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  1. #1

    Why are more and more former exclusives not exclusive anymore?

    With the recent rumour of Horizon Zero Dawn coming to PC that got me thinking, why are less games staying exclusive?

    Now, I'm not one of those console warfanboys, even if I do enjoy exclusives, but I don't understand how giving up releases is a good business tactic.

    Console manufacturers want you to buy their console, so they want to have experiences you can only experience on THEIR platform. "You want to play the newest Zelda? Great, but you will have to buy it on our console, else no luck!".

    While I'm not adamant about exclusives, I still like them. I like to know that "that" console has X set of games, while another has another set. It makes it feel less generic. If not for exclusives, why would I buy one of the consoles? Then they are just standard media machines with no unique features.

  2. #2
    Eh, Horizon will be a 3 year old game and the same engine it ran on was being ported to PC for Death Stranding as part of their deal with Kojima. Don't extrapolate this into thinking Sony is going to start putting their exclusives on PC anywhere near day and date with their consoles. Nobody is buying a PS4 in 2020 to play Horizon, the people that wanted it that bad already did so- it already served it's purpose as an exclusive.

  3. #3
    Because it's extra money? Most of these are just contracted exclusive deals, though apparently Horizon is an odd ball being a Sony owned company.

    They'll make a bunch of money off the first release and then try to get some more off further releases if they think there's valid reasons.

    Hell, Xbox series X or whatever won't have any exclusive iirc, all will come to PC.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Onikaroshi View Post
    Because it's extra money? Most of these are just contracted exclusive deals (outside of first party titles, you'll never see something like The Last of Us come to Xbox or PC most likely)

    They'll make a bunch of money off the first release and then try to get some more off further releases if they think there's valid reasons.

    Hell, Xbox series X or whatever won't have any exclusive iirc, all will come to PC.
    Horizon is as much of a first party title as The Last of Us is(Guerrilla and Naughty Dog both 100% owned by Sony). I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony port more games if Horizon sells well but again, it will be like 3 years later just like Horizon after the exclusive has already served it's purpose and got the people who wanted it to buy the hardware.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Tech614 View Post
    Horizon is as much of a first party title as The Last of Us is. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony port more games if Horizon sells well but again, it will be like 3 years later just like Horizon after the exclusive has already served it's purpose and got the people who wanted it to buy the hardware.
    Yea, i edited that, didn't realize Guerilla was a sony owned studio. It's all about money honestly, if it works we may see other things YEARS later like you said.

    On the topic of horizon though, I'd totally buy it on pc. I have it for PS4 but I hate aiming in TPS and FPS with the controller.
    Last edited by Onikaroshi; 2020-01-18 at 06:43 PM.

  6. #6
    End of the current console generation. Exclusives have served their purpose in moving units, so now they can safely be ported to generate a bit more money.

  7. #7
    To me this seems like a win win for Sony. Sell more copies of a 3 year old game, and maybe even sell some extra PS5's to PC only players when Horizon 2 is released.as a PS5 exclusive.

  8. #8
    Merely a Setback Adam Jensen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boomzy View Post
    Exclusives are absolutely cancer so I'm glad that more developers are straying away from them.
    ^

    I picked XBox to play with co workers at a previous job I had. Why can't I play Horizon Zero Dawn? Why don't they want my money?
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  9. #9
    The Insane Acidbaron's Avatar
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    I believe games and the technology used nowadays make it easier to port games over or it is even build from the ground up to be ported between PC and Console.

  10. #10
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    Man what I'd do for Zelda, Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank on PC.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deathknightish View Post
    Console manufacturers want you to buy their console, so they want to have experiences you can only experience on THEIR platform. "You want to play the newest Zelda? Great, but you will have to buy it on our console, else no luck!".
    That's not how it works. The console manufacturer doesn't determine what games go where.

    Lets take HZD for example (and ignore that Sony owns them). They make a game, and Sony pays them a chunk of money to only release on PS4 as an exclusive. Part of their contract says they have to remain exclusive for X amount of time. Lets say X time is 3 years.

    3 years passes, contract ends, HZD makers write up new paperwork to be allowed on multiple consoles. At this point, Sony isn't willing to pay as big a chunk of money to keep them exclusive, so lets them move to other platforms.

