Can a console survive without exclusives?

In Episode 15 of The Analog Circle Podcast we will be discussing the latest gaming news,going over the holla back question of the week,going over the answers that were given for last weeks Podcast question from the N4G community,and asking the question can a console survive without exclusives?

[DarkOcelet]

It can survive on 3rd Parties but it will lose its distinctive character and its unique flavor.

[Why o why]

Survive, yeah, probably

Thrive, doubt it.

If you rely soley on 3rd party games you run the risk of being overlooked for any competitor who either has their own exclusives therefore having more games to choose from OR people opting for another console or platform where a better version of the same 3rd party games can be played. No online fees in regards to pc.

Too many angles competitors could use against said console. Imagine the x1 without halo and forza or if they were fully miltiplat..... a key usp vanishes leaving only pad preference, loyalty, online infrastructure and friends to entice new custom and retain old. Let any console try that approach and expect to be on top. . Suicide

[SolidStoner]

I personally got from PC(still using) to PS2, PS3 and PS4 just for Gran Turismo and games like Last of Us, also now I even play multiplats like Battlefield just because I like controller better and I can do more crazy stunts, friends also help, and everything works 100% same for everyone, also gaming on consoles is ultra cheap if you know how to use it, I buy used games for 35 euros and sell them for 40, so in the end I win almost on every game, except new ones, new game cost for me 15 euro all time, I just sell them....... (my own right to do like that!)!!

Its nice to have a choice... cheers!

[lelo2play]

The PS4 is proving you guys wrong. The PS4 has thrived even without decent exclusives. PS4's big exclusives are only arriving this year...

[DarkOcelet]

Even if its thriving, if it doesn't have exclusives, then what would be the point of getting one?

Exclusives are important to the Console.

[_-EDMIX-_]

This is where you and I disagree dark though I agree exclusives or an important part of a platform they are absolutely in no way shape or form the majority when it comes to reasons for someone to purchase said platform even though on this site many people love bringing that up there are not much sales numbers to actually backup such a theory. Many could argue that lots of people purchased their systems to play Call of Duty Assassin's Creed fallout Battlefront battlefield Mass Effect Exedra because the numbers support the theory I can't honestly say the vast majority purchased a PlayStation 4 for bloodborne because the numbers do not support that I cannot say the vast majority of Xbox 1 owners purchased it to play Forza or even halo as the numbers again don't support that.

Again exclusives are important on a console but I don't believe they're as important as people keep exaggerating them to be you have to factor that third-party games still sell in extremely huge millions on consoles despite having PC versions did we not have PC versions last generation? That did not stop 15 - 20 million Call of Duty gamers existing on console.

The game is exclusive to neither platform.

When you ask yourself what's the point of getting one you need to really really look on the outside looking in in sort of stop seeing it as the self-centered understanding about why you're purchasing one you have to understand other people are playing other games they're not merely purchase an Xbox one for only exclusives Playstation 4 for only exclusives and PC for multi platform games the reality is how many do you honestly really really believe have such a setup?

I mean not everyone is just buying Xbox one to play Halo not everyone is buying PlayStation to play Uncharted.

I think we need to really understand the majority of gamers in this situation as opposed to thinking about what we are personally buying it for.

[DDMNeo]

I'd say the counter to that is what about the Xbox? Of course PS4 is the console of choice right now due to a lot of factors, so it's doing fine. The Xbox is doing ok, but since the PS4 is sitting at a 2:1 lead it's unlikely the Xbox will ever be able to catch up. The lack of exclusives only gives people less reason to get the Xbox One on top of a PS4. If you were to ask me I'd say that we might see things regress back to the way early 90s with only two systems being able to support themselves.

[rainslacker]

And yet it still had exclusives. Some of them quite good in fact.

@ED

it's true that many people will buy a console for something like COD, AC, or Madden/Fifa, however, having exclusives doesn't hurt sales either. Things like Halo, GeOW, GT, Zelda help move consoles, which only bolsters the install base as a whole. If a company only caters to the majority, they leave a lot of potential customers looking for something else which gets their attention.

In the end, what can best be said is that people will typically buy a console for their own reasons, and at times, the exclusives will be the deciding factor. Generalizations are just that, but all that matters to the console makers is that the systems, and ultimately the software, sells to as many people as possible.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed a slight few amount of sales and distinctive character I would say would be about the only thing being lost I don't understand with the author or sites really trying to say as that's already been proven many many times that third party games get majority of the sales and are the majority reason why people are purchasing Platforms.

