The Xbox One is struggling because video game exclusives still matter

We’re three months into 2017 and it’s already unusually crowded with great exclusive video games. The PlayStation 4 is on a hot streak.

[UCForce]

Yes, exclusive does matter. Look at HZD, it sold about 2.6 million units. I can bet Zelda Breath of the Wild going to sell a lot of units.

[GtR35olution]

People like to pick narratives to fit their delusions so when people say exclusives dont matter theyre just being silly. Exclusives matter a lot but because certain people console of choice might be lacking in certain areas like not garnering a lot of exclusive titles then they chant these things trying to convince others and themselves. Exclusives games are a major point in a lot of people choosing to buy a gaming platform over another . Ps3 managed to outsell the x360 which was ahead by 10million because sony had a lot more exclusive titles.

[Kingthrash360]

Agreed.
Though I will point out that the Xbox has been struggling long before it did away with exclusives.
Xbox problems go far beyond that.
But exclusives are KEY. No matter how ms flips it.

[NewMonday]

recently there is a trend of Xbox only die hards jumping ship to the PS4, the last bastion of holdouts finally joined the biggest gaming community in the world.

the combination of regular Playstation exclusives and Xbox high profile cancellations made the difference.

[SardoNumspa]

"Xbox problems go far beyond that. "

Yes.

For a developer or publisher looking at Microsoft - why would they bother to support them? Microsoft has a history of dumping their hardware mid generation. And they don't have enough confidence in their console to bother creating exclusive content for it or acquire first party developers to create enough content to compete with Sony.

For a gamer you have the same concerns as developers and publishers with Microsoft's history of leaving gamers in the lurch. Dumping the first Xbox marketplace failure after only 3.5 years. Or when Microsoft saw the Wii fad in full force they effectively said F you to existing Xbox 360 owners and tried to turn their console into some mom and grandma motion control machine.

The Xbox One is bombing in sales just as badly as the first Xbox - both have sold only about 24 million after 3.5 years on the market.

It isn't any sort of amazing coincidence that the Xbox One without the RRoD inflating its installed base numbers by tens of millions is right back to selling at the same low first Xbox numbers. And just like the first Xbox, almost entirely in the US and UK while being dead in Japan and mainland Europe.

Scorpio looks like Microsoft is finnaly throwing in the towel on competing with Sony and is instead trying to salvage the wreckege of the failed Xbox brand by turning it into some sort of Microsoft branded gaming PCs.

Even if Microsoft did have exclusives worth buying there just aren't that many people willing to invest hundreds to thousands of dollars of that trainwreck of a console.

[TheUndertaker85]

@NewMonday: I owned 3 PS4s, numerous Vitas & PS3s, along with multiple other PlayStation consoles. I now own a Xbox One.

Many titles for PlayStation 4 are remasters or little throw away titles. The level of excitement is also lower than PS3 and previous consoles due to exactly that. LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, Resistance, and other IPs all marked new progress in the way games were done. They introduced something new. Then most returning IPs weren't simply rehashed versions of past games. Sure there were some but not to the level of now. Most returning IPs looked to bring something new to the franchise.

Further the money grubbing tactics like PS Now instead of backwards compatibility which PS4 should at least be able to do for PS2 & PSOne games, turning away from no mandatory fee for online play, the way they decided to handle services like PlayStation Home, and other poor choices seem to have made Sony a different company but not in an appealing way to me.

[SardoNumspa]

TheUndertaker85: "Many titles for PlayStation 4 are remasters or little throw away titles. The level of excitement is also lower than PS3 and previous consoles due to exactly that"

The PS4 is outpacing the the 160 million selling PS2 - the top selling console of all time.

The PS4 has had the single largest flood of high rated exclusives of any console in history in 2017.

So, yeah, low excitement and nothing but throwaway titles for the PS4.

LOL

[BlackTar187]

@undertaker

PS4 games are throw aways or small or whatever else you said but then you talk about owning Xbox one now a system that can't even sustain any type of games releases thru out a year.

You, sir, are full of it. Also your same point against PS is against xbox as well so again WTF are you saying again?

[Muzikguy]

@undertaker

Throw away titles? There have been so many games this generation on the PS4 that it's just insane. For me, this generation has been one of the best. I remember during the PS2 I was feeling like there was a drought and started to think I should stop gaming for awhile. With the PS4, there are many games I've yet to buy and so many upcoming that I want. I also have a backlog that is probably one year at least, if I were to not get any more games. I'd say this is probably one of the best generations in gaming.

[darthv72]

I wish there were better exclusives, not just more. I know that something like Horizon is possible on the xb1 but there is no team in MS that is/was/has been able to do it. I have always said to myself that if a dev like naughty dog or insomniac were to break free from Sony and make a game on other platforms they they could likely really show that platforms strengths as well.

Insomniac DID make a game for xb1 and it IS very fun but also not to the same level of polish they are known to do with their Ratchet games. It isn't the platform... it's the choices that MS basically laid out for them in order to make a game. I like the platform and I enjoy the games but DAMN IT!!! MS has to give up creative control and let these companies approach these projects with as much freedom as Sony gives it's developers.

[TheUndertaker85]

@SardoNumspa: So what you're saying is I should be excited about total sales of a console rather than what the console does or offers me? Check. Forgot the me too factor beats all here.

I'm also interested to know where innovation comes into play by flooding the market with "exclusives" but shooters flood the market all the time but yet that's not. Many even outpacing the ratings of exclusives.

@BlackTar187: I applaud you sir. You can explain what is wrong with my comment and position without even fully grasping or attempting to discern the full intent and even admitting as much. I however have over a terabyte of content that says you're full of it anyway. Even those exclusives Xbox does offer. If you are referring to the pay for online comment good reading. Microsoft brought Gold long before Plus even. Sony claimed for some time they would not go the same route, pushing that point with PS3 & Vita. Yet PS4 has paid online. In other words Microsoft brought it at their own terms, Sony commented they wouldn't follow the path but did. It's not about paying for online as I have Gold and had Plus since inception. It's about being honest which Sony was not.

@MuzikGuy: Your comment is flat out face palm worthy. Why do I care about NUMBERS over QUALITY OR OFFERING? PS4 offering so much doesn't make the library better but maybe more vast. Even then as was pointed out many of those same titles are remasters or throw away titles. You further talk about a backlog meaning you haven't played those titles along with titles you want to buy but also tells me you haven't played them. So while you're talking about offerings you're continuing to say that a bunch haven't even been worth your time yet if at all.

[BlackTar187]

LOL @ Undertaker your response is a joke

[candystop]

All of this madness from the Sony side to try and slow down the momentum of Scorpio. All i will say is games are coming as well as exclusives. There was a time Sony even struggled with exclusives and all we would hear is patience, so i ask you motor mouths to do the same. Also last gen ps3 and xbox 360 practically tied in sales. Xbox 360 had more games especially when you add in XNA but you will always hear claims from those that dont know jack!

[Muzikguy]

@Undertaker

Way to completely construe what I've said. The reason for my backlog is because I have a lot of games and no time to play them. It's not because I don't find them worthy of my time. Games upcoming that I want are ones I'm interested in buying but again, I know I don't have much time to play them. Doesn't mean I don't or won't pick them up. Games in the past that I don't have yet also have nothing to do with finding them time-worthy. I have to have money to buy the games I want. Between bills, the wife, and raising my son, I have to make choices

[dcbronco]

Many, if not most, say Nintendo has the best exclusives. Yet Nintendo has ended up third in two of the last three generations. Sony's president came out and said six or seven of ten exclusives lose money. If exclusives were such a huge selling point six or seven would be profitable.