    Now, since Sony OWNS the HZD makers company, the situation is that they can get more money by being on multiple consoles/platforms at this stage, than keeping it only on PS4 which is merely limiting its sales, and at this point nobody is buying a PS4 just for that.
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  12. #12
    It's a cancerous system that honestly needs to die. People shouldn't need anything more than a decent computer to play any game they want.

  13. #13
    Moderator chazus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boomzy View Post
    I mean he said Zelda so your explanation doesn't apply as it's a first party game.
    I mean, in some cases an IP is something they want to keep, just like Microsoft keeps Halo stuff. Nintendo in particular is very, VERY protective of it's IPs in particular.
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  14. #14
    Old God Mirishka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deathknightish View Post
    With the recent rumour of Horizon Zero Dawn coming to PC that got me thinking, why are less games staying exclusive?

    Now, I'm not one of those console warfanboys, even if I do enjoy exclusives, but I don't understand how giving up releases is a good business tactic.

    Console manufacturers want you to buy their console, so they want to have experiences you can only experience on THEIR platform. "You want to play the newest Zelda? Great, but you will have to buy it on our console, else no luck!".

    While I'm not adamant about exclusives, I still like them. I like to know that "that" console has X set of games, while another has another set. It makes it feel less generic. If not for exclusives, why would I buy one of the consoles? Then they are just standard media machines with no unique features.
    Because money. Duh.

    It isn't hurting Sony one bit to bring HZD to PC, 3+ years after the fact. Anyone who wanted it for PS4 would have almost certainly played it on PS4 by now, and the PC version will be great for people with decked-out PCs or the weirdos who refuse to buy a PS4 because of some mindless loyalty to another console.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Boomzy View Post
    I mean he said Zelda so your explanation doesn't apply as it's a first party game.
    And in Nintendo's case they've flat out said that if they go down, their IPs go with them.

    Chances are slim I imagine you'll see them ever make it to anywhere but Nintendo, and even if they did try to spread out, I would imagine it would be a rough transition for them.

  16. #16
    Because PCs have always been, and will always be better that consoles, from the hardware point of view, to the amount of games available and in general almost limitless possibilities.

    Consoles are just creating artificial demand thanks to those 'exclusives'. But as gamers evolve mentally and outgrow the need to buy a console every couple of years just to stay relevant, console sales are droping.


    Game developers simply recognize this trend and act accordingly

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Jester Joe View Post
    And in Nintendo's case they've flat out said that if they go down, their IPs go with them.

    Chances are slim I imagine you'll see them ever make it to anywhere but Nintendo, and even if they did try to spread out, I would imagine it would be a rough transition for them.
    They are already making mobile games like Mario Cart Tour.
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  18. #18
    Easier, and thus cheaper, to port is one reason I assume (the latest console generation uses the same x86-architecture as PC if I remember correctly).
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  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by The Emperor View Post
    Because PCs have always been, and will always be better that consoles, from the hardware point of view, to the amount of games available and in general almost limitless possibilities.

    Consoles are just creating artificial demand thanks to those 'exclusives'. But as gamers evolve mentally and outgrow the need to buy a console every couple of years just to stay relevant, console sales are droping.
    Game developers simply recognize this trend and act accordingly
    You realize most of that can be dismissed as the Wii and DS being freaks of nature basically?

    Especially the Wii. Otherwise comparing PS3 and PS4, Xbox360 and Xbox One, they're about on par.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogalicus View Post
    They are already making mobile games like Mario Cart Tour.
    Pretty sure that was part of a partnership and not just solely Nintendo, just like Pokemon Go is really Niantic.

    But yes, the phone is the one exception. That doesn't change that they said you won't see them on other consoles though.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Jester Joe View Post

    Pretty sure that was part of a partnership and not just solely Nintendo, just like Pokemon Go is really Niantic.

    But yes, the phone is the one exception. That doesn't change that they said you won't see them on other consoles though.
    Maybe, but PC isn't console.
    Quote Originally Posted by anaxie View Post
    Looking for Raid.
    They never found one though

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