Exclusives do not show such a number to warrant such a strange assumption.

Some of you guys honestly need to add up those exclusives and realized that even end per end they don't really make sense in regards to the numbers of platforms sold they don't add up

Why o who- of course they're going to get overlooked they don't have the same budget and they're not making titles on 4 or 3 platforms or anything like that third party games by a large majority sell more than exclusive do so this strange concept that they're going to get overlooked doesnt make sense as they currently already are yet they still exist I think many on this site exaggerate to a huge huge degree exclusives as the numbers don't seem to support many people theory of how much needed they really are.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox one and even last generation consoles prove this theory or myth as you would of exclusives selling platforms as the majority as being very much incorrect again add up the numbers and you'll see an overwhelming majority are not purchasing the platform to play those games Forza moved like two million units bloodborne moved around 2 million units yet fallout 4 moved like 12 million in a week Battlefront moved 13 million call of duty moved 20 million or so so I'm not entirely sure how anyone got the general idea that the majority are purchasing the platforms to play exclusives exactly what number does anyone have to even support this theory?

I would say we generally have maybe one to two titles that could really truly be called system movers and it would probably be Halo or Gran Turismo or even the last of us as the last of us moved lots of software and I believe its sequel could potentially be that enormous to move millions of units potentially.

But it's not enough to really assume that the vast majority on the platform are for those titles as the games sales don't necessarily support such a theory.

We could honestly count on one hand exclusive series that I have been known to shift a ridiculous number of platforms.

[DarkOcelet]

To me, exclusives are extremely important.

The reason i bought the PS4 was to play The Order 1886 and Blooodborne and every other exclusive out there.

I didnt but the console for Crap Of Duty or Boring Creed. I have lost interest with those games a long time ago.

I always buy a console for its exclusives.

I got the PS3 because of Metal Gear Solid 4
I got the X360 because of Gears Of War
I got the Xone for Quantum Break and Gears Of War 4
I got the PS4 for The Order 1886 and Bloodborne

If i want to play Multiplats, i could always do that on a PC but the exclusives to me what makes the Console an Amazing experience. If games like MGS4 or The Last Of Us were on PC, i would not have gotten the PS3.

But that is just my opinion. Exclusives what makes me go out and get a Console in the end.

[_-EDMIX-_]

But that's exactly the point dark you're merely restating exactly what I'm trying to say you personally are purchasing a platform for its exclusives.

When I'm stating is the majority are not you, they're not all purchasing it simply for exclusives you may not like Call of Duty Assassin's Creed for any of those titles but look at their sales it's very clear the large majority purchase both Platforms to play those games if you consider titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield sold more units then the exclusives that release on either platform.

What I'm hearing a lot of is "if I want to" that's based on you that actually has very little to do the mass majority.

Are exclusive important the sum of course but the point I'm trying to make is that the amount they are important to our very very few if you look at the factual numbers. Also what this article is talking about is if the system could be successful without them in for a matter of fact it can be in fact ironically more part forms have failed due to lack of third party then have succeeded.

You may personally like bloodborne you may personally like Forza but for a matter of fact regarding success of a platform you can't merely disregard heavy hitters like GTA Assassin's Creed Call of Duty battlefield Battlefront Mass Effect etc. And just ignore they're selling more than the exclusives you're talking about it literally doesn't add up and it doesn't make sense.

Once more so everybody fully understands what we're talking about you could personally like whatever you want but the vast majority in terms of actual numbers are showing most are not purchasing the platform for those games out of 30 + million units only two million gamers bought bloodborne how many do you really believe bought the platform for a game that only moved two million?

So let's ignore fallout 4 moved 12 million in a week? Let's ignore Battlefront just move 13 million? Let's ignore that call of duty moved 20 million?

That's like saying the majority are owning Netflix for something like a house of cards and it only got two million views out of maybe 30 million viewers and a show like Power Rangers or something has 20 million views are you really honestly trying to say its only successful on a show that doesn't actually have the viewership to support such a theory?

