Why Exclusivity Is Ruining the Future of Gaming

KeenGamer: "Exclusivity is becoming worse for the future of gaming. Platform exclusive content and modes are trending recently. Studios are alienating other platforms in favor of one platform only. These practices need to end to ensure all content available for all gamers without restrictions based on preference."

[DARK_WOLF]

How bowt NO! Exclusive games define the platform. Exclusive content and such for games that are multiplatform is another story.

Seems only one platform is lacking with giving its gamers proper exclusive games in recent years (hopefully not for much longer) and its not right to try call an end to exclusives just cos your missing out and feeling sad about it.

Just go buy a nintendo or playstation if you want their libraries of greatness.

[Mr Pumblechook]

I'm a lifelong Xbox gamer and I write hack articles for Keengamer. I think exclusives are ruining the gaming industry.

Nintendo make me sick. They designed a console and the invested in their own IP and they created all these amazing franchises like Zelda Breath of the Wild, Pokemon, Super Mario Odyssey etc but they are gatekeeping them and preventing normal gamers from playing them - unless they buy them on Nintendo Switch.

THIS IS CONSOLE RACISM.

[BrainSyphoned]

Racism. So glad we have you and keengamer /s

[JonTheGod]

Judging by vote responses, it seems most people are missing your sarcasm. Sadly people take everything seriously unless you add "/s".

[PS-Gamer-1986]

Looool nice

[Mr Pumblechook]

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[The Wood]

Almost got me. Then I woke up

[bouzebbal]

No exclusivity kills gaming.. Just see how sad xbox looks right now

Pumble: you just admitted being xbox fan writing on the website saying exclusives kill gaming..
Let me tell you, gaming survived pretty well since gen1 thanks to the exclusives each console had to offer. It's what creates excitement.. Without exclusives having wouldn't have survived the same way

[neutralgamer1992]

Mr Pumblechook

are you serious because i can't believe that's a serious comment. I doubt nintendo needs your advice since they have been doing fine for over 4 decades. Console gaming isn't complicated make a great console and support it with enough exclusive software to make it worth it. HZD sold over 10 million on ps4 what about pc? same for death stranding and quantic dreams collection all of them sold better on ps4 than pc. don't blame sony/nintendo if ms can't do it right they are screwing themselves and making their own brand less impactful

their biggest game to show for after 5 years and 500 million has become a meme

[mikeslemonade]

Games should be only exclusive. I don’t like multiplats

[Mr Pumblechook]

@neutralgamer1992. I don't work for Keengamer. Please read the first line of my previous comment.

[Sarcasm]

LOL some people actually believed you.

[1Victor]

Mr pumble nice comment THIS IS CONSOLE RACISM 😂🤣.

With a stupid question like that as a headline it’s not getting a click from me regardless of how insightful and well written the article is.

[chiefJohn117]

Don't forget the /s guys like razzer can't see obvious sarcasm without it

[SierraGuy]

Always been that way bro...are you new/coherent?

[Critic4l_Strik3]

Did you forget to add "/s" at the end?

[Saviior95]

I've not heard a worse response than this to the argument against exclusivity. PS4 massively outsold the Xbox One - why? Their exclusive titles. Now, this isn't me saying "Playstation is better, look at me, hahahah." I am a long-time Xbox user. Exclusive titles to consoles are buy and large the biggest Unique Selling Point of them. Without them, the can't sell nearly as many as they would like. It is a business after all. This gen, Xbox flopped it on the exclusive front, tragically as well.

Nintendo on the other hand is a widely different thing, their games on the Switch are designed specifically for that console, to port them to another system wouldn't be the same. Nintendo are also conscious that many people who own an Xbox or Playstation also own a Switch as a secondary console. The Switch has outsold the Xbox in less than half of it's life-time - if exclusivity wasn't a thing - that wouldn't happen.

Console Racism is also not a thing and you're dumb if you think it is.

[RazzerRedux]

@chiefJohn117

No....he just doesn't suck at sarcasm like you do. But yeah, the /s is always helpful.

