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S.T.A.G.E. on 10 September 2009
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Scoobes said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:

@ Scoobes

1. Alan Wake is being completely published by Microsoft, so they have a right to cut off the PC version. Usually the reason for doing this is because they want the game to be synonymous with the Xbox 360.

2. Gears of War 2, Halo 3 and Fable 2 are the same as follows with number one, either by Publishing, Epic Games own accord or by exclusivity contract. To block off a game from PC and have it exclusive is to be wholly exclusive. When it is Xbox 360/PC exclusive, it is a console exclusive and not wholly exclusive.

3. Of course PC versions affect the sales of the 360. It isn't much of an effect but still one nonetheless. Microsoft profits off of the software anyway, no matter which platform you get it for. If they withdraw the game from PC could also be that the platform is not getting the proper sales to be supported.

4. Final Fantasy VII was a console/PC exclusive. As I said before, it wasn't wholly exclusive.

5. The reason Microsoft tends to have Xbox 360/PC exclusive (Like Mass Effect 2) is because they tend to acquire the services of PC devs more than Sony (because Microsoft before they entered the console arena used to work with and publish PC games). The devs in turn make games with the 360 in mind instead of the PC. Valve is the same. Microsoft has been publishing PC games since the 80's. When they make a game sometimes the game is wholly exclusive and sometimes it is a console/ PC exclusive.

1-2: Yes, that was my point, these games help to define the X-box and 360 console/brand.

3: Yes, it does (PC sales/piracy affects 360 sales), again, my point reiterated. However, on 360, MS get money from all games sold on the console. On PC, MS only get money from games they themselves publish, not third-party titles even if they use Windows. If they publish a game that is fully exclusive for the 360 they get money as both the publisher and the platform holder increasing the money they get per unit sale. On top of this, they can push another complete exclusive for the 360.

4: Yes, but in terms of perception, Final Fantasy VII has been synonymous with Playstation. Whilst what you say is true, because it was also a timed exclusive (PC version very late), many people seem to forget that FFVII isn't a complete exclusive.

5: Yes, true. I get the feeling MS is also trying to distance itself away from the old X-box sterotype as being a PC with crap controls by having full exclusives. It is these full exclusives that truly help define the console, especially in the PC heavy markets found in Europe.  Due to the X-box division, they have slowly but surely dropped support for the PC. They've gotten rid of many PC exclusive developers such as Ensemble, Big Huge Games and the Flight Sim devs, and Games for Windows Live is a poor shell of the 360 equivalent and completely trounced by superior offerings such as Steam. Also, I think Valve are slightly different as they only make console games if the porting process is very easy (hence why they never port for PS3 as the architecture is too different and would take too long to port).

4. Final Fantasy is synonymous with all Nintendo and Playstation. Playstation got all the credit because it was popularized  in 3D on the Playstation. It was an exclusive on consoles. In the end thats all that matters, because it no one ever really counts the PC sales. If they do they barely ever release the sales of PC/console titles.