super_etecoon said:
If it weren’t for the exclusivity of Metroid Prime I never would have bought a GameCube. I left Nintendo during the N64 era and went over to PlayStation for the PS1/PS2. It was worth it just for that title and that changed the trajectory of my gaming future. On the flip side, Sony could have won me back with a few exclusives aimed toward my tastes but those literally never materialized (outside of maybe Little Big Planet, though it wasn’t enough to make me purchase a PS3 without actually playing it).
The right exclusive is worth $300-$400 all on its own. You just can’t really put a price on the joy you’ll feel playing a game that hits all the right boxes. BOTW would have brought me back to Nintendo if I had stayed on PlayStation just for that one game and it would have been worth it.
I think a lot of folks who argue for non-exclusivity are probably already doing a lot of pirating anyway, so it’s probably a moot point. To them there really isn’t exclusivity so the idea of some arbitrary wall in their gaming landscape just seems anachronistic.
I think another group that doesn’t want exclusivity are the PC gamers who have watched the console manufacturers increasingly put their biggest hitters on their platform and they’re just eager for the end of console gaming as a unique alternative to their ecosystem, maybe because it saves them money or maybe because it’s a sign that their brand of gaming “won.”
I say to all the console manufacturers: exclusives are your lifeblood. They give your console identity and purpose and create a palatable sense of fomo that will always be a great marketing tool. Invest heavily in these titles, even if you lose money supporting them (read: Metroid Prime), because it supports your platform more than you realize even if it only pulls in 1-2 million folks. Those 1-2 million folks might not be there otherwise and they’ll pick up 15-20 other games on your platform once they get there.
Nah F*ck exclusives, I bought Nintendo Switch just for Bayonetta 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 & 3. I don't spend money again on a system to play just 2-3 games.
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