With a 50 million install base 2 million units means 4% of the owners bought a game. That is not important. There is no amount of spin that can change that. The majority are in it for the big titles. With the exception of a few titles with each manufacturer, the big games are the bread and butter.

The only people that believe otherwise are a few that frequent gaming sites. I do applaud Sony's pushing unique experiences that cater to their home audience, but Sony knows going in they aren't console sellers or profit producers.

[rainslacker]

The most talked about games on consoles are always exclusives when it comes to fan boy discussion, so I'd say they matter.

Maybe in the grander scheme of things, with the consumer and what not, they aren't as important, but I think we can all agree, regardless of console preference, that it's the games that matter. Because of this, if one console has more games, with more of those games having a chance of appealing to more people, that it's probably going to be a more attractive console.

[DAEMONIFEAR]

At the end of both their cycles the last 11months is when Sony pulled ahead with ps3 after price drops were finally realistic and yeah they finally had games

[Ceaser9857361]

UNDERTAKER

" I owned 3 PS4s, numerous Vitas & PS3s, along with multiple other PlayStation consoles. I now own a Xbox One. "
"Many titles for PlayStation 4 are remasters or little throw away titles. The level of excitement is also lower than PS3 "

Surprising you say you owe so many stuff from Sony and just got the Xbox one and you speak like Xbox fanboy.. Anyways that's something a xbox fanboy would say, nevermind..

Well were you aware of those games released on PS3 early? Also are you aware that the PS3 got release around 2006 /7 ? Also i hope you understand the quality and the budget and the risk and so many other factors have increased since PS2 era to PS3 era to PS4 era.. The PS4 did started with Shadowfall and Second Son as launch release and that's fine you cant expect 4 to 5 AAA exclusives in a year. There are more Third party devs now also Sony needs to place their Exclusive such that they dont clash with a major third party games.. Exclusive sales Console and with over 55 mil units PS4 has moved i am sure its doing great.. That being said This E3 gonna be amazing like last year..

[Utalkin2me]

When you have alot of great exclusive and have better 3rd party games then the competitors its a recipe for success. While Ms wasted money on other things, they should have putting money into first party studios.

[frostypants]

Yep. If exclusives didn't matter there'd be little reason for multiple systems to even exist beyond sundry graphical differences. The drive to sell system hardware pushes first party devs to make games that might not otherwise happen in a market devoid of console competition. And people forget, exclusives have ALWAYS been a thing going back to the first video game systems. This industry would be so dull without exclusives.

[Unspoken]

PlayStation, the console where you need as many new games as possible because their games are only good for one play through. One of the main problems with PlayStation exclusives is the lack of replay-ability. Whatever floats your boat, no PS4 here and haven't had any issues with playing new games or having favorites with strong multiplayer to go back to again and again.

[Critic4l_Strik3]

@ Undertaker

You went full retard

[fiveby9]

I like and support first party exclusives. I am not a big fan of third party timed exclusivity.

[lelo2play]

Everybody with half a brain know that exclusives matter.

If not for exclusive games, then what's the point of owning a specific console?
Microsoft execs fail to understand that simple logic.

[Eonjay]

With Microsoft it is understandable because how do they leverage PC? Like how? Still that doesn't take away the fact that they don't have exclusives. But Xbox isn't really struggling. The main thing is that PlayStation is more popular period and that the Xbox One was designed to well, preventing Microsoft from selling 3 units to the same person. Their actual base is probably around 30 million. Its one of the reasons for Scorpio. They have almost maxed out their Market share and now they need those same folks to buy a new console. 30 million is a really good number if you can get them to buy hardware over and over. Even better for Sony but I think Microsoft wants to make sure that no one is satisfied with the Xbox One so you are compelled to get the new system. Whatever games they have will only be released when the Scorpio is released. To hell and be damned with the Xbox One. Its time for the base to upgrade.

[uth11]

I think to the higher ups at MS, protecting Windows gaming from the threat of SteamOS getting a foothold was more important. So windows got the Xbox exclusives to the detriment of Xbox.

[UltraNova]

@uth11

You Sir get it. They lost to Sony so they had to protect all that remained...windows gaming.

[darthv72]

I agree with this notion. It really sucks there arent more games for the XB1 (exclusive or otherwise). I will say that the only exclusive games should be those by the parent company or its subsidiaries. All 3rd party devs / pubs should be open to the public.

No doubt there are a crap ton of exclusive games on PS4 that should not be exclusive to begin with. But... I got a PS4 so it's no big deal. To those with only an XB1 then they should get with the program and get a PS4. I find that they compliment each other quite nicely.

[81BX]

I think there is this common misconception that because a console doesn't have games you like it has no games. Not true at all.

[Fist4achin]

I think gaming is in a bit of a flux right now bc at the beginning of this generation, Ms tried to push always online gaming. With MS thinking they know what's​better for everyone, it hurt them pretty bad. PS is doing well right now and I can't think of a better time to game on my PS4 bc of all the exclusives.

I hope physical media sticks around for a long time, but every generation seems to be making steps towards that future.

I don't want to see Ms go away bc competition is always a good thing and it can drive an industry in good directions.

The scary thing is that I see the future of gaming being a subscription service based industry with consoles disappearing. Exclusives will then drive the fans towards the subscriptions.

[darthv72]

Well obviously the platform has games. That is such a tired argument and I tend to laugh at those who try to use it (not you 81BX). I just wish the system had better games in general. I get the feeling that MS has all these ideas and when they want a company to make a game then they start contradicting themselves with other ideas that can be counter productive with their first set of ideas.

They need to let up on the reigns if they want to achieve the quality of games like what Sony's teams are capable of delivering. They also need to have patience and not be in a rush. If they had more games in development and spaced them out accordingly then they wouldnt be in a rush all the time around the holidays.

I have to admit that the way Sony delivers is significantly better than how MS does it. Chalk that up to experience and knowing your target demographic.

[Aceman18]

Please explain the exclusives shouldn't be exclusives part for me lol.

[darthv72]

What's to explain Aceman? 3rd party games like SFV, KoFXIV, Nier... etc.

Ones that were not published or developed by the platform holder or its subsidiaries. SFV is a Capcom game and has only ever been exclusive one time (SNES), KoF games are SNK and have never been exclusive unless you just count the Neo Geo. And just last gen there was Nier and was published by Square for PS3 and 360.

[DarXyde]

Wasn't Drakengard exclusive?

Nier didn't start at Nier, you know.

[admiralvic]

I get the concept you're getting at with the exclusives, but I can't help but feel some of these choices are purely business. For instance, Nier was on the 360, yes, but the sales were probably crap. VGChartz says the PS3 version sold more than double and it goes without saying that Xbox has little to no base in Japan. The weekly hardware chart on the front page claims that 89 (yes, eighty nine) Xbox One's were sold in Japan.

So, obviously, a lot of Japanese companies that make things with smaller appeal (Drakengard/Nier, Toukiden, weird anime games like Berserk, Neptunia, Disgaea and many more) on a platform that they think they will turn a profit on (I imagine we see a lot of PC ports because of how easy it is to port and the numbers are there.). Especially when you can look at things like Cross Edge Dash, which is the ill-fated Japanese Xbox 360 version of Cross Edge, supposedly sold 10,000~. With a number that low, I seriously doubt they turned any sort of profit and it makes sense they wouldn't invest in another when the PS3 version sold 23x as many copies.