[Army_of_Darkness]

He's referring to 3rd party time-exclusive content and I agree. There should be no need for that bullcrap. First party games however, Wil always be needed to define that particular console.

[zacfoldor]

When a company buys timed exclusivity they are funding the game. It is only reasonable they get something out of it. It isn't as if the game never releases on other platforms. It is just temporary, usually. With my backlog, I usually wouldn't even notice....

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

@zacfoldor

The problem, though, is that most of the time said game never needed said funding. With a few notable exceptions, timed exclusivity deals now a days are usually made between a console manufacturer and an AAA publisher with a game already far along it's development and only really cover part of the content being timed, not the entire game. So they are not really funding anything but maybe the marketing there... It looks more like they are basically bribing the publisher to withhold content elsewhere, really.

It may seem like a reasonable business tactic for the companies, but it's not so much for the costumer. It may win the console manufacturer some extra sales and the publisher get a straight payment, but their costumers are usually getting nothing out of it... I mean, these deals are "securing" a game, or part of it, the players would be getting anyway, the players are not gaining anything, in fact, I'd say they are loosing some, as all the players will likely pay the same for the content, but a part of them will be waiting longer to get what they paid for... May not seem such a problem when the shoe is on the other foot, but if you support this kind of deal with your wallet is only a matter of time for you to find yourself in the other end of it.

I'm not dismissing your point entirely, I know this is plagued by generalizations and flip flopping opinions from either camp... Yes, some games absolutely do need funding to ever even happen. Sometimes the whole backstage deals work in completely different, less-bribery-sounding, flows too... There are times when the investment is to actually allow multiplat development, something the studio would not be able to afford. There are deals to support extra content themed after an IP belonging to the console manufacturer... There were even cases of games which started development as exclusive but wound up multiplat in the future because the extra funding meant a better game that attracted further investment for other versions! But let's not fool ourselves, those are not your everyday timed exclusivity deals, the garden variety stuff is about stupidly minimal content only being accessible for a week or month in the paying Console platform version of a game from EA, Ubisoft, Activision, Square, Capcom, etc... The usual suspects...

There's a reason many people disapprove of timed exclusivity, there's a reason this is seem as a waste and pitiful move... And when they are in fact buying worthless junk to fluff their platform library and get nod in marketing, the costumer is allowed to ask why not put the money of those deals towards making some true exclusives instead, giving your customer MORE products to buy, rather than spend money giving your competitor's costumer less options.

[Teflon02]

Because of Sony funding SFV Capcom likely survived when they couldn't afford to even develop a SFV. I don't think they're bad if they're done like that. If it's something like Rise of the Tomb Raider where the game was announced first then a year later they say it's a Xbox exclusive when the fanbase is on PlayStation. Then yes it's a issue.

[RacerX]

I can't afford two consoles. I've had Xbox so long, I'd lose soooooo much content if I switched to PS5 (which I am considering).

Exclusives just exclude gamers, or corner them into buying every brand of console.

[AspiringProGenji]

I mean the choice is always yours of which console to get. You are not entitled to play PS exclusives on Xbox if you don’t get a PS or vice versa. Sony isn’t cornering you by making exclusive games for their console. They are enticing you to get it, but they know you won’t die if you can play them now. Save some money and get a PS overtime. If you haven’t got a PS then you were never interested in it in the first place so why sony should make their games available to you? Gaming is a business that strives with competition.

[potatoseal]

If you're serious, then you could start off by getting a 2nd-hand PS4 slim. They are so cheap right now. There are so many amazing PS4 exclusives you could play.

[Shadowsteal]

Problems with your logic:
1. Why would one company pay to develop games just to put them on the direct competition's console.
2. You wouldn't "lose" anything. Keep your Xbox to play your games.

[Mr_Writer85]

@RacerX

Can't you just enjoy the platform you have?

Or just switch? If you keep your current Xbox you lose no content. And get to enjoy games you missed out on.

If truth be told, if you're on Xbox and eyeing up other platforms because of their games, then maybe you should change, as Xbox are clearly not satisfying your gaming needs.

