Is buying exclusivity bad for gaming?

Buying exclusivity seems to be the only defense MS has against Sony nowadays. We saw it with Fallout 3 DLC, GTA DLC and possibly Tony Hawks.

But is buying exclusivity, timed or otherwise, actually pretty bad for gaming? I mean, it's not as if MS are actually producing great content and thus encouraging people to buy their console. Instead they are essentially blocking content appearing on other systems, limiting the number of people that can play a game and forcing them to buy their console.

Exclusives have always been great as companies are forced to create great products in order to get the consumers in. MS's latest tactic basically means they don't add anything to the gaming industy in terms on content as their "exclusives" would have been developed regardless. Shame on them?

I think only fanboys care, gamers don't mind I suppose.

it is bad for gaming. M$ contibuted little to the game industry. theyre just hoping to profit on live and DLC while they steal exclusives and studios as they seek to monopolize the market.

I think only fanboys care, gamers don't mind I suppose.

mitu123

it is bad for gaming. M$ contibuted little to the game industry. theyre just hoping to profit on live and DLC while they steal exclusives and studios as they seek to monopolize the market.

-snorlax-

lol, i guess I'm the only one that feels this way.thetruespin

it is bad for gaming. M$ contibuted little to the game industry. theyre just hoping to profit on live and DLC while they steal exclusives and studios as they seek to monopolize the market.

-snorlax-

[QUOTE="-snorlax-"]

it is bad for gaming. M$ contibuted little to the game industry. theyre just hoping to profit on live and DLC while they steal exclusives and studios as they seek to monopolize the market.

scottiescott238

[QUOTE="mitu123"]

I think only fanboys care, gamers don't mind I suppose.

-snorlax-

i saw a vid of some guy ranting on youtube about this topic, except he was ranting at sony for the ghostbusters exclusivity in EA/AU lol..

[QUOTE="scottiescott238"][QUOTE="-snorlax-"]

it is bad for gaming. M$ contibuted little to the game industry. theyre just hoping to profit on live and DLC while they steal exclusives and studios as they seek to monopolize the market.

-snorlax-

Shame on Microsoft. Don't forget about them buying timed exclusivity on Ghostbusters too.Floppy_Jim

i saw a vid of some guy ranting on youtube about this topic, except he was ranting at sony for the ghostbusters exclusivity in EA/AU lol..

zarshack

[QUOTE="-snorlax-"][QUOTE="mitu123"]

I think only fanboys care, gamers don't mind I suppose.

mitu123

By that logic, there should be no such thing as exclusives to begin with since some gamers will inevitably be unable to enjoy them because they don't have the system the exclusive game is on.

And seriously, let's not act like Sony hasn't done its share of moneyhatting this generation...

[QUOTE="zarshack"]

i saw a vid of some guy ranting on youtube about this topic, except he was ranting at sony for the ghostbusters exclusivity in EA/AU lol..

thetruespin

By that logic, there should be no such thing as exclusives to begin with since some gamers will inevitably be unable to enjoy them because they don't have the system the exclusive game is on.

And seriously, let's not act like Sony hasn't done its share of moneyhatting this generation...

The_Game21x

[QUOTE="thetruespin"][QUOTE="zarshack"]

i saw a vid of some guy ranting on youtube about this topic, except he was ranting at sony for the ghostbusters exclusivity in EA/AU lol..

zarshack

[QUOTE="Floppy_Jim"]Shame on Microsoft. Don't forget about them buying timed exclusivity on Ghostbusters too.thetruespin

Nope, the evil of M$ has no bounds :(

But I agree that a company getting timed exclusivity on something only screws over owners of the other consoles, it doesn't particularly benefit their own fanbase. We saw Sony do it with GTA (last gen) and Ghostbusters, MS are doing it now with DLC, Lost Planet 2 etc and I'm sure Nintendo have done it many times in the past.

[QUOTE="-snorlax-"][QUOTE="mitu123"] You might be right, though fanboys do care a lot.mitu123

if not for exclusivity then much of the DLC wouldn't even exist. microsft knew enough to fund the development and without their contribution fallout 3 would never have risen above what sony settled for on the ps3. lost and the damned wouldn't exist either. without exclusivity there is little motivation to update and upgrade games, instead the focus would just be on the next sequel. very little DLC is made for games that are not exclusive in one way or another. either the DLC is exclusive or the game is.

also, if not for exclusive titles then the ps3 would never have survived this long. it was too expensive and the majority of multiplats have been better for the 360. sony should thank god for exclusivity.