Anyway, the point is, it probably has nothing to do preference and everything to do with sales. This would explain a lot of them, even KoF (SNK isn't in the best shape), with the odd man out being Street Fighter V. As for why that is exclusive, at least a console one anyway, I would guess it has to do with development time. No one can deny Street Fighter V released in an incomplete state, so adding Xbox would've set them further back, resulting in them picking the one where they expected the most sales. Remember, companies aren't your friends and just want money.

[yeahright2]

Mostly agree, but Nothing wrong with a 3rd party being contracted to make an exclusive game. Where the problem comes in to me is when that's done with an established multiplatform franchise. Then there's something morally wrong with that to me. Street fighter and tomb raider come to mind. At that point you're paying money to keep gamers from the titles they love. dick move.

[bluefox755]

Exclusives matter a lot, but they're not the only thing that matters. If they were Wii U would have been a success. There needs to be a comprehensive approach.

[XanderZane]

Agreed. Exclusives aren't the only thing that matters. If the PS4 only had their 1st party exclusives and nothing else, I doubt it would have sold over 55 million units. They obviously got huge help from their Japanese 3rd party developers who decided to make exclusives for them as well. With all the 3rd party games from other countries, it's a no brainer as to why the system is so popular.

[houyi111]

I agreed. price, overall brand recognition, reputation, ad, performance, 3rd party support all matters. exclusives arent the ONLY thing, sure. but right now it seems ps4 has all of the things matter.

[EddieNX]

Zelda's wiiu and switch sales combined probs not far off Horizon, it did 1.3M on Switch alone in first week.

Bottom line, exclusives matter more than ever.

[TheUndertaker85]

Forza Horizon 3 sits at 2.09 million units.
Gears of War 4 sits at 2.76 million units.

Also that 1.3 million figure is both Switch and Wii U, not just Switch.
https://m.mic.com/articles/...

It should also be put into context to state Zelda needs to sell over 2 million units to break even. Now is likely more due to a lot of development moving to Switch from Wii U where it started.
https://www.forbes.com/site...

[TheUndertaker85]

Forza Horizon 3 has moved over 2 million units. Gears of War 4 has moved 2.76 million units. The Xbox One as a console has moved 28.6 million consoles.

If your definition of successful is selling 2.6 million units to an install base of 55.6 million surely selling over 2 million to an install base of 28.6 million is also successful if not more successful.

[Sparta07]

Who said Xbox sold 28.6million consoles?
How long ago did forza and gears of war 4 come out?
Horizon sold more then those two games in less then a month.
Not bad for a throw away title. 🤣

[SardoNumspa]

"The Xbox One as a console has moved 28.6 million consoles."

LOL!!!

The Xbox One is in the 24 million range.

Which makes it bombing in sales just as bad as the first Xbox marketplace failure.

There's a reason why Micorosoft won't admit to their sales numbers...

[Trez1234]

So you are saying if I was selling a game and it sold 2million on the xbox and 2.6million on the ps4 I would say my game was more successful on the xbox? Basically I would have made more money on the xbox because of that attach rate? In the real world, I'm sure I'll go where my games sell more. Wouldn't bother with attach rate and it definitely won't make my game more " successful.

By this logic, all xbox one games are more successful than ps4 and we know that isn't the case.

[CP_Company]

why are you counting just xbox? those games were released and on PC,so 28M+400M=428M install base against 55M,so ?

[Chevalier]

Except Gears and Forza has been out for 4-5 months through Christmas. Gears 4 during a busy holiday ONLY did, 600,000 it's first week. Horizon is a completely new IP and did the current lifetime sales of Gears and Forza in 2 weeks. Are you one of those idiots that thinks sales stop after a couple weeks? You do realize that it will sell throughout the year right?

[XanderZane]

They do need more exclusives and they are coming eventually. I don't think Phil will be able to put every XBox title on the PC and continue to grow the XBox hardware. He'll eventually need XBox/Scorpio exclusives to drive the hardware forward and into the future. PC can have their own exclusives from Microsoft as well.

http://www.dsogaming.com/ne...

"So there you have it. As Phil Spencer claimed, there will be both PC and console exclusives from Microsoft. Therefore, it will be interesting to see whether Microsoft’s triple-A games will remain on its consoles or whether the PC will actually receive a triple-A exclusive title."

[Sparta07]

I agree with you xander, but phill himself also said that every Microsoft game that comes out from now on will be on Xbox and pc.
So which one is it?

[XanderZane]

@Sparta07
Phil is flip-flopping again. I'm sure some games will be on both, but there will be other specific games that will only be on XB1/Scorpio or only for the PC. I actually think they need to get some 3rd party exclusives like Sony is doing with PS4. They had a lot of those for the OG XBox.

[Mystogan]

They do matter. But it's not like Xbox isn't getting any more exclusives. Sure there aren't many on the list right now, I can only think of Sea of Thieves, Forza 7 and Crackdown 3 right now and some indie games like Cuphead but there definitely will be more announcements at E3.

The problem with Xbox right now is that they spent too little money on new IPs. Imagine if ReCore had more money behind it. That game is the very definition of under budgeted. That game could have been Xbox's Zelda.

[Thatguy-310]

They have no sense of identity as of now. The variety of Sony exclusives that have been dropping and with Nintendo launching its new console they are pretty much left in the dark right now.

[DarXyde]

I'm just surprised we needed an article to corroborate this when we, as gamers, are far more inclined to buy a console for the games you CAN'T get elsewhere.

I think this generation has a perfect setup: it MIGHT be a repeat of the sixth generation, but by the end, we'll have a burning question answered:

"What matters more, exclusives or power?"

Scorpio will have the performance advantage and PS4 will have the exclusives advantage. Back then, people wanted PS2 over Xbox because of the titles available, despite Xbox being more powerful.

I get a very strong feeling Playstation will continue to dominate, but you never know with changing times. Should be great to get some actual empirical evidence.

[Scatpants]

If it wasn't for Zelda the Switch would be dead in the water.

[Vizigoth04]

@TheUndertaker85
Yet you own 3 PS4s?

[trooper_]

Exclusives always mattered.

[modelgod]

And after Zelda the switch is done! ! This title is soooo weak. It's obvious that exclusives still matters, it's obvious Sony is on a roll; so much that I actually invested in a PS4 yesterday, and it's also obvious that the Switch is trash, and the X1 is still outselling the 360 during it's product lifecycle. Will X1 recover? No.....I doubt it. The cancellation of Scalebound coupled withe the fact that they aren't doing anything as far as a Lost Odyssey 2, Alan Wake 2, a new Knights of the old Republic, and a Ninja Gaiden exclusive, spells doom for MS. I didn't purchase Halo Wars, Cuphead is a indie game and it wouldn't be fair to praise Cuphead, while during the early stages of the PS4, xboxers we're saying " all Sony has is TLOU remake, and a bunch of good indies." It's so funny how everybody is sucking Nintendo and throwing them into the sleuth of what Sony is doing, when in fact all they really did was release a wack system with Zelda. It's Zelda for God's sake!!!

