Exclusivity: Bad for Tomb Raider, but great for gaming

People really aren't happy about Rise of the Tomb Raider's Xbox exclusivity and justifiably so. As unfortunate as that may be, lets not throw the whole concept of exclusives under the bus. After all, exclusives have produced some of the best games ever made. As MWEB GameZone writes: "Exclusivity? Exclusivity is great."

[iamnsuperman]

It's isn't really better for gaming but better for One owners. They should get a better preforming game out of it. This is still not necessarily good for gamers or gaming in general (since it is an old franchise going, timed, exclusive to a less popular console)

[lord zaid]

I think perhaps you may be missing the point. The Tomb Raider thing is not an ideal situation, but exclusives as a general rule have given us tons of amazing games.

We should celebrate that.

[Eonjay]

Yeah no. And some of the best games I have ever played have been multiplatform titles.

[iamnsuperman]

That isn't really the rule. The rule is down to the developers not being exclusive or not. There have been some terrible exclusives. Where exclusives excel is in first party studios as it is hard to sell your console if your developers are crap (hence the standard being higher). Third party exclusives tend to be a mix bag of things

[donthate]

I remember when the very same people now clamoring that multiplatform game aren't worth it, beause it doesn't take advantage of the console, is the very same people saying exclusives are now bad, because they can't play it!

Hypocrites!

[HeWhoWalks]

I also remember some Xbox fans saying exclusives should go multiplatform because: "everyone should have a chance to play it" (see MGS4, FFXIII, Tekken 6, etc, etc.....).

Hypocrites indeed. Goes both ways.

[Thatguy-310]

Tomb raider isn't building itself from the ground up on the Xbox one. Heck it's still coming to the 360. The game won't utilize next Gen to the it's potential.

[iamnsuperman]

Aren't worth it? I have never said that. Anyone who said that is an idiot. Then again I doubt any has actually said that

[jetlian]

hewhowalks when was this and who was it that said that?

I like mgs and tekken and both of those versions you listed were weaker games. mgs4 is the weakest mgs game and tekken 6 is the 2nd weakest after tekken 4.

Also only mgs4 on your list is exclusive the rest did go MP.

iamsuperman last gen ps3 owers loved saying MP "arent worth it, i'll take exclusives" Thats all they said for 8 years and if your account is that old i bet i can find you saying it.

[HeWhoWalks]

@ jetlian: You should ask the same question of the original poster. Again, consistency. Who said these things? In my case, plenty of folks. It happens. Let's not pretend only "a certain fanbase" behaves like that,

And your opinion of those games is irrelevant. Has nothing to do with the point.

[madjedi]

For anyone screaming you hypocrites, look in a fucking mirror because we are all guilty of it at some point.

@jetlian that is funny because i remember xbox fans last gen going from it's all about the exclusives to it's all about that superior multiplatform performance.

After sony started releasing exclusive after exclusive and ms's lineup dried up to halo, gears, forza and fable.

We can continue this bullshit from the last gen if you want. Both sides have stated one thing while their system was either top dog or the underdog and changed their tune when the positions switched.

[jetlian]

madjedi your memory is off when ps3 first came out 360 had both exclusives and Mp games. After UC and HS hit(07) sony fans started talking exclusive is the reason why they went sony and mp didnt matter.

which is what youaresalty is saying. 360 fans only went further and said we also got better mp on top of EXCLUSIVES.

In 07 sony fans were at war with eveybody and yall forgot.blaming journalist for the average scores of ps3 exclusives and attacking game devs for betraying you lol.

[SaveFerris]

I agree, and if it were locked to Xbox then I don't think the franchise would survive for long because of the smaller install base (luckily it is only timed).

[zsquaresoff]

How idiotic. How is making a beloved franchise available only on one system great for gaming?

Especially since there are more people who could enjoy this game on Ps4 and Pc because of the larger fan base.