Though it's just an analogy I'm trying to show you the bigger picture here in regards to how and why a platform is successful in the long run. You may love bloodborne but bloodborne is not shifting Call of Duty numbers on console I'm not even saying what you personally like or not that's actually 100% irrelevant to what we're actually disscussing even myself disregarded what I personally like to talk about the topic what I like or don't like is actually irrelevant this is purely an objective understanding as the numbers of units being sold explain that most are not for a matter of fact buying consoles for exclusives I'm not sure how you're debating a smaller number vs a bigger number...as I'm not sure anyone on here hows legitimately shown with any numbers that exclusives are moving tomorrow Platforms then third party games.

What do you think would really hurt a console.. the lack of lets a bloodborne infamous, Forza or the lack of GTA?

[Why o why]

Edmix

The console with more unique games of a good quality will sell better than the one without. Multiplats will always be a factor but you should remember how the lack of exclusives hurt the 360 during the final 3rd of last gen.. the heavy hitters were still available so obviously other factors were important. People enjoy unique experiences as they help compound their purchase. There's more than one reason to buy a console and there are 2 extremes. Rely on 3rd party or rely on first/2nd party. Why do you think phill has stated they will bring more exclusive experiences.

As it stands, one brand has had the right mix and their model is closer to the 1st/2nd party end of the scale. Look at their success since entering the market then tell me whos methods/model has been more consistent. Exclusives help move units. Deflecting or focusing on those who exaggerated their impact doesn't erase their actual impact. Like I said previously. ...let any player kill their exclusives and rely soley on 3rd party and watch what happens....suicide

You prefer forza so wasn't that one of the reasons you chose that console over another console...fallout, gta, battlefield et el are available on both so how does a manufacturer get you to play the miltiplats on their system if the prices are the same as their competitor's ?..unique features and games. Other factors are important like time spent building friends and gamer scores, librarays and pad preference but looking at this gen especially many people jumped ship. Ignoring the impact exclusives have would be naive.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Why o why lack of exclusive hurt the 360? In what regard you do understand that platform moved 80 million units right?

I agree clearly they would have sold more if they had just a few more exclusive but that's besides the point the point is the majority or not purchasing platforms for exclusive by an extreme degree.

Again as to why not a single person on here can even explain how call of duty is moving more units than most exclusive are the same with most multiplatform games.

Mind you I mean its moving more units / platform not even factoring overall on all platforms just on a single platform those games are moving more units than exclusive are.

Almost 70% of Metal Gear Solid 5 sales came from the PlayStation 4...

Like I've stated many many times if you're really going to say they are the majority reason show the sales to prove the theory I'm sorry but when a game is selling 2 million and another game is selling 10 million there's no way on earth you can really say the two million game is moving more units.

Mind you where did you ever hear me say first party games don't have an impact? I never once ever deviated or stated that first party games are not moving units what I'm saying is they are not moving the majority as a matter of fact it is a number you can look up it is objective it is not subjective the numbers prove what I'm saying.

Mind you even what you're saying about this "suicide" if a platform where to be developed with no exclusives in just third party games what you have to factor is what is the factual importance of those exclusives in terms of sales? If you find out what that number is you also find out how many sales would be lost if they decided to not go with exclusives so how could you say it would be suicide if for a matter of fact that can be looked up the platform itself is not actually selling solely based on exlusive? Gg

Is Microsoft right now for a matter of fact not putting their titles on PC currently? If they succeed in doing this their platform would essentially be only multi-platform games as in games that appear on many platforms and I 100% guarantee you it will still sell why? because it's never not sold due to that so how on earth is it going to suddenly lose sales based on games no longer being exclusive when it's actually not selling for the most part solely based on that?

I'm not for a second ignoring the impact of exclusive I'm merely objectively taking a stance in saying one number is not greater than the other to too very much so as an objective fact the units being moved to not support the theory being presented.

Why we cannot say software moving 5 - 2 million is compelling users to purchase the platform when we have yearly titles moving 10 million on individual platforms.

[Kingthrash360]

Can it survive?
Yes.
Will it sell as good as a console with exclusives?
No.
How well would the original xbox had sold without halo? Or the 360 without halo and gears?
Nintendo no mario or zelda?
Ps no uncharted or gow ot gt?
People buy consoles for the exclusives
Some buy just to have them.
exclusive games are important when selling consoles, we know this well.
What ms is doing is taking exclusives from xbox and putting them on windows to give more reason to buy windows. Sure it will hurt xbox a little but they want more money and xbox isn't selling alot of software.

