@brendude   2. between you and me, i agree with this and that is how it should be. but lets be real we know there are people out there that dont think like that. How many threads in the past have you read on just this website where people cry and moan about a game not coming to their console of choice. Should they be denied because they have only 1 console?? Some people might not be able to afford more than one console hell some peopel might just be tight wads

3i dont think ME2 is a good example it was a late port and it was full price and i doubt it cost 5 mil to make. As for ME3 all evidence seems to point that the game was being developed with PC PS360 at the same time.  4. exactly, but 3rd parties dont

Well, it's really impossible to compare the exact same game multiplat vs exclusive.

The example you give is COD. A game like that will not benefit from exclusivity. While I appreciate the fact that you're trying to figure it out, it's also dubious that you've substituted the worst example for what I'm trying to explain.

If you really want to understand, don't apply arbitrary games happenstance. Exclusivity helps new IPs, or games that don't come from long established franchises. It helps increase the sales, and the platform owners are usually ready to help the entrant gain experience and show them tricks, etc. 

Additionally, exclusivity has other reasonings, other than straight up "benefits". For example, say 360 sold 80% of COD. (It's ok to use COD here because it's tangential to the original point). In situations like that, it makes sense to become exclusive because you're not losing much profit, and the revenue is closely made up by the platform owner's help, special perksfrom the platform owner, and sales increase from exclusivity hype. Additionally, when consoles become "tied" to specific genre's (or more closely matched, Style), it increases the adoption of that platform from those buyers (read: buyers driven by potential), which later results in better sales for sequels.

Later on, a lot of those companies form contracts or get bought out, and continue with them for a long time. Lots of big name titles, franchises, and brands started out from exclusivity. 

It would be nice if gaming moved towards a open platform (the PC) as opposed to closed platforms (consoles). That way you wouldn't have to have all of these devices lying around so that you can play the exclusives. But so as long as certain PC game developers (ie. Crytek) insist on releasing PC games that require high specs and PC gaming remains relatively user-unfriendly, that is NEVER going to happen. This is why the Blizzard games (which have relatively modest spec requirements) are mega popular. Whereas companies like Crytek are forced to port PC games over to game consoles in order to become mainstream and make the big dollars. Blizzard has a great business model going for them. Before PC game developers whine about how PC is dying and how they need to go to consoles in order to make money, maybe they should pay more attention to what Blizzard is doing.

Another thing to consider is that PC gaming is not very popular in Japan except for the visual novels, dating sims, erotic games, MMOs and a few exceptions here and there. And a significant portion of the console games out there were created by Japanese developers. So Japan is a very important part of the picture. Though not as relevant as they used to be.

its just a loyalty thing i think.  its kinda like if mario lemieux left the pens to go to a different nhl team.  he made the pens unique in the early 90s and everyone was into the pens, but if he went to a different team, many of his fans would feel betrayed but would have to understand he has his own interests as well.

Ok, just want to do a sidebar chime in here.  I see Uncharted 2 is brought up for awesomeness of graphics.  Is it ok if the game is preferred for gameplay, story and the acting with not giving a hoot over the graphics, outside of a tip of the hat to that they do look good?  I am a fan of the franchise, but wish it NOT be used in a fanboy ammo war over graphics.  Also, not a fan that much, but feel the same for Gran Turismo 5, and people who take shot at its graphics.

Also, I am NOT saying consoles shouldn't have exclusives, but ponder why not just be happy you got a cool game... even if other consoles can also play it to.

If I want to watch movies I simply buy a dvd player... it doesn't matter what company builds it (mine is Samsung) all I care about is to be able to watch a movie when it comes out and is advertized. Why would I buy another dvd player? All dvds will work on the one I have.

Sometimes I would like the same for consoles. A game is not better because it's exclusive to PS/XB/Wii, the same as a movie is no better because it's played on a Samsung dvd but because it has good production value and talented people behind it. Maybe that'S because I only play games I don't play consoles, if I'm a fan of said game and it's available on another console the generation after then I will follow the game and by no mean will I trash talk about that game. People act like their console is part of their family... how ridiculous.

There's also the consolidation of userbase.  I know a guy I played Demon's Souls with that's getting Dark Souls on 360.  I guess all the fun times we had didn't matter.  Lame.  =/

Then there's games like Call of Duty.  The guys I know with Modern Warfare 2 are split pretty evenly across PC/PS3/360, so if I were to get the game, I'd be forced to choose which friends I'd prefer to play with, instead of just playing with them all.

The only reason is so that fanboys have more ammo when they swing their schlongs at each other

think Sega Genesis and Nintnedo SNES

Geeze, the answer is so simple and only one person in this whole thread brought it up. Why the hell should I buy a 360, if it has the exact same games as my PS3? What possible reason could persuade me? Live? If the 360 didn't have Gears, Halo, Fable, Alan Wake and a whole bunch of other exclusives, then I wouldn't give two shits about the console. It's as simple as that, exclusivity drives the platform, it is the mass market differentiator and it gives that console a specific identity. 

I'm a little ashamed at the people bringing up fanboy wars in this thread, it makes it seem like the few thousand people that associate themselves with that kind of activity actually matter in the grand scheme of things.

It's also ridiculous how this thread turned into a PS3 exclusive, fan bashing thread, as if Bioshock, Mass Effect 2, Portal 2, Dead Space 2 and every thing related to PS3 exclusivity doesn't bring out the worse in the 360 fans.