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Exclusives – are they a thing of the past? Only in the last few weeks we have heard the news that Grand Theft Auto 3 is making the short trip over to Xbox territory, along with State of Emergency, (and if the rumours are to be believed) Metal Gear Solid 2. If that wasn’t enough to shock you we had the recent revelation that after years of ill feeling Square are to develop Final Fantasy games for Nintendo again. But what has instigated this unusual trend? Why are developers no longer willing to make that commitment, to settle down and try for best sellers? (God I’m starting to sound like a relationship counsellor now). There are many reasons for this, starting with…
Uncertainty. It has got to be creeping into the mind of developers and producers, especially third party ones, that if they pledge their allegiance to one console and it ends up being used as a floor mop then they are going to lose out, big time. No one wants their rivals to wipe the floor with them (hence the mop analogy). And with two next gen consoles out, one waiting in the wings and no-one honestly sure who is going to emerge victorious, developers seem to be hedging their bets a little. Plus pressure is probably being applied by producers who don’t want to sign a deal to a console that might go the way of the Dreamc…dodo.
There is also the distinct (in fact, almost definite) possibility of pressure being applied by producers to make a quick buck by porting the same game over. With Microsoft entering the industry money is being splashed about nonchalantly and the fat cats are seeing dollar signs in their eyes. Why commit yourself to one console and make £2m when you can move to another, double your target audience and make £4m? It’s an argument that is hard to argue against, especially for those of you with a mind for business.
Which leads me nicely onto my next point. Some developers may be scared of losing out and when we are at a stage (as we are now) where choice is becoming larger and someone is going to have to lose out, developers may feel that the only way to ensure success is to appear on every platform. Ok, maybe I am being cynical; maybe developers just want the widest audience possible to enjoy their games? That may be so, but you’ve got admit that it is food for thought.
So what about the consoles that can boast exclusives? Well Tomb Raider and Playstation were exclusive – until Lara appeared on Dreamcast, the first sign that no franchise ever stays in one place, no matter how successful. Shinji Mikami and the Resident Evil boys recently made the unusual step of committing themselves to one console, in this case Nintendo. Why? I’m not entirely sure. But if the Gamecube isn’t as successful as PS2 or Xbox, which I’m afraid to say early sales figures seem to indicate) then don’t be surprised to see them jumping ship, and even as I write this rumours are filtering out of Japan that Resi 4 may still be heading to PS2. Abe’s Odyssey is another example of an exclusive, but I think that that had more to do with PS2 not having the power to run the game than being bitten by the Xbox bug. And the most obvious example – Rare. But even if you examine the situation there closely it doesn’t really seem like an ‘exclusive’. Rare are a second party developer part owned by Nintendo, and if they’re mischievous Christmas card is to be believed, then they too may go multi format.
Looking at the evidence I would say that, in the future, it is unlikely we will see the word ‘exclusive’ adorning a certain title. At the moment the only true exclusives are Nintendo, and what’s to say they might go multi format in a few years if Gamecube doesn’t work out? Before you put your doubters hats on and start criticising, think what you might have thought of Sega going multi format say, five years ago? Exactly. No one would have predicted it but look at them now! They have gone from struggling console developers to one of the most powerful and influential software developers in one feel swoop. Who’s to say it might look an attractive prospect for Nintendo in few years? Certainly not you or I (sorry to disappoint any budding visionaries amongst you). With developers scared of losing out and a desire to be noticed as the console ‘war’ hots up, it is starting to look that exclusives may certainly be a thing of the past.
Thanks for reading
RM18
Uncertainty. It has got to be creeping into the mind of developers and producers, especially third party ones, that if they pledge their allegiance to one console and it ends up being used as a floor mop then they are going to lose out, big time. No one wants their rivals to wipe the floor with them (hence the mop analogy). And with two next gen consoles out, one waiting in the wings and no-one honestly sure who is going to emerge victorious, developers seem to be hedging their bets a little. Plus pressure is probably being applied by producers who don’t want to sign a deal to a console that might go the way of the Dreamc…dodo.
