Ok guys,

recently ive seen many posts and even professional sites use the word "exclusive" in such a way it doesnt even make sense.

The problem is that if you look in a dictionary, theres no specific definition for exclusive in the context to video games, so its time to create our own!

all you have to do is write down the most accurate and concise definition of the word 'exclusive' and we will debate on what parts should be kept and what are just silly and making the word 'exclusive' useless.

After a few posts, i will write up the definition and it will keep on being refined until its perfect. Then on every thread in the future, we dont have to debate it and you can simply post a link to this thread.

so...someone start us off.

Microsoft exclusive

HD exclusive

PC exclusive

PS3 exclusive

Wii exclusive

Wand exclusive

Camera exclusive

Portable exclusive

DS exclusive

Sony exclusive

Nintendo exclusive

etc?

"Every videogame is exclusive to a subset of all platforms, where each platform in the subset is capable of playing the game.

If a subset of platforms exist such that the game can be played on all those platforms, but also on a platform outside of that subset, then that the game is not exclusive to that subset."

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I think that about covers it for a start at least.

Although it does beg the question of where emulators fit into all this.

So if we want to exclude emulators, it could go something like this:

"Every videogame is exclusive to a subset of all platforms, where the game has been officially released on each platform in the subset.

If a subset of platforms exist such that the game has been released for each of those platforms, but also on a platform outside of that subset, then that the game is not exclusive to that subset."

Only available on one platform...(excluding emulators)

but by involving "subsets" havent you already compromised the meaning of the word?

personally i dont believe theres such thing as a sony exclusive or microsoft exclusive.

if the game appears on multiple platforms, it cannot be exclusive. this would mean the ps2 collections re-released on ps3 are not exclusives and nor are any valve games on xbox.

This is the perfect definition but this would make "console exclusives" mean games that are only available on consoles, and not on PC.

Something like red dead redemption. But its not available on Wii.

This right here is your definition. Plain and simple.

People, just don't try to overcomplicate this.

Not at all. The problem with the discussion on exclusive games, as I see it at least, is that the term is used very loosely, when in truth, every game is an exclusive. It's just a matter of what it's exclusive to, and as Squilliam posted, a game can be exclusive to a bunch of things, even things that aren't remotely related.

Is Ocarina of Time an exclusive? Yes, but not to the Nintendo 64. But you could say that is exclusive to Nintendo devices, which is absolutely correct. God of War isn't an exclusive either, because you can play it on both PS2 and PS3, but it's still a Sony exclusive. 

Is Gears of War exclusive? Yes, to the 360 and PC. Is the 3DS exclusively a 3D machine? No, because every game can be played in 2D.

Console exclusive = Only on Consoles

Handheld exclusive = Only on handhelds

PC exclusive = Only on PC

PS3 exclusive = Only on PS3

Xbox 360 exclusive = Only on Xbox 360

Wii exclusive = Only on Wii

PSP exclusive = Only on PSP

DS (and all its variants) exclusive = Only on DS

If I say Bayonetta for example, what do you say it is? Console exclusive... Why? because it's only on consoles.

If I say DC Universe online, what do you say it is? a multiplatform game... Why? because it's on PS3 and PC so it isn't a console exclusive, a PS3 exclusive or a PC exclusive.

If I say God of War III, what do you say it is? a PS3 exclusive because it's only on PS3

Alan Wake = Xbox 360 exclusive

inFamous = PS3 exclusive

Gears of War 1 = multiplatform

Gears of War 2 = Xbox 360 exclusive

Xenoblade = Wii exclusive

The Last Story = Wii exclusive

The Witcher = PC exclusive

Nier = Console exclusive

etc, etc, etc...

This is obviously what the games are officialy available for... otherwise stuff like Wii games would all be multiplatform because they can be played on PC with emulators. But that shouldn't count.