[vergilxx3]

Except that botw is not exclusive

[Relientk77]

Exclusives do matter and it's silly that people would even argue that. One of the main reasons Sony is killing it

[chrisx]

Yea the amount of exclusives pumping out of the Ps4 is Crazy, best part is they are all stellar games

[XanderZane]

I was say at least have of them were worth owning. Games like No Man's Sky, DriveClub, The Order 1886, Godzilla, Killzone: SF, Knack, LBP3 and a bunch of others were not stellar. Games like NiOh, Uncharted 4, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Bloodborne, Ratchet & Clank, Infamous Second Son, Until Dawn, Rez Infinite, etc...were all great games.

[Deep-throat]

If they do matter to the general people outside gaming forums, then why games like Gravity Rush 2 and Yakuza 0 flopped?

Where are those 50+ million PS4 users? They are missing out!

Oh wait, if exclusives do matter so much, then why the WiiU didn't sell so well? The thing had quality games like Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2 and more...

[Sparta07]

If exclusives don't matter then why is the Xbox suffering?
Exclusives and multiplayer games matter.
I chose the PS4 over xboxone because of the exclusives.
People choose to get xboxone because of halo.
You can spin it all you like. But at the end of the day exclusives matter.

Gravity Rush 2 and Yakuza 0 are Japanese games that did pretty good here in the states.
Nobody thought it would sell millions of copies on the first day.
Also you forgot to mention that Horizon sold close to 3 million in less then a month. Guess exclusives do matter. 🤗

[DashArrivals]

HEY YOU !!!

Wii-U, just had exclusives.
Xbox mainly just multiplats.
PS4 HAS BOTH. HAS BOTH ON IT'S SIDE. That's why it's the best console IMO.
Thanks for coming

[Why o why]

Lol. . Loving the tantrums. The 'general public' is supporting the ps4 to the ratio of 2 to 1 over your precious. We have choice of quality titles spanning many genres. . It's the new downplay many detractors use nowadays. . Games sales whilst missing the irony of ms keeping quiet about their consoles sales all of a sudden. .I'll enjoy my 'flop' yakuza and gravity rush whilst you enjoy vapours and Scorpio gasses . Lol

[BlackTar187]

it's hilarious to me the xbox fans hinting at exclusives don't matter. EXCLUSIVES are the only reason Xbox is a brand that still exists. If it wasn't for the Halo Exclusive and Gears of War xbox would have died.

Mostly halo and i'm reaching possibly here but i would imagine 50% of Xbox OG owners bought it for Halo.

I also think Deppthroat you summed up why Sony is so good. They let games sell 1 million and grow and not cancel them or see that they are a niche title and still put backing behind it. That speaks to the consumers they are targetted and gets you long term appreciation. Maybe if Xbox spent a little more time on long term goals instead of short term hype and buzzwords they'd be in a better spot.

[Cohagen420]

Sega and Sony seemed happy with the way they both sold. I'm certain of one thing, they sold more than Scalebound :D

[Razzer]

It isn't PS4 gamers who are missing out. Sorry.

[Legatus]

Self proclaimed member of the PC masterrace fiercely defending Mircosoft/Xbox and blindly attacking and trolling anything Sony/PS related.
Hmmmm, i think this article revealed we have another die hard Xbox fanboy in disguise.

[GamingCentaur]

Horizon Zero Dawn already sold 2.6 million. Uncharted 4 is like 10 million plus.

Exclusives matter. Even those that didn't sell millions of copies. PS4 has popular exclusives, niche exclusives and 3rd party support. That's why it's king. It has games for every kind of gamer.

[DarXyde]

Oh my, this one here.

While I'm bothered by Gravity Rush 2's lukewarm sales, that game is the successor to a Vita title so most people didn't play it. Even with a remaster, people were likely reluctant to buy it because it looked charming in a child's way and Sony made the mistake of not advertising it well, if at all. Odds are, the budget was small and the game could turn a profit easily, so that's likely a non issue. Yakuza is pretty niche, despite being 7 games in. It's very quirky and overtly Japanese.

You're a blatant troll, but I'll humor you and ask you a question: since you seem to have a thing against Sony, why do you think people still prioritize Playstation and Sony keeps making well received exclusives?

[admiralvic]

"If they do matter to the general people outside gaming forums, then why games like Gravity Rush 2 and Yakuza 0 flopped? "

Just because you release something, doesn't mean it will sell.

"Oh wait, if exclusives do matter so much, then why the WiiU didn't sell so well?"

It lacked third party support. Some people seem baffled by a fairly simple concept.

The whole notion that exclusives matter assumes both companies have relatively equal third party support. Since you can get most of the games on either platform, there needs to be SOMETHING that makes you pick A over B. In the case of Xbox versus PlayStation, I am missing out on something like 50 games for a platform that probably has that many released by Sony themselves, so that is the deciding factor. If Nintendo had the same level of third party support as Sony, their sales would likely be significantly higher.

[guyman]

LMAO

Yakuza zero didnt flop. it sold at least 500000 copies already.

[alstruck]

The awful XBOne announcement is first big punch (or punching themselves), then Sony's first party with bloodborne in second year, then Uncharted, then early 2017 happens..

First year Xbox's exclusive was actually pretty good with Sunset and Titanfall..

[ruefrak]

I'd argue it. XB1 was struggling when they had all the big exclusives and Sony had none. Up until lately, the situation was the exact opposite. Microsoft had all the big exclusives and Sony had nothing. It didn't matter and PS4 sales still continued to dominate. Exclusives are nice, but they're not enough to sell a console, as Nintendo has learned.

I think the better explanation is that despite all the talk at the beginning of the generation that "it's a marathon, not a sprint" the reality is that it is a sprint. Sony jumped out to a quick lead which created an online community that others want to join. They became the defacto standard early on, and it's going to be hard for XB1 to ever overcome that.

[Phill-Spencer]

What about x360 vs ps3 then? Ps3 released when 360 already sold 8million(?) consoles, but it kept outselling 360 because of the brand appeal and its lineup it has to offer and eventually caught up by the end of the gen. Ms just doesn't have the games to compete with sony period!

[SpaceRanger]

Anyone who says otherwise is delusional. Sony has released a handful for quality exclusives in the last 3 months and Nintendo is off to a strong start with its current/future lineup.

MS, as always, has their focus on only one thing at a time. Halo Wars came out....and now what? Another E3 of false promises with hardware focus and another 8 months of waiting?

If that's your cup of tea. Then continue as you please to condone such practices. BUT...don't complain when your console doesn't get as much support as everyone else, and don't make it seem like it's top quality.

[-Foxtrot]

Microsoft don't really try to make a franchise a bigger success if they don't meet Halo, Gears or Forzas numbers with the first game. I'm not saying Sony is perfect for this it would be nice to see them get another developer to make The Order sequel for example but Microsoft just don't seem to care at all.

Take Alan Wake for example that had potential and it was great for the first game...a sequel could have improved on what they built every single way but in the end we got Quantum Break despite Alan Wake ending on a cliff hanger. It's obvious Microsoft would only publish another game if they made something brand new to TRY again in getting bigger sales numbers day 1.

[Germaximus]

Why does nobody ever play Alan Wake American Nightmare? There was no cliffhanger. Go play it.

[-Foxtrot]

I have but it still didn't conclude the story in anyway

This was just Alan getting lost more in the darkness...that;s all and it's clear it was made to try and get people to like it with it's action vibe.

Wasn't that good in my opinion

[Shadowolf]

Foxtrot you make a great point, with Alan Wake for example. If Alan Wake as successful as it was for the Xbox 360, was a PlayStation exclusive, I am sure we would have seen a sequel on the PS4 or in the works before Quantum Break.