[lord zaid]

Did you read the article? The Tomb Raider situation isn't a good thing, but we shouldn't be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

There have been some really great exclusive games throughout gaming history and none of them were damaging to gaming as a whole.

Done right, exclusives are a positive force.

[starchild]

Yeah, key words being "done right". Taking a longtime multiplatform franchise and suddenly making one entry in the series an exclusive is not an example of doing it right.

Building a new IP or an engaging sequel in an already exclusive franchise would be examples of doing it right. Spending money to keep gamers on other platforms from being able to enjoy a multiplatform game that was already scheduled to release on their platforms is not doing it right.

[BillySpandex]

What an idiotic article. How is the Tomb Raider deal good for gaming? It's definitely bad for SquareEnix, Crystal Dynamics and the fans of Tomb Raider, because the fanbase is being split, but how is this good for gaming? Is it good for gaming, if Tomb Raider's sequel fails and we have to wait another 10 years for a possible reboot? Seriously mweb?

[lord zaid]

Dude. Read the article. No one said Tomb Raider's exclusivity is a positive move.

But exclusivity in general has been helpful.

[HeWhoWalks]

Not that I disagree with exclusives being helpful, but how does Tomb Raider's exclusivity help anything?

[madjedi]

Didn't read the article but the title is worded badly if your trying to make the suggestion that despite tr being a timed exclusive.

Exclusives in general regardless of system are still beneficial for gaming. Likely the title implies to many that timed exclusives or locking a series out of a system is a good thing, which it's not.

Sunset overdrive or bloodborn would probably be a more neutral example, tr is kinda a violate subject atm to some.

[iamnsuperman]

I don't think the tomb raider exclusivity deal helps anyone in a major way. Xbox One owners would have got the game anyway so making it exclusive may increase the technical preformance of the game (which is really down to the developers) but they would have still gotten a good third party game without the deal. Microsoft isn't going to push more units this way since it is releasing at a similar time to Halo and other big games. Also the reaction has been well I just wont buy the game than oh And will buy and One for this (especially since it is timed). It will alienate the core fans who made the reboot successful and it has been out out of reach for new buyers since it isn't appearing on the most popular console (which won't help SE). Finally it isn't going to help the tomb raider brand as these moves have never done (look it happened to splinter cell and that did nothing for the series)

[lord zaid]

@HeWhoWalks

I never said the Tomb Raider thing was helpful. Just that exclusivity shouldn't be shouted down, because in this instance it was badly used.

Exclusives can be, and have been, great for gaming.

[HeWhoWalks]

Agreed, but that's still besides the point of Tomb Raider's exclusivity. If it's not helping anything, it doesn't apply to the point.

[Elda]

Exclusives are great which differentiates consoles,but making a multi-plat game that's been multi-plat for years exclusive to one console solely or timed exclusive is basically selfish.Though there can be exceptions to the rule far as Bayonetta 2 is concerned,Nintendo snatched it solely due to the fact that Platinum didn't have the funding to make B2 nor was Sega going to fund it a second time.TR-2 does not fall into the same scenario so that was just greed & selfishness on CD/S-E part!...that is not good for gaming...period.

[SonZeRo]

Timed exclusives are fine, as a pc gamer i'm used to "timed exclusives" while waiting for crappy ports to be made so i can play GTA on pc.

[HoldenZA]

I have no problem with exclusive titles, but I can't say that I agree with the Tomb Raider exclusive. Especially when there might be players that have invested in a PlayStation 4 with the assumption of having the title at launch.

The only one really winning here is Xbox, where as fans and PlayStation/Sony are being thrown down the river.

[Gore-Content]

Great for gaming he says. hahaha! Great for M$ for like.

[D-riders]

exclusives are good but the problem here, is that its a traditionall multiplat game. and they could hav epushed for something new, or a AA game that was new. It was a bad move, its obviously trying to go directly against uncharted?? which is weird thing to do with a timed exclusive. these companies dont understand the business of pleasing gamers and making more money.Or how to talk to the industry for that matter.