadly, it would seem that it does diminish the game for some folks. Have no idea why, it's kind of nutty.

[strickers]

That backs up most of your comments. You are happy with the same old, straight down the middle, games. Some of us like the variation that comes from these exclusives.

[n4rc]

Yeah sure... Let's go down that road..

Wanna start naming g exclusives while I tell you what game they are based on..? Or do you want to just stick with sales per platform on the games?
Or is it all those little games that i can play on my windows laptop right now?

Or all those original games like kill zone 4 and infamous 3

Keep your fanboy shit to yourself.. I own both platforms and play what I want.. The point of my post and the article is keeping g games exclusive to one platform.. Not if they were any good

[Hicken]

Of course they matter. What point is there in buying a console if those games are available on other consoles?

Console exclusives are the same, though perhaps not AS important, as most people don't have PCs capable of playing those games, or don't have the time, patience, or know-how to build a PC that IS capable.

Edit: I think it's interesting that the guys who are supporting the company known for producing less exclusives say they don't matter; I imagine you could find them playing those same unimportant exclusives up in other articles.

Go figure.

[gdguide]

That's just nuts. My defining moment on the PS2 was ICO and SotC. On the PS3, it's been the work from Naughty Dog. Exclusives are everything for me the last 2 generations and will continue this next generation for sure it looks like.

[Software_Lover]

The question is, would it matter if those games were not exclusive? Would you still have the same feelings towards them? If they were on Xbox/Nintendo would you have even purchased them?

[urwifeminder]

Yeah not an issue for me played a lot of the so called awesome exclusives on all consoles and I could survive and find something else to play.

[R00bot]

If exclusivity didn't exist, then everyone would just buy the cheapest or most powerful console.

Exclusives are the defining feature of a console, IMO.

I bought a Wii U to play Nintendo's exclusives, I'll probably buy a PS4 for the Sony exclusives. And I might buy an Xbox One for it's exclusives (IDK, I'm not a massive fan of Microsoft's exclusives).

[admiralvic]

"then everyone would just buy the cheapest or most powerful console. "

It would probably come down to features and how they differ in experience. Like the Xbox One has the Kinect 2 to offer a unique experience, the Wii U has the gamepad to offer a unique experience and the PS4 has the best specs. While the PS4 has the best specs, that doesn't mean people wouldn't flock to the Wii U if they weren't doing something awesome with the gamepad, just like the Kinect 2 might motivate some people to go in that direction. There is a lot more to it than simply the best games or best value.

Even with all this stuff, you'll still see people motivated by extending circumstances. Like if all my friends bought a Xbox One, then I would most likely buy one to play with them / have a unified experience / it would give me more bang than playing alone on my PS4.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

yes main reason why I play games and why 3DS is dominating right now.

[buynit]

Yes it is... If it wasnt then the only difference between the 2 consoles would be kinect..

[STICKzophrenic]

I go where the games are.

I play Halo, Gears and multiplats on my 360 and I play Killzone, Uncharted, inFamous and The Last of Us on my PS3.

I'm getting a PS4 at launch because it has more games I want early, with Killzone Shadow Fall and inFamous: Second Son being the main ones.

I'll probably end up getting an Xbox One because I'm sure I'll want to play the new Halo when it releases, but the way Microsoft's exclusive games support has dried up late in the generation, while Sony is still going strong, is worrying.

[MisfitsInc]

i wish they mattered more but, console exclusives have been dwindling unfortunately. i miss the days of having games that are actually optimized to be played on one consoled and not dumbed down to be played universally.

[Max-Zorin]

They really don't. But if someone try to rub it in your face, by all means bunch them in the throat.

[Locknuts]

Exclusives are what matter most. Software sells hardware. Exclusive software sells it better.

[thomasmiller]

I do agree with this article, but mario and zelda and donkey kong are the main reasons I buy nintendo, like the other games, but these games and their franchises are some of the best games every made, and I like the whimsical worlds that Myamoto creates.. pikmin, mario, zelda, their worlds are the ones that captivate me the most.