[Paytaa]

The original Xbox ironically was probably the most diverse with it's exclusive line-up in comparison to the 360 and One but was still backpacked by Halo CE and Halo 2. Without Halo it simply would have been a one-off and Microsoft would have went back to PC.

But in short, exclusives do matter, at least to me. I wouldn't have a PS3 or PS4 if it didn't have Naughty Dog games or Quantic Dream games.

[iplay1up2]

Halo was not exclusively released on Xbox, it was also on PC.

[Paytaa]

@GotHDGame Partially correct. Halo CE was only on Xbox until 2003 when Gearbox ported it to Windows. Halo 2 was only on Xbox until 2007 when Hired Gun ported it to Vista. So Halo was RELEASED exclusively on Xbox until a few years after the Xbox release.

With that said, Halo is associated with the Xbox brand even if it's on PC and there hasn't been a main Halo on PC since Halo 2 (unless you count Spartan Assault, Spartan Strike, and Halo Online).

[iplay1up2]

I also read last month Microsoft is eventually bringing Halo 5 to PC.

[Mikefizzled]

OG Xbox had a crazy variety of exclusives yet it didn't sell. Technically superior and considerably more innovative than the PS2 yet it was dwarfed in sales.

[rainslacker]

@Mike

MS lack of sales on the OGXbox wasn't due to the content. It was pretty well praised for it's time in fact, just the masses didn't care, because Sony was so far ahead, and the games were being pumped out left and right. MS was also a newcomer to the console market, and didn't have an established fan base that was willing to fight for them, and at the time, MS wasn't well known as a reliable company. They were even criticized for their reasons for getting into the market(To combat Sony and be in everyone's living room) as it only perpetuated the perceptions that people had of them. Not trying to criticize them now, nor saying that other companies don't feel the same way, just MS was very upfront about it, and people weren't too keen on MS as a consumer friendly company having just come off a rather well publicized and joked about anti-trust case.

Anyhow,

While the Xbox did have a good variety of games, there is no way to dispute that the PS2 was simply demolishing it in both quantity and variety. Quality is subjective, but due to sheer numbers alone, for every great OGXbox game, there were at least 3 great PS2 games. It was all a numbers game back then, and it still is today.

The exclusives help, but nowadays they aren't absolutely imperative, however I can't imagine a system is going to thrive without them, because what's the point in owning a console when you can get more on another console....same as back in the OGXbox and PS2 days.

[Free_Fro]

A console can survive without exclusives easily...

But it would be difficult to do the same without third_parties.

Except you're Nintendo.

--
xoxo

[GameBoyColor]

Nintendo literally lives off of exclusives. Gotta give um props for doing that and still making a profit in the end.

[Whirlwind_Fanfare_08]

No.

[FasterThanFTL1]

Only if its the most powerful console.

[Segata]

Sony systems generally do better because of third party support. 1st party exclusives rarely have a high attach rate on Sony consoles so I say yeah Sony does it a lot.

[_-EDMIX-_]

All successful platforms in gaming do better based on third party support the reality is gamers like games and you can't tell the gamer that Resident Evil Metal Gear Solid fallout Elder Scrolls The Witcher Mass Effect in many amazing series are not coming to your platform in really believe you're going to succeed at the end of the day good games sell platforms and if you do not have the community support or making those games your system is going to fail it's essentially that simple.

So no it's not generally base only Sony its all successful platforms need support by the community as a whole consider the battle happening with Netflix Amazon and other streaming services it's not necessarily about who has the content the other one doesn't have as much as it's about who has all who has the most of everything not necessarily who has one show versus the other as realistically speaking people want the variety and they want to know the service has everything not necessarily just something exclusively as I don't really believe that's what consumers are seeking as much as they want the platform that has all vs only.

The best titles that gets the most sales are third-party titles whoever doesn't have let's say the next GTA would clearly get less sales as GTA is an extremely huge series that neither Nintendo Sony or Microsoft any title of that comes even slightly close to that.

Microsoft is not selling their platform solely on exclusive as the numbers of those exclusive do not support the theory like that Nintendo Wii U is ironically their worst selling console in the company's history and its very very clear its due to lack of third-party support you may not like Call of Duty or other third-party games but when Call of Duty is shifting 20 million units for Sony and Microsoft is very very clear consumers will buy the platform to play it.