[rainslacker]

Might be a bit early to assume what either company is thinking of for the future of their new IP's for this gen.

Not that I dsagree with you on your point, just thought I'd point out that maybe there is stuff in the works.

The thing about both of your examples though is that they were games made by 2nd party devs. For AW, the IP isn't even owned by MS. QB I think was pretty costly for them to develop though, and I think ti's dead in the water for any future release.

[stuna1]

No Duh! But when it comes to Microsoft it's a big DUH!!!

Having powerful hardware is one thing, but having the Exclusive titles that are only reserved for that hardware is where the true magic is! It's what gamers find the unique appeal that differentiats one competing console from another.

A gamer shouldn't be able to look at a PlayStation Ip and have to entertain the thought that it is better played on another platform other than a PlayStation platform!

The same applies to Nintendo and Microsoft as well.

[Automatic79]

Exclusives matter, third parties matter, indies matter, games in general matter. The fact that the writer of this article is using MS as an example is for pure click bait purposes. Whether this article will reach Phil or not, who knows. I can say MS has given us very good exclusives since the beginning of this generation. I am not one to bandwagon jump and and say MS does not have exclusives because I have seen the opposite. As a gamer, I am aware, of current 2017 quarter output, I look at things from a bigger picture, PS4 is having a great first quarter of 2017(can't recall the last time I seen such a great quarter). If Xbox One is letting third parties shine on It's console, while providing a trickle of exclusives, like Halo Wars 2, Voodoo Vince and Phantom Dust until Scorpio arrives, I respect that. We all know development time for games, and how long the process is to create games. Generally, Xbox has had a good track record with game output and this generation is going to be long. I don't count MS out. Especially, after that IGN podcast unlocked interview. I think MS will grow first party and have better upcoming years.

[Moonman]

Name the exclusive game worth buying an Xbox One for.

[81BX]

Quantum break, Cup head, sea of thieves, sunset over drive, rose, halo 5, gears 4. Many others I'm forgetting. Some are on pc I'm sure but I'm a console gamer. I didn't skip out on a ps4 because one day it will get hacked and be on pc.

[XanderZane]

Gears 4, Sunset Overdrive, Halo 5, Forza 6, Forza Horizon 3, Cup Head, Sea of Thieves, Killer Instinct, Below, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Halo Wars 2, Halo: MCC etc.., etc..

[G20WLY]

^lmfao at "etc etc"!! XD

[fromchildren]

Scalebound! oh wait...

[TheColbertinator]

@Moonman

Crimson Dragon

[trooper_]

Etc. aren't exclusives guys.

[DragonDDark]

Etc. Etc.

[Chevalier]

Actually they don't have a good track record at all. They lose support near the end of their systems life cycle. That's what this article is about.

[Moonman]

Exactly, and quality exclusives at that!

[annoyedgamer]

Halo could have been moving units but 343 decided to ruin the game.

Wouldn't be surprised if they bungle Crackdown too now.

What have you become Microsoft...

[ninsigma]

Crackdown was hardly a top tier franchise to begin with either. I feel like it's the 100% destruction that's really driving the hype behind a title that would usually not have as much of a following.

[Deep-throat]

Bro not every exclusive should be top tier. Last time I checked games like Driveclub, Infamous Second Son, Killzone SF and more weren't exactly top tier.

[Z501]

THIS 1000%
No one is talking about anything else regarding CD3. Glad someone is paying attention.

[ninsigma]

Never said they were deepthroat but no one was putting all their eggs in those baskets.

[Nodoze]

Haven't heard a peep about that title in quite some time. Wonder why? What with the power of the CLOUD.....

[hahaha]

The power of the Cloud is to cloud people's judgment.

[TheColbertinator]

@hahaha

hahaha

[Legatus]

Exclusives were, are and will always matter, because every console is defined by it's exclusive content.

[CrimsonWing69]

It's been a boring beginning for XBONE this year. Halo Wars 2 is the only thing I can remember sticking out. Sony literally drowned us with exclusives like Yakuza 0, Gravity Rush 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Nier.

[Why o why]

You need to look further back. . Like into last gen

[CrimsonWing69]

I meant for the beginning of this year. Like the Xbone has some good exclusives like Gears 4, Forza, and Halo 5 but at the start of this year they're not keeping up.

[dkp23]

It matters if they are good and worth the money. Ms has exclusives but the games are short and not very deep when it comes to their new ips. Also their old ips are fatigued as well.

Not a good combo

[Darkfist_Flames]

We already know that, except those fanboys at that green console, I cant wait to play WILD :)

[81BX]

No that's not why it's struggling. Some a$$hole made the call to drop the worst launch announcement in history. Ms lost a lot of fans on that. The games are here and still coming. Not as many exclusives as Sony but still good and solid gaming experiences. It's not like we need a new exclusive every month or a new game every month, but something solid with replay ability ever 2 or 3 months is nice... exclusive or not

[Sparta07]

😂 yes it is. You think a launch announcement is the thing that's killing the Xbox? Lol ok.....
4 years later and that's Xbox problem. An announcement. 🤔
Sure.

[81BX]

The core problem yes. I didn't say it was the only problem.

[kenwonobi]

It does matter. No doubt they are struggling to find a new franchise icon. Last generation they were so good at it.

[Gamist2dot0]

Some fans think MS is doing a great job on focusing backwards compatibility and releasing Halo, Gears, and Forza annually so...

[DashArrivals]

Some fans = minority

[rainslacker]

I think MS is doing some good things, but a great job? That's just complacent thinking IMO. Should always demand better, otherwise, you won't get it until MS realizes it's the only thing left they can manage to do well. If you're lucky, they'll actually try to do that, instead of just bowing out of the console market.

[FallenAngel1984]

Multiplatform titles matter just as much, which is why Xbox and Xbox One outsold GameCube and Wii U respectively.

[DragonDDark]

& combination of both gets you the Ps4

[FallenAngel1984]

Obviously, I'm just saying it's been proven that consumers will be more likely to get Xbox consoles for their multiplatform titles than Nintendo consoles for their exclusives

[StormLegend]

The title of this article makes it sound like it's Sony & Nintendo fault for making exclusive games. I thought that was the whole point of consoles?

[discobastard]

This is just one element that makes a console successful. There are many more which the xb1 fails at miserably. Combine these with lack of exclusives and you just make it a very hard sell. I've been waiting for the day where I finally get one but now if just sooner get a Switch

[Skankinruby]

It was no different last gen but 360 got way more support especially in this country. Guess a lot of people decided to finally take the goggles off

[DrumBeat]

The Xbox One almost seems like a failed console in that it's going out with a whimper.

[DJustinUNCHAIND]

25 million sold?

Try again.

[Ron_Danger]

You mean live members? When did MS say sold?

And 25 million is impressive, until you see how many more the competition has sold in the same time.

Your argument is like saying (for example) "can you believe the Green Bay Packers scored 50 points on Monday night football?!" And then the person next to you says "yeah, but the Patriots scored 100 points in the same game."

Do you not understand how foolish your argument is?

[MatureGamer1000]

25 million is weakkkkkkkkkkk

[XtreemGamer]

25 million.. lol. PS4 60 million.

Try again.

[Dragonscale]

25 mill compared to the 1 billion sales ms originally predicted is pathetic lol.

[rigo8582]

When 3rd parties stop putting their AAA games on the Xbox One then it could be considered a failed console. I don't see EA not releasing Madden on the xbox platform anytime soon. Doubt activision is not going to put Call of Duty and Destiny on the Xbox One this year.