Developing exclusives for your console is great obviously.

Buying exclusive rights is not however. I don't think that needs an explanation.

[QUOTE="-snorlax-"][QUOTE="mitu123"] Yeah, Grabbed by the Ghoulies did suck. Well, I meant to say most fanboys, not all of them since you weren't one, sorry if what I said didn't come out correctly.navyguy21

Developing exclusives for your console is great obviously.

Buying exclusive rights is not however. I don't think that needs an explanation.

Filthybastrd

[QUOTE="-snorlax-"][QUOTE="navyguy21"]How does exclusivity hurt gamers? How on earth did you decide what console to buy? How would you decide if all 3 had the same games?? why would we need more than 1 on the market if they all had the same games?? That means no system wars, no E3, no game shows, the console industry would flatline, there would be no competition, and every dev would pull a "madden" and rehash the same crap.navyguy21

Competition between devs is just fine.

I fail to see how preventing a game being released on a platform does anything for gamers though.

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

Developing exclusives for your console is great obviously.

Buying exclusive rights is not however. I don't think that needs an explanation.

SpruceCaboose

well if you develop a game for your console, it's obvious you're not going to help the competition.

If you buy exclusivity from a third party dev you're preventing potential customers from getting a game that would've otherwise been available to them.

[QUOTE="navyguy21"][QUOTE="-snorlax-"] or maybe just maybe we can play all these great games on a single platform ie PC and stop bashing other consoles for games we cant play?Filthybastrd

Competition between devs is just fine.

I fail to see how preventing a game being released on a platform does anything for gamers though.

Seriously?? who would buy a PS3 if that happend??

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"][QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

Developing exclusives for your console is great obviously.

Buying exclusive rights is not however. I don't think that needs an explanation.

Filthybastrd

well if you develop a game for your console, it's obvious you're not going to help the competition.

If you buy exclusivity from a third party dev you're preventing potential customers from getting a game that would've otherwise been available to them.

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

[QUOTE="navyguy21"]and where is the diversity in that?? what incentive to devs have to make their games better?? How do you think sony came to be?? you think they would exist if they just gave up when things fell through with nintendo?? Competition is ALWAYS a good thing. No matter what industry you are in, or what side you are on.navyguy21

Competition between devs is just fine.

I fail to see how preventing a game being released on a platform does anything for gamers though.

Seriously?? who would buy a PS3 if that happend??

So you seriosuly believe that having a game made for the console your company created is the same as paying a company, who would have otherwise released their game cross-platform to not release it on the competition's?

I call having first party devs making games "protecting your own interests" while I call buying exlcusive rights "protecting your own interests but with casualties"

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"] What is the difference?SpruceCaboose

well if you develop a game for your console, it's obvious you're not going to help the competition.

If you buy exclusivity from a third party dev you're preventing potential customers from getting a game that would've otherwise been available to them.

[QUOTE="navyguy21"]

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

Competition between devs is just fine.

I fail to see how preventing a game being released on a platform does anything for gamers though.

Filthybastrd

Seriously?? who would buy a PS3 if that happend??

So you seriosuly believe that having a game made for the console your company created is the same as paying a company, who would have otherwise released their game cross-platform to not release it on the competition's?

I call having first party devs making games "protecting your own interests" while I call buying exlcusive rights "protecting your own interests but with casualties"

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"][QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

well if you develop a game for your console, it's obvious you're not going to help the competition.

If you buy exclusivity from a third party dev you're preventing potential customers from getting a game that would've otherwise been available to them.

navyguy21

I don't recall mentioning buying a dev. Just the exclusive rights to a game hence "third party".

But I'd love to see how people in this thread would have reacted if it came out that SE had intended to release FF13 as multiplat all along but a fat check from Sony had made it exclusive.....

I don't recall mentioning buying a dev. Just the exclusive rights to a game hence "third party".

Filthybastrd

But I'd love to see how people in this thread would have reacted if it came out that SE had intended to release FF13 as multiplat all along but a fat check from Sony had made it exclusive.....

Filthybastrd

But I'd love to see how people in this thread would have reacted if it came out that SE had intended to release FF13 as multiplat all along but a fat check from Sony had made it exclusive.....

Filthybastrd

Um...let's think about this for a second.

Heavy Rain was being developed for the PC, PS3 and 360 early into this generation. That is, until Sony stepped in and decided to publish it for them, making it exclusive to the PS3.

Now, I'm not going to say Heavy Rain is as big as Final Fantasy XIII but still, we're talking about a situation that is similar to the hypothetical situation you posted...