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This is the way the gaming industry is going these days, exclusives. Each Company, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony competing for the biggest titles and the best brands on their system. It’s quite sad to know very few can afford 3 game consoles (like me) and will have to make do with one. So we all have to make a choice, which console offers the best collection of exclusives? Nintendo have many second party developers as well as themselves, Sony have hold of companies such as Polyphony and Psygosis and Microsoft has been spending a lot of cash making sure they get the biggest names in the Industry.

In fact Microsoft have been doing quite well in getting hold of exclusives something which has even tempted me to get the system. At launch Microsoft had 4 mega titles on show, something that Nintendo failed to do. Dead or Alive 3 one of the X-box exclusives concentrated on the beat ‘em up side of gaming (although it is said to be disappointing). Halo one of many Goldeneye/Perfect Dark clones and one of the best, this kept the trigger finger gamers happy, Project Gotham the sequel to Metropolitan Street Racer took car of the driving nuts and Oddworld was around for the Platforming fans. Quite a nice combination there for a launch, the only reason why I won’t be getting the X-box is due to its price (not too expensive I just can’t afford it). Microsoft has also gained some popular movie licenses in the form of Shrek and the upcoming Lord of the Rings. Then there is the big SEGA exclusive titles Shenmue 2 (but apparently it isn’t, don’t ask) and Jet Set Radio future. Microsoft have nabbed a decent selection of exclusive titles that are sure to shift a few consoles.

But what about Sony? Sony never really had to bother with this exclusive lark most 3rd party companies only ever made games for them anyway but as sad as it maybe it isn’t the case anymore. Once Tekken was only on the Playstation but it has now crossed water to the GBA with the Gamecube heavily rumored, during the last generation Soul Calibur 2 would have been on the Playstation not this time now it’s a multi-format game (yes they still exist). But although Sony may have lost their footing they have managed to keep their flow of exclusives going. First off Metal Gear Solid 2 the game that was being worked for the X-box and possibly a future Gamecube release was bought exclusive by Sony, Squaresoft are now part owned by the CD company as well making the Final Fantasy series a Sony exclusive. Sony also have their fair share of Second party developers, Polyphony are one this means Gran Turismo, a huge title, is Playstation exclusive, Psygosis are also Second party which means Wipeout is Playstation exclusive. And although the PS2 games are appearing more often on other formats, games like Devil May Cry still seem to stick with the PS2 although it doesn’t have to.

*Takes a deep breath* Nintendo has more exclusive titles than them all they have many, many second party developers that have exclusives from 3rd party developers and they produce millions of games themselves. Reading that opener will of made up your mind that yet again I can’t help but be biased to Nintendo but you see Nintendo may have the most exclusives but how many are “BIG” exclusives. Pikmin is an exclusive Gamecube title and to Nintendo fans its brilliant but how many know about Pikmin and how many can see Pikmin getting huge (actually I can as a sequel is already in development I can see it going far). Some bigger Nintendo games are also not “that big” like Starfox, yes he is a big name character but not that well known. Metroid a huge title for retro gamers but can it stand next to Tekken?

So what are the biggest names from the Nintendo camp? Well the biggest Nintendo games are probably the biggest games in the world. Mario, he was there when platformers were first made (along with Donkey Kong) and has gone from big to MASSIVE in the gaming industry, starring in movies, cartoons, TV shows, bed spreads, clocks, lamp shade, wallpaper etc… If you had to make the ultimate gaming magazine then you would have to stick Mario on the front. Second Zelda, Zelda games are classics even before they hit the shelves and we all know it. When a Zelda game is released a top score no lower than 10 stars or 92% will occur because they have always been a mark of gaming brilliance. And none of you will forget Pokémon the biggest Nintendo success story for a long time and we will talk about it for years to come.

Of course there are other titles that are already big and will get bigger, Perfect Dark looks promising, the originality of Conker may make it big one day and Eternal Darkness the first Psychological thriller may become a smash hit. But Nintendo like Microsoft and Sony have nabbed a few other exclusive Gamecube titles, Sonic Team are developing Sonic Adventure 2 and Phantasy Star Online 2 to go along side Super Monkey Ball and there is also rumors of a NiGHTS game in development for Gamecube. Sega Sports titles are all becoming Gamecube exclusive, Capcom are exclusively making Mickey Mouse (a Nintendo license anyway) on the Gamecube. Talking of Capcom I can’t go without mentioning the exclusive Resident Evil games on the Gamecube with the new, gorgeous looking, 50% bigger version of Resident Evil remake, Resident Evil 0 and 4 are all exclusive. And slight reshuffles of Resident Evil 2,3 and Code Veronica are also due on Gamecube.

Of course the exclusives that appeal to me are Gamecube’s, which is why I will be getting one. But I can’t help feel disappointed with Halo, Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy, Jet Set Radio future, Wipeout appearing on other formats. It just goes to prove, the real losers of the console war are the gamers.

Here’s to the future.

Dringo.

Or even announced, actually.

Must've been before the PlayStation was released.

Turbonutter wrote:
> WHAT? After the Saturn? B******s, Dringo, bollocks.

No before the Saturn oh for christs sake, Sonic said Sony will rule this war but they said Saturn would rule the last one but it didn't.

SHEEEEESH!

Indeed... like the GBA being better at 2d grpahics hey Dringo....

sure...

Sonic

WHAT? After the Saturn? B******s, Dringo, bollocks.

they?

Publishers?

Sonic

No they said SEGA would rule the market...

Dringo wrote:
> ===SONICRAV---> wrote:
> Well, there's more to it than that
> Salevaa...

Developers went with the Ps2
> because it was sure to sell,
> simply because of the popularity of the PSX...
> there is no way that any
> other console will dominate this generation.

Thats what they said about SEGA
> :D



eh?!?!?!?
Developers said "we'll develop for the DC because it's sure to sell". You are making NO sense here!

Sonic

At the moment I am torn between which console to get next. Currently the Xbox has the most attractive line of games but all the time games on other platforms like Devil May Cry on PS2 and the Sega Sports exclusives on Gamecube.

I wish I could get all three but this wouldn't be possible as for one thing I would not have enough money to keep up to date with all the games coming out on the three varied consoles.

If only there was no exclusivtivity on consoles and games were supported on all consoles in the days of the Atari and Amiga and even going back to the good old Spectrum 16k were they were on tapes.

I'm going on now, exclusive games are only good for people who have them.

===SONICRAV---> wrote:
> Well, there's more to it than that Salevaa...

Developers went with the Ps2
> because it was sure to sell, simply because of the popularity of the PSX...
> there is no way that any other console will dominate this generation.

Thats what they said about SEGA :D