[GoodnessGreatness]

Still a lot of xbox fanboys would make comments like "PS4 exclusives suck anyways" "3rd party games are where it's at" "Scorpio will run better 3rd party games"

[Pancit_Canton]

They need a new president for the Xbox.

They should hire Uncle Jack Tretton or Kevin Butler.

[XanderZane]

Wasn't Kevin Butler (Jerry Lambert) fired by Sony? I guess Sony sued him for doing Bridgestone and Wii U commercial.

http://www.nintendolife.com...

[Silly gameAr]

Did you think he was being serious about Kevin Butler? Yikes.

[XanderZane]

@Pancit_Canton
Don't know and don't care. Microsoft wouldn't hire either of those knuckleheads. Tretton is no better then Andrew House. I couldn't stand either of them. I do like Shuhei Yoshida.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

of course they do. you'd have to a be a complete moron to think otherwise lol that's the whole reason why different consoles exist in the first place.

[timlot]

Damn so much concern for Xbox on here.

[ShadowKnight]

Oh boy 😂

[Takwin]

With XBOX having no exclusives anymore, it will matter a lot, and you will see this 2-to-1 sale dominance by Sony. Playstation delivers multiple stellar AAA exclusive titles per year, and we already know about the ones likely to come out in 2018. And we always get smaller exclusives too. And third party exclusives. It just doesn't stop.

[XanderZane]

There will be more exclusives for XB1/Scorpio in the near future. You guys love to doom and gloom the XBox brand. Microsoft needs to buy a couple big named publishers and shake up the gaming industry.

http://www.dsogaming.com/ne...

[SpaceRanger]

"Microsoft needs to buy a couple big named publishers and shake up the gaming industry."

That's pretty pathetic lol no innovation, simply motivation through cash. Another reason why they're not as successful.

[XanderZane]

@SpaceRanger
Sony acquired a bunch of developers to increase their 1st party stable. Why can't Microsoft do the same? Wouldn't call that pathetic. Microsoft has been innovating for awhile now. They've been pretty successful compared to some other companies that only lasted one gen. Microsoft has the money to be successful. They just need to spend it the right way. Not having enough 1st party developer isn't the right way.

[trooper_]

Xander, Sony had first party studios of their own.

[Dragonscale]

@xandr, ms has had the funds for 3 generations now and come last every time. Thats 14 years of ms cash and still losing. It takes more than just money lol.

[Liveevirdtset]

Let's mention one thing no one wants to discuss software sales are a better indicator of company viability. Let's not forget it was just a few months back Microsoft had outsold Sony's console for almost six months and it's software, it's exclusives have held consistently high sales. Keep in mind that Microsoft did most of its sales in the US vs Sony's worldwide sales and that is a better indicator of popularity of its exclusives and install base versus this opinion piece. Nintendo's recent success with breath of the wild again demonstrates Sony's exclusives failed attempts at creating exclusives that stick. Sony's strong suit has always been third party jrpgs not first party exclusives look at kingdom hearts and the ff7 remake everyone has been waiting for two generations for. If anyone were to measure cumulative console software sales between PS and Microsoft the latter would win. Everyone forgets though Nintendo's exclusives and the success of the Wii dominated last generation all of these opinion pieces will not change that hate it if you like or look it and be informed consumers

[MrSec84]

Except PS4 has been selling more games to go along with that greater volume of console sales.
The global stage has always been what matters most to any product maker and in this area Sony have sold more games and consoles.
As for the US PS4 has outsold XB1 for over 30 of the 44 months that make up this generation, it's doubtful that XB1 has even won 12 months worth of sales in the States.
PS4's exclusives hace held consistently higher sales than XB1's have.

Your comment about Sony being able to create exclusives that stick is laughable, many of them stretch over multiple generations, plus they're one of the only Publishers that allows their developers the freedom to truly be creative to begin with, if their developers wanted to make pretty much anything they would like to play Shu and the other bosses at WWS would welcome it, because those Studios have earned that level of industry respect.

Your chatting nonsense here.
Sony's hardware sales within the console market sits at 400-410million units by now (just home consoles), XBox hasn't even hit 150 million units for the length of time Microsoft has been present within the console market, Sony have undoubtedly cumulatively sold a metric f***tonne more systems than Microsoft has.

[Muzikguy]

That's one of many reasons and still probably the biggest one.

[PhoenixUp]

Xbox One is selling on par or even better than Xbox 360 at the same timeframe. I wouldn't classify that as struggling

[SardoNumspa]

LOL

Xbox deadenders are still trying to pass off that Microsoft PR lie?

The first Xbox sold 24.5 million in 3.5 years before being dumped by Microsoft.
The Xbox One has sold only about 24 million after 3.5 years.

Microsoft is bombing in sales just as bad as they did fifteen years ago with the first Xbox marketplace failure.

There's a reason Microsoft is too embarrassed to reveal even their always inflated shipment to retailer numbers with the Xbox One.

[PhoenixUp]

How am I defending the console by stating simple facts? And your info is severely wrong.

Microsoft announced Xbox sold 24 million on May 10, 2006, which is 4.5 years after it launched. Xbox One has been reported to have sold 27.6 million at the end of its third year on the market.

https://www.google.com/amp/...

How you can even mention Xbox One had been out for 3.5 years when it's not even June 2017 yet, meaning the console hasn't even been on the market that long, shows how uninformed you are.

Like I said earlier the Xbox One is selling just as well as its predecessor in the same timeframe, so idk how you can honestly call that bombing.

[Xb1ps4]

It's because in the n4g world if you're not number one there is no way you are successful

[PhoenixUp]

By that flawed level of thinking in that world the Genesis, PSP, 360, and PS3 would be classified as failures

[rigo8582]

The PS4 had barely any exclusives its first 3 years. They let 3rd party games dominate its lineup with a timed DLC. Now sony releases a good exclusive and now all of sudden exclusives are a big deal.

[Elda]

Every new system starts with a 12 to 14 month drought then they usually take off with first to third party exclusive support.That's what PS4 did..2015 wasn't bad..2016 was pretty good...2017 starting off with a bang & continuing through out this spring.Something a gaming console company suppose to do.

[SpaceRanger]

They've always been a big deal for Sony. You can find 10x the number of exclusives one PS2 and PS3 vs any Xbox console. This gen is no different...Xbox fanboys not considering factual reasons as to why Xbox simply isn't on par to the competition.

[trooper_]

Wrong.

[1Victor]

At the writer of the article/headline
No 💩 Sherlock
Exclusives always make the difference no matter what some may think otherwise

[TheVetOfGaming]

It isn't just because of exclusives. It all started with their reveal. Since then they have syruggled with the consumer and with developers alike. Microsoft ploughed so much money into marketing since the 360, they put an illusion out there that it was the main platform; but not now. People aren't daft and they chose the platform that was about gaming first.

[Donnie81]

Exclusives matter if they are good. Sony has brought their A game early this year. Plus there has been a wave of good multiplats as well. Since last fall my backlog has just blew up. I'm still really enjoying Ni Oh and Nier but since I got Hzd everything else has been on the backburner. Xbox needs to get past the old philosophy of games sell best around the holiday. Gaming isn't just for kids and nerds anymore. It's become the biggest form of entertainment in the world. A really good game will move units any time of the year. I hope devs keep bringing it because I'm loving all the quality games. I love games and will go where the best games are, just so happens my playstation has been working overtime lately. Here's hoping the competition steps their game up.

