Exclusive IP's Going Multi-platform: The Gift and The Curse

Gary A Swaby of TheKoalition.com writes: This article represents a very touchy subject in gaming, and it may seem like a flamebait based article. However this topic is something that I would like to speak on and make everyone else aware of, even if it's just to see some other opinions on the issue. For those who do not know, IP stands for Intellectual Properties, these are what we refer to as video game franchises in our jargon.

The purpose of this article is to show how all those IP's that are exclusive to a specific console, end up loosing a lot of the quality that they are known for once they end up going multi-platform. This presents a gift and a curse. The gift is that more people will be able to enjoy the IP, no matter which console it is they own. The curse is that the IP looses some form of quality that it once had as an exclusive, and I will tell you why I think this happens.

When a game is exclusive, developers can focus all their energy into utilizing that platform to its limits. Every console is different, and has different strengths and weaknesses. Developers will mold their work around these specific strengths and weaknesses, creating the best piece of work they can for that platform. once they have the basic foundation down for their game, it makes it easier for them to make future sequels for that console, based on the foundation they have already created.