So with some of the recent rumblings about third party exclusivity and such, I thought it would be a good idea to raise the general morale (and maybe upset the fanboys in the process...not that I'm doing that intentionally).
Right, so, with the recent announcement of Street Fighter V as a PlayStation 4 console exclusive, gamers are more or less losing their minds in both good ways and bad. On one hand, PlayStation gamers are considering this a huge win and an awesome move on Sony's part. People are even going as far as calling it "just retaliation" for Microsoft's move on Rise of a Tomb Raider, which apparently STILL isn't a fair move on Microsoft's part because, as we've all heard, "PlayStation made Tomb Raider what it is". I don't deny that it has strong roots on Sony's platforms, so let's just keep that in mind for now. On the other hand, gamers are angry in Capcom's choice of platforms and people are bitter about it not coming to XBOX One. Accordingly, this was treated as an unjust move on Sony's part as Rise of a Tomb Raider is a timed exclusive while Street Fighter V can only be played on PlayStation 4 or PC.
As Billy Mays would say, "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!" It turns out that Microsoft is publishing Rise of a Tomb Raider! In other words, Sony has stolen a third party exclusive and so has Microsoft which might sting more since Tomb Raider is considered a "historically PlayStation thing". Either way, Sony and Microsoft have locked down games no one would have expected to be exclusive.
...Or... did they?
Wording is very funny in an industry of exclusive deals and intellectual properties. There was hope for Rise of a Tomb Raider when they specifically said "Coming exclusively to XBOX in 2015". Left open to interpretation, it means "this game will come later for PlayStation 4, but first to XBOX One". Devious! But then Microsoft signed on as publisher.
Except that only means so much for both Sony and Microsoft.
To name a few, what do Bejeweled 2, Super Time Force, Ninja Gaiden 2, and PlanetSide 2 have in common? They were all published by platform holders and have multiplatform releases (PlanetSide 2 if you can't PC, that is--which you should).
What does publishing a game get you? Pretty much just the original version. Super Time Force? Published by Microsoft and re-releasing as Super Time Force Ultra, featuring Shuhei Yoshida of all people. Ninja Gaiden 2? Re-released as Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. I think it's fair to assume Crystal Dynamics will not miss an opportunity to re-release a more definitive version with DLC on the PlayStation 4. Heck, Microsoft also published Ryse and Crytek said they might bring Ryse to PS4. They didn't say they *would*, but the important thing here is that they didn't say they *couldn't*. Nice, right? Now about Street Fighter: we don't know who's publishing it, but I can't think of a canon Street Fighter that DIDN'T have numerous releases (SFII/Champion Edition/The New Challengers, SFIII/Second Impact/Third Strike, and Super/Ultra/SFIV/Arcade Edition). To be blunt, there's no effin' way that game is not being rebalanced for XBOX One under an extended name.
Do I believe these games are true exclusives? In the strictest sense of the word...yes, but only the original versions. Granted, Microsoft has had more of their published titles reach Sony than the other way around, but it's possible. Technically that means Bloodborne is possibly fair game, but given the relationship From and Sony have, I really can't see that happening. But Tomb Raider and Street Fighter V? Uh, yeah, I'll be counting the days on those. All I can say is that, if you have no interest in shelling out for either of these consoles when you already own one and both games interest you, I suggest patiently waiting. I really don't believe either of these are truly exclusives. Besides, if you hold out and this is true, you'll very likely be rewarded with a more complete version at the same price, less if you count the money you don't spend on another console.
So why does any of this matter? Well, if what I'm saying is true, you can't really believe in third-party exclusives anymore, can you? Granted, if it's a new IP, that's always fair game (sorry Sony fans, I don't think Sunset Overdrive is happening), but it's the pre-existing, established multiplatform games that get people in knots, and understandably so. Maybe this move is incentive to get the console you don't have. Maybe it's incentive to wait. Either way, since this generation is expected to be much shorter, expect a revised version of these games as multiplatform releases not too long after the originals launch. Now if the generation ends and you aren't throwing hadoukens on your XBOX One or completing secret tombs on your PlayStation 4, that's a cause for concern. Until then, cheer up and keep the faith, fellow gamers.