Sony and Microsoft need to make sure there platforms can support all the features of games like destiny call of duty Assassin's Creed Mass Effect what have you because those games shift major major millions of units for Sony and Microsoft.

Uncharted Halo or Zelda are not moving in 20 million units for either platform so I really really think some of you guys need to look at those numbers and reevaluate such theories.

[gamerb6]

Your theory is strongly based on sales. To real gamers that is irrelevant if a game sold only 20 copies and I enjoyed the game and had fun playing it that's all that matters, sales don't make a game.

In fact the obsession of sales have bin outcome of some of the worst games this gen. Idiots putting quantity over quality. A good game is a good game regardless of whether it sells or doesn't.

Quality Exclusives are a deciding factor if I only had the choice to get one console.

Fun, good gameplay, challenging quality games over sales.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I'm not sure what you mean to real gamers as I can be a businessman and talk about sells and also sit down in game as many on here have me on PSN and steam with this is discussing is purely can it be successful in terms of surviving without exclusives and the answer to that is actually yes.

Based on the numbers are showing for a matter of fact most are not buying the platform for those games as those games are not shifting units to even come close to such a theory or myth.

It has nothing to do with an obsession it has to do with the topic of the actual article it has nothing to do with what I personally like what I personally play.

Its an objective question if something can or cannot, and the answer to that could be supported with real numbers 20 million people bought call of duty on consoles 2 million people but Forza how on earth is anyone really trying to dispute such a very very obvious answer?

What exclusive is moving GTA numbers? What exclusive is moving Call of Duty numbers or assassins creed numbers? Are you guys serious?

I can't tell you because what I personally like as a food item in a restaurant is based on its actual success and the food item I'm talking about is the least selling yet disregard that the item that selling 20 times more is the reason for the restaurants success.

I mean it's very very simple I don't know what to tell you to be quite honest.

What I'm saying has nothing to do again with what I personally like that's actually irrelevant to what the articles asking.

Anyone on this site really trying to dispute 2 million vs 20 million is clueless or has no real understanding about how business works, you may feel that way about the title that you play that's completely fine but the numbers show otherwise....you know...facts.

[Segata]

Gamerb6. Quality is irrelevant in this case. The question is can a console survive without exclusives and that is sales. Sony systems sell more on 3rd party than anything 1st party,always have always will. Sony systems would collapse without the third party. Only console that can sell on 1st party alone is Nintendo.

[rainslacker]

Sony has just as many popular and high selling games as the competition, as well as having more 1st party support than any other system out there. We can pull anecdotals out all day, but that doesn't change reality, and your seemingly narrow definition of 1st party support seems to be contained to high profile games, which Sony still has more of than the competition. I'm sure if you added all the total sales together, you would see that Sony sells more 1st party software of all the competition. Since you're the one to bring up the argument, I'll leave the impetus upon you to back up your argument with actual data to support it, which I'll likely promptly dismantle because you will likely be selective with the data anyhow.

However, the question isn't if a console can survive without 3rd party support, it's whether it can survive without 1st party support, and in the case of Sony, I feel that given how much they've centered their brand around the perception that is has more unique experiences, and the PS players adoption of that perception which helps lead it to have success, it would be quite the blow should they not have 1st party support. For 20 years, Sony's underlying marketing is that it has the best, and most exclusive content to play. This is how the brand is perceived by many, and it's why the brand is well received.

Nintendo proved a console can survive without 3rd party support, however it also proved that it can't thrive without it. But it also proved that a console can survive with 1st party support.

[Artemidorus]

It would only survive if it has better frames and pixels than the rest otherwise no.

Who the hell wants an Xbox or Playstation provide almost exactly the same content at all times?

[blawren4]

With enough volume and only 3 viable consoles, yes. If they fall too far behind to othere consoles regarding exclusives, long term is shaky

[Tsunade]

The thing is that xbox, when it had real exclusives, couldn't make much against the competition. Now that it doesn't have true exclusives is going to be worst.

But it can survive like that, like with life support, in the shadow of the competition.

[kenwonobi]

That's why Xbox is doing so bad against PlayStation. Aubrey if Quantum Break release s with a lot of success it'll turn around? Right now PlayStation is releasing all its exclusives. For that reason Xbox needs something to shift all the PlayStation momentum.