[WelkinCole]

Since when did it not matter?

Imagine a console industry without Mario, Sonic, Halo or GT.

If there are no exclusives then there is no point for the market to have multiple consoles. It would really be just be the PC and that would be really bad for gaming.

[HarrisonMode]

One of the greatest errors ever made by Phil over at MS was getting rid of exclusives for the xbox..just plain insanity when it's been the ingredient for success for every console generation. It's only partly about the power of the system (It's important) but the Scorpio or whatever it's final name will suffer like it's younger brother by not having those games you just gotta have and can't play anywhere else.

[Einhander1971]

For me personally it's all about Sony and Nintendo :) that's where the real games are, PS4 and SWITCH. To be honest it's very doubtful Microsoft will have anything that remotely comes close to BOTW, HORIZON ZD.

[DJustinUNCHAIND]

Microsoft will have Assassin's Creed and every other open world game Horizon borrowed from.

[guyman]

Jealous because horizon is better than anything offered on xbox one.

[Ron_Danger]

😂😂😂


Are you kidding me Justin??? This article is about exclusives and you defend MS by bringing up a multiplat title?!

Earlier you brought up XB1 sales without acknowledging the competition and now this BS? You really are a blind ignorant fanboy.

[ierotitan]

i wanna buy the xbox one but sony's exclusives are better so i don't have a reason to buy both. hopefully the scorpio changes my mind.

[hiredhelp]

After the days of atari spectrum C64 AMIGA amstrad ect ect there were consoles SEGA And NINTENDO ever since then exclusives matters it sales consoles sega better than nintendo sega meaning (genisis) btw, Sonic vs mario mortal kombat vs streetfighter.
This will and should always be the case if thoes of you disagree and every platform had no exclusives then there only ever be one console. It never happen MS needs to put hands in pockets invest in more IPs that simple..

[Bathyj]

Xbox is struggling because Microsofts approach and focus is all wrong, and it has been since the Kinect 1 was announced.

Exclusive games is just a symptom of that.

[Scatpants]

At this point they have so few exclusives it would almost be foolish to buy an X1 unless you already had a PS4.

[iplay1up2]

Darn right exclusives matter! BOTW is why My Wii U has been in use since Saturday! I decided to buy XB1 since I already have Wii U and there were really no games for Switch other than BOTW, and MK8 that were must haves for Switch and I have MK8 and the dlc!

This fall I will pick up Switch, in the meantime I am very happy with XB1 games with gold is great, and now this new Netflix type service is going to be GREAT!!!!

[Kallisti]

Yes exclusives matter but also a lot of multi platform titles also run at a lower resolution on the Xbox One as well which would also tip the scale in Sony's favor. Add to that multiplayer gamers usually like to game on the same platform their friends do and the odds are their friends would more likely be playing on PS4 than Xbox One looking at the sales figures too.

[Minute Man 721]

The problem is Xbox gamers didn't buy Quantum Break, Sunset OD, Dead Rising 4 or Recore, but they love Gears n Halo

[S2Killinit]

of course they matter. The fact that I can pay every xbox exclusive on PC doesn't inspire me to get a xbox scorpio for example. Or any exclusive for that matter. I mean, why does MS spend so much money on PR and hype when they should be spending it on their own games and studios?!

[GamingCentaur]

PS4 is the best console this gen for both exclusives and multi platform.

[Razzer]

Hey....xbox folks seem to be fine with all this. I don't get it, but whatever.

[Sm3000]

Ok, if the Scorpio is a flop, what happens to the xbox brand? Not trolling, I wanna hear ppl's thoughts

[Fonso128]

Microsoft takes their Xbox brand for granted. Xbox has doesn't have amazing game franchises exclusives and history. Their not a powerhouse like Sony and Nintendo. Even when SEGA was in the console market they had great exclusives.

[slavish0]

Wii u failed says hi 😢

[DAEMONIFEAR]

Sony has had 6 AAA exclusives in the last 3yrs Xbox had that many release in the last 7months not counting prior to that! The delusion is strong with these fanboys and the sites that follow trends for clicks! Research some more you'll see who's actually losing! ;)

[MrSec84]

The last XB1 AAA exclusive was Halo 5, which released at the end of October 2015, PS4 has had 6 in the last 12 months, counting games only available on PS4/Pro, if you want to include games that can be bought on PC or some other PlayStation system then that number probably triples.
PS4's been getting a consistent lineup of real AAA exclusives since launch that didn't release on some other device outside of the PS4 platform.

Facts don't support your ignorance.

[guyman]

Odin sphere
Dragon quest Builders
World of final fantasy
The last guardian
Nioh
Gravity Rush 2
Yakuza zero
Horizon

Xbox one

Forza
Gears 4
(Dead Rising 4 is not an exclusive)
Halo wars 2
Quantum Break (Also not an exclusive, but since you're grasping at straws, i'll give this one to you)
(Recore is not an exclusive, and not AAA)

Better luck next time kid

[CP_Company]

Forza and gear 4 you can play on pc also.

[MagicBeanz]

Consoles live and die by their exclusive games and anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves. And when you essentially remove real exclusivity from your console you of course are going to struggle, Microsoft only has themselves to blame, is it great to be able to "play anywhere" sure, is it the best thing for a consoles relevance, nope.

[S2Killinit]

No offense to MS or xbox fans, but I think its fair to say that a world w/out Sony or Nintendo would suck, but the same couldn't be said about xbox at this point. xbox has a lot to prove, and its not going to change just because they flout a few big exclusives at the beginning of each hardware launch in front of our faces. They need to back it up to the end of each console generation, not just the beginning. Commit to making games damn it. Contribute!

[saimcheeda]

Microsoft tried to play dirty by nabbing Sony's exclusives in the 7th generation. But Sony relied on its first and second parties to deliver exclusives on their own. Now look where they are. So yes Exclusives do matter!

[Amorist89]

PS4 is just on fire, especially this year to next. A lot of us dragged our heels with the expectation by sales this system would dominate this gen, and it has.

Exclusive titles, upcoming releases and the quality being pumped out by studios, it's all coming to fruition.

Xbox One is a more than competent piece of hardware, however Sony has seized market share and executed a vision to layout an active calendar of releases.

Microsoft have a tonne of work to do with Xbox One and the launch of Scorpio, as Sony is streaming fresh content to a staggering install base.

[Artemidorus]

What you mean still? They will always provide unique experiences

[chris235]

true. i'd like to own a bone besides my ps4+pc but there is just no incentive to do so.

[corroios]

Sorry, but its not only exclusives games that matter, but system seller. Those are even harder to find. HZD is a system seller and new ip. and thats very rare.

Exclusives that sell millions on the first weeks are very rare and the xbox one just got one and its halo.

[Kallisti]

Halo is a new ip?

[Cryptcuzz]

Just finished Horizon: Zero Dawn today and man was it epic! I want more!! Looking forward to future DLC's.

Have finished Gravity Rush 2 and loved it. Will jump into Raven's DLC soon.

Nioh, I have not finished, but I'm well into the story and will finish it very soon. Looking forward to future DLC's too.

Currently playing Nier: Automata and it is pure gameplay genius.

Yes: Exclusives matter a huge deal and why I've always stayed with Playstation.

[Hardiman]

The games you listed are so great! I'm having a ball playing them as well!