[IamFrasierCrane]

Keep the Xbox you currently own and you’ won’t lose any of your content.

[Witchcraft]

What would YOU lose if all games on your platform were available elsewhere? You'd still have access to exactly the same library, only more gamers would be able to play them and developers would earn more money.

[AspiringProGenji]

There wouldn’t be competition between console makers. They would just release games knowing everyone will buy it with little to no innovation. Making games that take advantage of your console and make games that stand out is how you attract consumers to said products.

[Witchcraft]

There would be fierce competition, because without exclusives console manufacturers would have to convince you some other way: power, price, services, features, etc. TVs don't have exclusive content, you can watch anything on everything, and yet there's competition.

As for innovation, exclusives are slowing it down. You don't have to innovate if you can just say "GTA 6 exclusive to our console!" and watch customers stream in.

[AspiringProGenji]

“ TVs don't have exclusive content, you can watch anything on everything, and yet there's competition.“

HBO has game of thrones
Netflix has many Malver IPs and their original shows
Hulu has original shows too

But if every game were available on all consoles how would Sony, Nintendo, or MS convince anyone to buy their console regardless of price? Also Power and features need games that are designed and fully optimized for them to also make consoles stanf out. No matter what service, power, or features a console has. It will always be about the games

[Witchcraft]

I've never seen an HBO brand TV. And I'm pretty sure that I can watch HBO, Netflix and Hulu on any TV, be it Samsung, LG, Xiaomi or whatever. You are obviously confusing hardware with software.

[CaptainHenry916]

"Why Exclusivity Is Ruining the Future of Gaming"
Only an Xbox fan would think that 🤔

[chiefJohn117]

I mean I do recall you and some others crying about Tomb raider being timed exclusive. And worried about Bethesda games

[CaptainHenry916]

Wait you putting words in my mouth again. Last time I checked I'm a PC gamer first so I would care less. I never even mentioned Bethesda games. Get your facts straight before you comment

[Kiwi66]

Are you 100% sure that its only them who say that as there has been comments from non xbox gamers in exclusivity articles saying things along those lines

[gamer7804]

I’m fine with exclusives but all third party multiplayer games should have crossplay.

[Sayai jin]

That's a big negative. Sony and Nintendo excluisives and even some of MS define them.

I just hope people keep that same energy when/if MS keeps all future Bethesda games exclusive to the MS ecosystem.

[GamerRN]

I find this a weird point of view. Back when PlayStation had all the exclusives, no one complained. When Microsoft started buying developers, suddenly exclusives were bad for the gaming community.

Exclusives define a console and it's image, and I'm pretty sure most of us adults just buy both consoles...

[AspiringProGenji]

It is always when xbox lacks exclusives that they become a problem. When the Xbox one launched exclusives and gatekeeping were cool, with PS fans getting bullied to death over Titanfall , Dead rising, and Sunset overdrive. The latter was even more notorious since it came from a long time PS developer that left their man fanbase behind.

I frequented IGN more when titanfall had a second-coming-of-christ hype that people bullied others over exclusives more than they talked about the game, only to abandon the game in less than 6 months.

[GamerRN]

That game wasn't abandoned in 6 months

[Princess_Pilfer]

You know what should define gaming hardware?
The HARDWARE. Nintendo, to their credit, actually does this. But even then, most of their exclusives gain little or nothing from whatever hardware gimick they've done this time.

The consoles can and should be competing on their own merits, not on the merits of however many studios the respective companies can afford to buy.

[lelo2play]

Blame Sony!... they started with all this BS 3rd party exclusives since the PS1 and PS2 consoles.

[Silly gameAr]

Blame Sony for building legit relationships throughout the years, and betting on unknown franchises that we might not have today, if it wasn't for Sony and the Playstation? Yeah, I blame Sony for giving companies that weren't a sure bet a chance. Silly Sony.

[lelo2play]

WOW... what a stupid reasoning.
So Sony paid for 3rd party exclusives to save companies, and not to delay the launch of certain games on other platforms...

https://www.gamespot.com/ar...