WTMG's Oliver Shellding: "It’s a disheartening game that is tedious, seemingly random and honestly runs so terribly slowly on console. I Am Your President is trying to poke fun at the establishment and probably provide some spoof-esque humor, but the delivery is underbaked, flat and just a slog. For Americans, unless you’re already a zealot about the elephant or the donkey, this isn’t going to ingratiate the political circuit to you any further. If you’re from outside the U.S., I cannot imagine the appeal of this game in any capacity. If it’s something you’re truly curious about, grab it on PC when the price drops, but a Gerald Ford simulator on my Mountain Dew Box is the most assbackwards thing I’ve done this year."
When the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S first launched all the way back in 2020, console sales were not what either platform manufacturer wanted them to be. The pandemic slowed things down more than ever before, even though in the case of each next-gen console, all the units that were manufactured, sold.
Of course that didn’t last, and soon manufacturing limitations on the consoles were a thing of the past, and sales started to leap forward. For one next-gen console platform, at least.
I can see why Microsoft is putting their games on PlayStation with these numbers
Imagine how many copies of future games like Elder Scrolls VI, Blade, Indiana Jones and more they could sell if they went fully multiplatform.
while I see your point, i'm one of those people that dont really want to see a M$ logo, when I boot up, however good the game is, unless truly exceptional, I've got enough games from Sony and enough coming down the pipeline, plus the 2 free smaller games on ps+, why do I need to give Microsoft anymore money,
I usually play just GT7 and cod, you've got Gran Theft Auto coming, its over for microsoft, they shot themselves in the foot, and now have to hobble away, to the losers corner, sit there, and repent.,!!! hahaha
@Purple101 At this point, Microsoft just wants to be the American Tencent, but also just happen to have a console available for those who want it.
I hate what they're doing to the industry, but I would play the next Elder Scrolls on PS5 or PS6 even if I had to look at a MS logo at the beginning. At this point, I'm just invested in the series. I didn't feel this way about Starfield, which is why I've skipped it. Worst case scenario, I'd pick Elder Scrolls up on PC if it didn't come to PS, but I've stayed true to my word - I have not, and will not buy another Microsoft console after 3 red ringed 360s. They've killed my console support for life. They showed how scummy they can be by knowingly rushing out a product before it was ready, just to try and capture a 1 year headstart.
If a MS logo shows up at the beginning of the next Elder Scrolls on a Playstation console, so what? That means Sony won and MS is just another publisher. Many of the large publishers are quite dirty, so it fits them well. I wouldn't mind seeing their console die off though and them solely take up this publisher role.
Yeah, I never bought another Xbox console after the 360. But at the same time you shouldn't find yourself captive to Elder Scrolls if the company behind it is very scummy. I dropped COD after Ghosts and I don't regret it the company has only become worse and I'm glad I never was part of funding that.
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Sony would probably be selling more if they stopped sending mixed signals about their future. Putting games on PC because you are taking data analytic advice from Microsoft about the future of consoles is folly and has limited their potential sales. Microsoft want Sony and the world to believe that consoles are done as a business so companies like Sony and Nintendo etc can end up serving Microsoft's platform. Remember when it comes to Microsoft "It is us or no one and the three E's" Don't fall for it.
Sucker Punch’s massive samurai adventure Ghost of Tsushima has come under fire because of the PSN requirement. However, unlike Helldivers 2, things are a lot different and more logical this time.
"Sony has made it clear long before its release that the PSN requirement is strictly for the online multi-player Legends mode in Ghost of Tsushima and the PlayStation overlay. Online connection or PSN is not applied to the single-player campaign, which is honestly what the game is all about."
Legends clearly was based around using the pan they hardly want to have to design a whole new account structure just to play it, that's alot of effort and work. Ultimately people kicked up a fuss despite there being workarounds in most of those territories that people with a ps console have used over there for literally like 15/16 years. This is the consequence of that, be careful what you wish for or demand because you don't necessarily get to pick the method by which you get it.
Great blog! Really enjoyed reading it!
And...hopefully i will be throwing "HADUKENS" on the Xbox one too! lol
Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I really hope you'll be throwing hadoukens on Xbox One as well and, if history is any indication, you will be doing that as I'll be completing secret tombs on PlayStation 4. I think this generation is all smoke and mirrors with exclusive claims to games like these.
Keep the faith!