The Impact Of Exclusives On Gaming

In the battle for dominance in the Gaming market, game exclusives are an often used to attract consumers to a platform. Exclusivity is more common in console gaming but PC also has its fair share of PC exclusives. Exclusives are not very popular among gamers but gaming companies especially console gaming companies use exclusives to distinguish themselves from the competition

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The History

There have always been game exclusives in the past, although different than the exclusivity we have now. It was not uncommon for a developer to focus on creating games for a specific platform. Some companies specialized in making games for PC while others preferred the Nintendo platform or Sega.
Companies like Sega and Nintendo also had their own library of games which only were released for their console. Companies like Blizzard and Valve focused on PC gaming.
It was expensive to produce games for multiple platforms (cross-platform) and only big companies like EA had the resources to release games on both consoles and PC.
However things changed, consoles and PC are more alike now than ever. It has become easier to release a game on multiple platforms, whether it is PC, Xbox, Playstation or the Nintendo Wii U.

The Different kind of Flavors

There are different kinds of exclusives:

Platform Exclusives
These are exclusives that are released on only one platform, either PC, Xbox, Playstation etc.
Examples are Star Citizen for the PC, Last of Us for the Playstation, and Forza for the Xbox and Bayonetta 2 for the Wii U.
Timed Exclusives
This is when a game is released exclusively on a platform for a limited time.
The best example is the Rise of the Tomb Raider for the Xbox one.
Content Exclusives
Games are released on multiple platforms but one platform gets added content that is not available on the other platforms.
An example is Destiny 2 for the Playstation which has exclusive maps, gear and missions that are not available for Xbox and PC.

The Special Snowflake

Console makers in particular want potential buyers to know that they are different from their rivals. On the one hand they point out how better their (hardware) console is but on the other hand they show off their library of games containing games that are not available on the other platforms.
Because it has become easier for developers to port their games to the others consoles or PC, companies like Sony and Microsoft often pay third-party developers to only produce games for their console.
The exclusivity of the game is proudly announced and advertised, Only on Xbox or Playstation Exclusive are well-known marketing phrases used to try and boost sales of both the game and the consoles.

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Does It All Matter?

Gaming exclusivity is not something gamers are very happy about. There are great console games that are not available on PC and on the other hand there are great titles available on PC that are not available on consoles. And then there is also the rivalry between the consoles that prevents games being released cross-platform.

As a former Xbox fanboy had to miss out on all the great Playstation exclusives. Developers like Naughty Dog and Team ICO only released their games on the Playstation. Microsoft had some great exclusives on the Xbox 360 with Gears of War, Crackdown, Mass Effect, Halo, Alan Wake and Forza. But it still pained me that I was not able to play games like Last of Us and Uncharted. It was not until I traded in my Xbox fanboy badge for a PS4 that I was able to play the Playstation exclusive titles. I actually got the Last of Us Playstation 4 bundle as soon as it was available.

But the game developers and the console makers do care about exclusives. For them it is a weapon in the ongoing battle for market dominance.
It isn't unlikely to theorize that Sony is actually selling more consoles than Microsoft because they have the better exclusivity deals. Sony has more and better exclusive games in their game line-up than Microsoft and that is reflecting in sales (source).

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Windows 10 and Xbox

Microsoft however still have a big Ace up their sleeve. With Windows 10, PC and the Xbox one are coming closer together. You are already able to stream your Xbox games to your PC and with the Xbox anywhere initiative you are also able to play the same games (if supported) on your Xbox and PC. Your game progress is even saved between the Xbox and your PC so that you can play on your Xbox for example and continue on your PC.
Imagine that this trend continues, which is not far fetched with Xbox obviously losing this console war to Playstation. In the near future it might become possible that Xbox owners get access to the PC game libraries. This would mean that the PC exclusive games will also be available for the Xbox.

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Exclusives might be a nuisance for gamers but for gaming companies it is the ideal way to distinguish themselves from the competition and give the consumers a reason to choose their platform over the others. Sony has effectively used exclusives to keep competitor Microsoft at bay. PC gamers enjoy their own exclusives but with Windows 10 we might see the beginnings of Xbox and PC becoming one shared platform

What are your thoughts on Exclusives, Good or Bad? And do you think that it will ever be possible to play the same games on PC and Xbox? Let me know in the comment section.

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Game Exclusives list