Reasonable said:
That's not striclty true. While not the majority, a fair few people, particularly in Europe and other countries outside US, still view PC as the main platform for titles like L4D, Mass Effect, etc. I'm in that camp. The fact that most 360 title's I'd be interested in are on PC prevents me buying a 360 - that's competition, as I really am chosing to invest in PC platform/versions vs 360. The unknown, and I'm sure it's a minority to be sure, is what percentage that is. But I'd note that the 360 growth aligns quite well with countries where there has been the biggest shift from PC to console for online FPS/TPS titles. US, then UK, etc. Therefore, in many places, particularly in Eruope, the PC does remain competitive with 360 for the hearts and minds of those gamers. Pretty much everyone I know on Steam, for example, remain focused on PC vs 360 and see the 360 as a competitive platform to consider. I do accept the term 'console exclusive' as I do see a big chasm between console / PC orientation for gaming. But interestingly (well, for me anyway), the term really applies to PC/360 titles, and with Xbox initially seen by many (myself included I have to confess) as a poor man's PC, and the PC still remaining strong for many FPS, RTS and Strategy titles, I don't automatically see 360/PC as a positive for MS. I see it more as a negative overall, with PC competiting for potential 360 owners and slowing it's adoption outside US. I'd note MS have clearly become wary about their big titles being on PC, too, keeping Gears 2 off PC this time around, as well as Halo 3. I suspect if they could they'd keep Mass Effect off PC, too at this point. I remember when Gears hit PC many 360 fans complained bitterly on the forums that the title was supposed to be 360 exclusive (I guess they were the 360 fans that prefer to stick to dictionary definitions). This tells me MS know all too well they want to keep titles off PC to try and encourage more and more PC gamers (or potential PC gamers) away from PC to 360, particularly in Europe, which again reinforces the fact there is a definate element of competition there. It seems to me that, where MS have the influence, they are keeping key titles away from PC. Clearly they can't stop Activision and IW supporting PC, for example, or Valve with L4D2, or EA with Mass Effect. But I bet they'd like too. That's why, really the whole area is rather grey instead of black and white. |
You are actually on the right track.
f I were to start a conversation about Gears being a Multiplat game, then anybody who came into my thread screaming about how the game was an exclusive, would be laughed at because they had no business bringing the fact that the game is ALSO a "Console Exclusive" into that conversation, it doesn't fit the context.
However, If I start a thread about how Gears is a "Console Exclusive" and somebody come into that thread screaming that it isn't an exclusive because it's a "multiplat" While technically they are right, The term Multiplat does not fit into the context of the origional conversation.
So, given the fact that the OP in most threads in the forum refer to games being a "Console Exclusive". And since this has never been defined in a thread that I know of, a great fanboy war is born, with the 360 fanboys screaming that their game is an exclusive, and the PS3 fanboys screaming it's not cuz it's a multiplat. Then the PC guys chime in trying to bolster their platform. The OP of This thread is obviously using past experiances to take the stance that the term "Console Exclusive" is interchangeable with the term "multiplat" It is not. A game can be a Console exclusive and a Multiplat game at the same time. It just depends on the context of the OP.