There is also the distinct (in fact, almost definite) possibility of pressure being applied by producers to make a quick buck by porting the same game over. With Microsoft entering the industry money is being splashed about nonchalantly and the fat cats are seeing dollar signs in their eyes. Why commit yourself to one console and make £2m when you can move to another, double your target audience and make £4m? It’s an argument that is hard to argue against, especially for those of you with a mind for business.
Which leads me nicely onto my next point. Some developers may be scared of losing out and when we are at a stage (as we are now) where choice is becoming larger and someone is going to have to lose out, developers may feel that the only way to ensure success is to appear on every platform. Ok, maybe I am being cynical; maybe developers just want the widest audience possible to enjoy their games? That may be so, but you’ve got admit that it is food for thought.
So what about the consoles that can boast exclusives? Well Tomb Raider and Playstation were exclusive – until Lara appeared on Dreamcast, the first sign that no franchise ever stays in one place, no matter how successful. Shinji Mikami and the Resident Evil boys recently made the unusual step of committing themselves to one console, in this case Nintendo. Why? I’m not entirely sure. But if the Gamecube isn’t as successful as PS2 or Xbox, which I’m afraid to say early sales figures seem to indicate) then don’t be surprised to see them jumping ship, and even as I write this rumours are filtering out of Japan that Resi 4 may still be heading to PS2. Abe’s Odyssey is another example of an exclusive, but I think that that had more to do with PS2 not having the power to run the game than being bitten by the Xbox bug. And the most obvious example – Rare. But even if you examine the situation there closely it doesn’t really seem like an ‘exclusive’. Rare are a second party developer part owned by Nintendo, and if they’re mischievous Christmas card is to be believed, then they too may go multi format.
Looking at the evidence I would say that, in the future, it is unlikely we will see the word ‘exclusive’ adorning a certain title. At the moment the only true exclusives are Nintendo, and what’s to say they might go multi format in a few years if Gamecube doesn’t work out? Before you put your doubters hats on and start criticising, think what you might have thought of Sega going multi format say, five years ago? Exactly. No one would have predicted it but look at them now! They have gone from struggling console developers to one of the most powerful and influential software developers in one feel swoop. Who’s to say it might look an attractive prospect for Nintendo in few years? Certainly not you or I (sorry to disappoint any budding visionaries amongst you). With developers scared of losing out and a desire to be noticed as the console ‘war’ hots up, it is starting to look that exclusives may certainly be a thing of the past.
Thanks for reading
RM18
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Exclusives – are they a thing of the past? Only in the last few weeks we have heard the news that Grand Theft Auto 3 is making the short trip over to Xbox territory, along with State of Emergency, (and if the rumours are to be believed) Metal Gear Solid 2. If that wasn’t enough to shock you we had the recent revelation that after years of ill feeling Square are to develop Final Fantasy games for Nintendo again. But what has instigated this unusual trend? Why are developers no longer willing to make that commitment, to settle down and try for best sellers? (God I’m starting to sound like a relationship counsellor now). There are many reasons for this, starting with…
Uncertainty. It has got to be creeping into the mind of developers and producers, especially third party ones, that if they pledge their allegiance to one console and it ends up being used as a floor mop then they are going to lose out, big time. No one wants their rivals to wipe the floor with them (hence the mop analogy). And with two next gen consoles out, one waiting in the wings and no-one honestly sure who is going to emerge victorious, developers seem to be hedging their bets a little. Plus pressure is probably being applied by producers who don’t want to sign a deal to a console that might go the way of the Dreamc…dodo.
There is also the distinct (in fact, almost definite) possibility of pressure being applied by producers to make a quick buck by porting the same game over. With Microsoft entering the industry money is being splashed about nonchalantly and the fat cats are seeing dollar signs in their eyes. Why commit yourself to one console and make £2m when you can move to another, double your target audience and make £4m? It’s an argument that is hard to argue against, especially for those of you with a mind for business.
Which leads me nicely onto my next point. Some developers may be scared of losing out and when we are at a stage (as we are now) where choice is becoming larger and someone is going to have to lose out, developers may feel that the only way to ensure success is to appear on every platform. Ok, maybe I am being cynical; maybe developers just want the widest audience possible to enjoy their games? That may be so, but you’ve got admit that it is food for thought.