[Cryptcuzz]

Yeah, they are great, glad you are enjoying them as well buddy.

Finished Raven's story (free Gravity Rush 2 DLC) last night and she is now my favorite character (I still love you Kat)

Raven's character is quite deep. She was actually willing to do anything to save her brother and those kids on the Ark.

[DrumBeat]

Me too. Can't wait for more Horizon. I hope the DLC is huge.

[Cryptcuzz]

I hope so too. Will probably be the first game I would like to Platinum.

[ILostMyMind]

And soon Sony will have the exclusivity of Chinese games as well. Fruit of the support it gives to new developers.

[mochachino]

I think xbox just pissed off a lot of former loyal users with their insistence on sending people horrible refurb after refurb when dealing with RROD instead of a new console or having a no lemon policy, and when people finally gave up and bought ANOTHER new xbox, MS decided to stop caring about having the best exclusive game library and focus on kinect.

Now they somehow have gone from having by far, the best exclusive library, to having tired exclusives that are formulaic and unexciting.

[Hardiman]

It's a shame because there were Xbox "exclusives" that I really enjoyed in the past like Otogi: Myth of Demons and it's sequel, Breakdown, Jade Empire, original Fable, Pshchonaunts, Full Spectrum Warrior, Thief Deadly Shadows, Morrowind, Escape From Butcher Bay, Ninja Gaiden, Star Wars Knight's of the Old Republic, Halo 1 and 2(didn't care for the rest except for Reach) Stranger's Wraith, the Splinter Cell series and Alan Wake. It's so sad how Microsoft has so little studios and the games on offer just can't compare to what they used to have IMO.

[Yukonsbud]

If xb1 could handle games at more than 25fps I would enjoy the console but so many games run like crap on it. I just made the switch to ps4 pro last week and started playing Horizon Zero Dawn and cant get enough of that game!

[kevnb]

true, but all things considered they are doing ok. That being said I think their biggest problem was the poor launch. They also start needing to take some big chances, Gears and Halo just arent knocking it out of the park anymore.

[MasterD919]

Personally, I think too much time is being spent developing and focusing on hardware. You need games for a game console. That's all there is to it.

[modelgod]

@New Monday. Your 100% correct! !! Once MS lost me as a gamer. ......it's over! !!

[Kumasi_Plays]

Exclusives are what prompt some people to pick up consoles. Of course they still matter, and they always will.

[memots]

buu buu buu Backward compatibility that meant nothing last gen is so important now! !!
and teh streaming on pc !!!! Tv Tv tV

[Igihara]

They only care about the imaginary cloud.

[Night99]

The Xbox One already lost long before this generation started long before even 1 game was released on any of this consoles and games had nothing to do with the reasons why it lost. It was more a story of a company that thought they could force full digital only at a console, consumers and a market that were and is absolutley not ready for it and the inclusion of a useless stupid gimmick that made the console to expensive and another company that used this mistakes for a smart advertisement of their own alternative product.

[PendingDoom]

Such a misleading title. The Xbox brand is not struggling one single bit. It's just that the PS4 has set the bar really high. Microsoft and Xbox is not a failing business and your an idiot to think so.
PS4 is a beautiful console with lots of exclusives and it is definitely something to be proud of but saying another console is struggling because it's XX million copies sold doesn't equal the competition...HA

[Kallisti]

*you're

[Realms]

When have exclusives not mattered? MS is not as appealing because it's lacking interesting new ip's.

[cyclindk]

They do and DON'T matter;

If third part devs/publishers are putting out AMAZING content in a variety of genres and in droves, then maybe you don't need reliance on exclusives, but with the nature of the industry and money-hungry companies like EA pooping out lack-luster sequels in many cases and fewer than ever NEW IPs, then no, it would be unwise to rely on third-party games alone. Battlefield, at least in my opinion, is great. Battlefront, not so much. You get a few GREAT ones like The Witcher. But then where do you go?

Companies need to embrace devs like Kojima and even the Scale dragon game people, support your innovators! Games that fail because they just don't jibe is one thing, albeit still not profitable possibly, but shipping out broken supposed "AAA" games and losing your profits, you do the math you greedy corporations!

Now the nature of "exclusivity" in and of itself is another matter entirely. If every game were available on every platform it would likely work to everyone's advantage, hardware and software producers (gamers), it is entirely symbiotic. Yes there are nuances one must consider, optimization, demographics and so on, but overall it is LESS the platform and more about nurturing those creating the content, which, as we have seen more than once, can very well influence the FUTURE hardware when there is a good degree of dialogue between all parties involved, i.e. memory in X360, PS4 and Switch for examples.

[Glak18]

Of course they still matter. It's the only reason to buy a console.

[ocelot07]

Exclusives do matter again if all games where on PC,PS4,Switch,Xbox then what would be the point of owning anything other than a PC?

It's why I still to this day can't wrap my head around why MS allowed there exclusives to go to PC. I mean sure it might be a bit extra money for Microsoft in general. On one hand I hate it because I have no reason to dust of my XB1 and play it. Other than to play the odd 360 game and to watch a 4K blu-ray.

On the other hand I love it. I don't have to pay for Xbox live to play these games online. I can play them at a higher framerate ect. It's why I have zero interest in the Scorpio. Why would I want one when I pretty much have a scorpio next to my TV. It's called my PC. Now if MS was to come out and say yer the scorpio will have some exclusive games that is only available on the scorpio. Then sure it will gain my interest depending what these exclusives are like.

[sanosukegtr123]

And people wounder why sony doin so great

[MasterCornholio]

It's getting quite dumb now to see people ask the question "Why is the PS4 is selling so well?"

There's many parts to the answer but exclusives is a pretty big one.

[Critic4l_Strik3]

Of course they matter!!! Exclusives are what sets platforms apart from the competition!

[KillBill]

Because one system is doing better than another does not equate to a system struggling. If that was the case then Sony and MS both struggled as the Wii took the stage.

The only struggle I see is for finding reasons to hate on each other's played systems as much as people do. N4G has became a joke.

[Godmars290]

MS's issue is that online gaming, the paid sub BS, has always influenced what they've wanted from the Xbox. Everything had to be online, SP titles don't justify online options, so just about every new IP they've tried to come up with has been online multi.

[Father Murder X]

thank god someone finally understands what I have been trying to tell these guys for years. They don't care about single player games. Everything they do is built around the Xbox Live experience.

[Godmars290]

Finally understand? I've been saying that for years too.

Thing is, between titles such as Mech Warrior and Crimson Skies, MS had IPs they could have made either SP or MP. Instead they let both rot. Then they took something like Panzer Dragoon, a great SP game, only to mutate it into Crimson Dragon: some squad based MP crap that got tied to Kinect for further insult.

[CrimzonRazor]

The x1 has had great sales so how is it struggling, no it has not out sold ps4 but that doesn't equal struggling.

[Germaximus]

The Xbox One has been my one and only regret when it comes to purchasing a console. I have never ever hated a video game platform until the Xbox One.

[CJLogix]

All consoles have their year where they were light on exclusives, 2016 ps4 diddnt have much exclusives, more then half of the announcements were delayed to 2017.

[TheColbertinator]

Exclusives matter. Being a Nintendo fan for decades I can confirm that.

However Sony's exclusives matter too little for me to care. Have a nice day.

[Bolts]

When your hardware is inferior and you have shit exclusives, you struggle. It's expected. Bump up the power to run 60 FPS 1080p in all games then the struggle will cease.