[xHeavYx]

@lelo
"What a stupid reasoning"

Ha! I got a good laugh, the irony.

[The Wood]

I smell a entitled millennial.........

Maybe the type that doesn't understand business and competition..

[QSPR]

Short memory and sad troll....
https://www.gamespot.com/ar...

[DaveZero]

Why do you think Sega is no longer a console manufacturer, partly because of sony.

[Kurt Russell]

I blame Sony for one thing and one thing only.
Shutting down Studio Liverpool and my favourite franchise of them all... WipeOut :(

[P_Bomb]

Nintendo and Sega did it all the time. Genesis does a Castlevania that Nintendon’t, vice versa.

Konami, Tecmo, Sunsoft, Acclaim, Data East, Hudson, SNK, LJN, Capcom happily played the field to the point something like Strider had completely different versions.

[Rimeskeem]

You know there were console wars before Playstation existed...

[SierraGuy]

He wasn't even born yet...look at his avatar for crying out loud.

[RazzerRedux]

This started long before Sony was even in the console business. Go back in time and try to play Final Fantasy on a Sega console.

[SierraGuy]

Original street fighter 2 was snes exclusive for a whole year before sega genesis got it.

I'm still hurt from that.

[RazzerRedux]

It is kinda cute people like lelo2play think gaming began with Sony. So much ignorance in one person.

sigh

[SmokinAces]

Funny I dont remember Microsoft putting the first Halo on anything other than xbox.

[StoneyYoshi]

This is a good point! MS never owned Bungie.... They just owned the IP and Bungie left the moment they could.

[ocelot07]

It was suppose suppose to be a Sega Dreamcast game. Until Microsoft starting putting fingers in pies.

[Dirtnapstor]

Realize that if it wasn't for Sony, the og Xbox would have never came about. Sony had to help them get it off the ground from the get go. So of course, Sony will always have exclusives to separate themselves from other console plebs.

[jwillj2k4]

You must be new to this...

[StoneyYoshi]

🤣🤣🤣

Not a single console manufacturer is solely to blame for this. They all have done it. You want to blame Sony but you don't bat an eye about how MS just purchased a WHOLE F****** 3RD PARTY PUBLISHER??

You seem to be stuck on this GTA3 example that was a timed exclusive 😂. Remember how GTA3 came out on the OG Xbox and actually looked better than the PS2 version? They actually put that extra time into making it better for the XB. Do you forget about the 3rd party games like MGS1 and FF7 that were completely exclusive and not just timed? Just about every console in existence has had 3rd party exclusives to some extent.

[S2Killinit]

@lelo2play
Wasnt this MS’s bread and butter? I mean they even built an entire business model after it. Why do you think they didnt foster any 1st party developers of their own until Sony showed them how wrong they were to bet solely on purchasing exclusivity. The irony in what you are saying is outrageous.

[Sunny_D]

Wrong. 3rd party games came to Playstation 1 because Sony used CD rom compared to the constrictive low memory cartridge system of the N64. Devs could make much longer and detailed games that they couldn’t make on the N64. Nintendo also had high licensing fees which put off devs as well. PS2 got 3rd party games because they were first to the market compared to the Xbox and GameCube which were completely dominated by the PS2. A lot of devs didn’t find a need to spend on development costs for the other platforms when PS2’s install base was many times more than the other 2.

The only time people really started talking about 3rd party exclusives was timed DLC for GTA4 for the Xbox 360. As well as the timed COD maps for the 360. The 360 also had Mass effect and Bioshock as timed exclusives before they made their way to the PS3.

[notachance]

like microsoft did with halo?

[Mr_Luke]

@lelo2play
I'm still looking for a comment of yours that makes sense.
Unless i'm completely missing your sarcasm, in that case i'm sorry i didn't understand you :P

[QSPR]

Edit

[surferz]

boo freaking hoo.

sony forged those relationships. had nothing to do with them buying anything.

[N2NOther]

Congrats on this truly inane and uninformed argument.