So what about the consoles that can boast exclusives? Well Tomb Raider and Playstation were exclusive – until Lara appeared on Dreamcast, the first sign that no franchise ever stays in one place, no matter how successful. Shinji Mikami and the Resident Evil boys recently made the unusual step of committing themselves to one console, in this case Nintendo. Why? I’m not entirely sure. But if the Gamecube isn’t as successful as PS2 or Xbox, which I’m afraid to say early sales figures seem to indicate) then don’t be surprised to see them jumping ship, and even as I write this rumours are filtering out of Japan that Resi 4 may still be heading to PS2. Abe’s Odyssey is another example of an exclusive, but I think that that had more to do with PS2 not having the power to run the game than being bitten by the Xbox bug. And the most obvious example – Rare. But even if you examine the situation there closely it doesn’t really seem like an ‘exclusive’. Rare are a second party developer part owned by Nintendo, and if they’re mischievous Christmas card is to be believed, then they too may go multi format.
Looking at the evidence I would say that, in the future, it is unlikely we will see the word ‘exclusive’ adorning a certain title. At the moment the only true exclusives are Nintendo, and what’s to say they might go multi format in a few years if Gamecube doesn’t work out? Before you put your doubters hats on and start criticising, think what you might have thought of Sega going multi format say, five years ago? Exactly. No one would have predicted it but look at them now! They have gone from struggling console developers to one of the most powerful and influential software developers in one feel swoop. Who’s to say it might look an attractive prospect for Nintendo in few years? Certainly not you or I (sorry to disappoint any budding visionaries amongst you). With developers scared of losing out and a desire to be noticed as the console ‘war’ hots up, it is starting to look that exclusives may certainly be a thing of the past.
Thanks for reading
RM18
Uncertainty. It has got to be creeping into the mind of developers and producers, especially third party ones, that if they pledge their allegiance to one console and it ends up being used as a floor mop then they are going to lose out, big time. No one wants their rivals to wipe the floor with them (hence the mop analogy). And with two next gen consoles out, one waiting in the wings and no-one honestly sure who is going to emerge victorious, developers seem to be hedging their bets a little. Plus pressure is probably being applied by producers who don’t want to sign a deal to a console that might go the way of the Dreamc…dodo.
There is also the distinct (in fact, almost definite) possibility of pressure being applied by producers to make a quick buck by porting the same game over. With Microsoft entering the industry money is being splashed about nonchalantly and the fat cats are seeing dollar signs in their eyes. Why commit yourself to one console and make £2m when you can move to another, double your target audience and make £4m? It’s an argument that is hard to argue against, especially for those of you with a mind for business.
Which leads me nicely onto my next point. Some developers may be scared of losing out and when we are at a stage (as we are now) where choice is becoming larger and someone is going to have to lose out, developers may feel that the only way to ensure success is to appear on every platform. Ok, maybe I am being cynical; maybe developers just want the widest audience possible to enjoy their games? That may be so, but you’ve got admit that it is food for thought.
So what about the consoles that can boast exclusives? Well Tomb Raider and Playstation were exclusive – until Lara appeared on Dreamcast, the first sign that no franchise ever stays in one place, no matter how successful. Shinji Mikami and the Resident Evil boys recently made the unusual step of committing themselves to one console, in this case Nintendo. Why? I’m not entirely sure. But if the Gamecube isn’t as successful as PS2 or Xbox, which I’m afraid to say early sales figures seem to indicate) then don’t be surprised to see them jumping ship, and even as I write this rumours are filtering out of Japan that Resi 4 may still be heading to PS2. Abe’s Odyssey is another example of an exclusive, but I think that that had more to do with PS2 not having the power to run the game than being bitten by the Xbox bug. And the most obvious example – Rare. But even if you examine the situation there closely it doesn’t really seem like an ‘exclusive’. Rare are a second party developer part owned by Nintendo, and if they’re mischievous Christmas card is to be believed, then they too may go multi format.
Looking at the evidence I would say that, in the future, it is unlikely we will see the word ‘exclusive’ adorning a certain title. At the moment the only true exclusives are Nintendo, and what’s to say they might go multi format in a few years if Gamecube doesn’t work out? Before you put your doubters hats on and start criticising, think what you might have thought of Sega going multi format say, five years ago? Exactly. No one would have predicted it but look at them now! They have gone from struggling console developers to one of the most powerful and influential software developers in one feel swoop. Who’s to say it might look an attractive prospect for Nintendo in few years? Certainly not you or I (sorry to disappoint any budding visionaries amongst you). With developers scared of losing out and a desire to be noticed as the console ‘war’ hots up, it is starting to look that exclusives may certainly be a thing of the past.
Thanks for reading
RM18
Yep, it does certainly look like exclusives are to be a thing of the past - except with the Zelda, Mario and other Nintendo games. Or so it seems, and I strongly hope!
And it's got to be a better thing having one game on multiple formats! Many people, like myself, may not have liked the idea of having to buy a PS2 to play the amazing GTA 3. And now we have the choice of getting a the PC version or an X-box! And this same thing applies to many other great games, including State of Emergency, like you said.
I think that Nintendo are keeping all their games to themselves for all the right reasons, and nothing bad should come from doing so. By only being able to play the Mario and Zelda games on their consoles, many people will HAVE to buy a GameCube or GameBoy if they want to continue the adventures!
The same also applies to Halo on the X-box. Manty people will buy an X-box, despite it's hig price, just so they can play possibly thr greatest FPS ever!
If it wasn't for things like this, we could play any game on the fomrat of our choice, and console developers could loose money and gamers to their rivals.
The DVD capability is another thing that can effect a gamers' choice, but not as much as it's games!
And it's got to be a better thing having one game on multiple formats! Many people, like myself, may not have liked the idea of having to buy a PS2 to play the amazing GTA 3. And now we have the choice of getting a the PC version or an X-box! And this same thing applies to many other great games, including State of Emergency, like you said.
I think that Nintendo are keeping all their games to themselves for all the right reasons, and nothing bad should come from doing so. By only being able to play the Mario and Zelda games on their consoles, many people will HAVE to buy a GameCube or GameBoy if they want to continue the adventures!
The same also applies to Halo on the X-box. Manty people will buy an X-box, despite it's hig price, just so they can play possibly thr greatest FPS ever!
If it wasn't for things like this, we could play any game on the fomrat of our choice, and console developers could loose money and gamers to their rivals.
The DVD capability is another thing that can effect a gamers' choice, but not as much as it's games!
Yeah, I'm not necessarily saying its a bad thing, as for us it means getting one console an being able to play all sorts of games
I think this also links in with my 'The Microsoft Effect' post I did in this same forum. Thanks to Microsofts influecne on the gaming world, many top PC and console games will become multi-format!
Well, that's how I see it anyway.
Well, that's how I see it anyway.
I think this also links in with my 'The Microsoft Effect' post I did in this same forum. Thanks to Microsofts influecne on the gaming world, many top PC and console games will become multi-format!
Well, that's how I see it anyway.
Good post too Russ M8! :D
Well, that's how I see it anyway.
Good post too Russ M8! :D
Thanks Ole!
I hope not.
I like the idea of having an exclusive killer title on my console of choice and then rubbing in the face of anyone who happens to suggest my console of choice is balls.
God, I've just realised: I'm a childish git!
I like the idea of having an exclusive killer title on my console of choice and then rubbing in the face of anyone who happens to suggest my console of choice is balls.
God, I've just realised: I'm a childish git!
I see your point, but its no fun either when another console has a game that you want!
good post!
I think if exclusives were still around the only way top enjoy all games would be to buy all consoles
obviosly it would be more expensive though...
I think if exclusives were still around the only way top enjoy all games would be to buy all consoles
obviosly it would be more expensive though...
Liquid Snake wrote:
> good post!
Isn't he your brother? Bet he made you say that :)
Anyways I do think that more and more games will become multi format, a good or bad thing depending on your views. I think it requires a bit of thought so if I remember I'll make a better reply later.
> good post!
Isn't he your brother? Bet he made you say that :)
Anyways I do think that more and more games will become multi format, a good or bad thing depending on your views. I think it requires a bit of thought so if I remember I'll make a better reply later.
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