so what about the games that were already released on a console and later gets ported to another one. IE HOTD overkill or ME2?

no it doesnt, at least not for me. I could care less if a game goes to another console. I love Tekken and i could care less that 360 and hell whoever is getting Wii U will be able to play it. Just as long as i can play it on the system i already bought

Most of the time its because they lose ammo for their console war.

But other times, its deals more with consistency, I think. For example, games like God of War or Uncharted 'feel' a lot more like Playstation than games like Call of Duty or Battlefield. It's hard to explain, but I typically prefer my games to be exclusives also, however, I won't get upset if a game foes multiplat. But if I'm playing an exclusive like Uncharted, I feel like my overall experience consists entirely of Playstayion components. The hardware, the UI, and to top it off, the game all feel consistently intertwined into one cohesive unit. In my mind, I associate a Playstation exclusive with Playstation, so when I play it, I guess I make some subconscious connection with the hardware & the game. I can't do the same with multiplatform games. Yeah, I know that sounds irrational, but that's how my brain works. I really don't think it has anything to do with optimizing the hardware because I feel the same with technically weak exclusives.

I feel the same with other consoles. Mass Effect, when it was exclusive, used to create a very strong connection with Xbox in my mind. If someone said Mass Effect, the first thing I would think of would be 'Xbox' and vice-versa. But when it went multiplat, that connection deteriorated. I don't know why. I no longer grouped Mass Effect with the special group of games that I associated with Xbox. It just entered the pool of countless other games that I don't associate with anything, subconsciously of course. Same with Demon's Souls versus Dark Souls. If both games were exactly the same, I would prefer Demon's Souls simply because it was exclusive.

Exclusives feel like they're apart if some small, special group that identify with certain consoles. While this may not be true, it feels like that in my mind

Please dont take this the wrong way, but cry me a river. Its not like everyone here can just up and buy all the consoles they want, when you buy a console especially only one you are taking a gamble, you are gambling that you are GOING to miss out on somethings. If you bought that console because of an exclusive gamen and it went mulit...so what? Do you still not get to play that game you bought the system for? Would you have bought the other console instead? I doubt it.

And what is this flavor? Its a game machine, because another system got a certain type of game doesnt mean it will dilute the one you have, that doesnt make sense.

I'm pretty sure that by flavor, happy is referring to branding. It's a good point, but I don't think the way HD is explaining it is a justifiable case.
Branding is important to a consumer who likes a certain type of game, because usually a system has a "flavor/branding" that promotes that genre. Like, PS3 is known for sports, JRPGs, creative games, and platformers. PS3 is very much a Japanese console, in regards to its branding through game genres.

I guess what Happy is saying is that putting jrpgs on other consoles dilutes the brand, and thereby makes it more difficult for that branded console to definitively see those releases. Like, ALL jrpgs should appear on playstation, for example. When they do not, I guess it could be blamed on 'dilution of the flavor'.

However, I don't think it's a strong point. Branding helps both consumers and devs because consumers can have a better idea of what kinds of games they'll release, and devs have a better understanding of how many people in the userbase support said types of games.

" First parties go balls out to bring you the best game, because that company wants you to buy their hardware. Without hardware competition, you would not have the same level of games. Just look at multiplat now. "

This why I said it would be offensive... I may read it wrong (english isn't my first language) but it's like you're implying that unless they have a hardware restriction they can't or don't go all out with their games meaning that exclusives are better than multiplat which is false in my book.

"What you end up with is a hardware war rather than a software one, and then you have every company with some extra cash making one as well. I can't even begin to explain to you how bad that idea is, because I'm not sure you're interested in listening."

Au contraire mon cher! Tell me what's so better to have a hardware competition instead of a software competition? Arcade games on Xbox Live compete with each other and yes some of them are just incredible, some of them even offer way more than "exclusives from the competition's consoles".

"Your comparison to movies is laughable, and the only weird thinking is your own. You obviously are extremely misinformed about exclusivity. "

Don't worry, I will read whatever you have to say, just explain.

"Look it up, there are many devs who attest to exclusivity and explain reason for reason why exclusivity is a good idea. Examples include getting optimization, funding, help programming, expert advice, liberal game engine use, etc etc. So yes, your game does stand to improve quality the minute you go exclusive because the console publisher is willing to lend its system designers to assist you with the code, workarounds, and optimization."

I hope you realize this is true only because we have multiple platforms? If there was only one platform devs wouldn't have to ask for codes blablabla... PC devs don't have to ask MS to give them advices about how to optimize their games for Windows, all they do is use the tools available and that's it. I like devs to just spend all their forces making an incredible games and then put it in the market so people can buy it. Seriously who cares if it's exclusive? And no quality has nothing to do with exclusivity.

"I'm sure you're used tgo arguing the merits of exclusivity among whatever group it is that you discuss things with, and the group think has you thinking that you all siply know better than the industry, but take it from someone who has done the research and done the arguing, exclusivity serves a very good purpose."

I don't know better than the industry, what I know though is that devs would like their games in as many hands as possible. I know a lot of devs yes, we have a lot of gaming companies here and I used to work at EA for some time and yes devs just want everyone to play their games. Exclusivity is silly, large publishers buying game companies have only one good point and it's the fact that they have funds but as soon as they need restructuring some of these devs can get closed. The industry needs to make contracts only, not buying gaming companies then closing them because of exclusivity to one platform thus making their games sell less than if it was multi.

@theprof i see your point and you are right HD didnt really make a good point with that one, but wouldnt the easiest way to find out what console group likes what is to release your games on ALL the consoles you can and just make a comparison from there. JRPGS is a good example, even with the moneyhatting MS did, those games still sold meh. But they do better on PS3. FF 13 PS3 version trumped the 360 one in all areas and the that was without bundling or exclusive ads. Its clear that the PS3 fanbase cares more about that genre, fighting is the same way. Shooters favor 360

What do you mean "cry me a river" :P You douche haha XD

I was just giving you a possible reason why someone would get mad, not necessarily me. :P

About flavor, I meant we all know FFXIII is a J-rpg. So with it getting the XBOX marketing it kind of de-japs it in a sense.

im just trying to understand the reasoning behind that thought, because i dont see it unless it for fanboy reasons "wah, i cant use this game in my pointless console war"

FF13 being on 360 didnt de-Jap it. FF13 being a shell of a FF game and a glorified crappy dugeon crawler is what de-Jap it. I can point to a bunch on JRPGs on 360 that still have their japanese flavor. and the marketing didnt work because PS3 version of FF13 beat out the 360 everywhere, most just associate FF with the PS

@llibroex i agree 100% on your FF13 part, but NBA Jam, the PS360 version was missing features as well so its not like they came out on top. (but its kind of a moot point anyway because the definitive On Fire Edition was released later on PSN/XBL) that should have been a DL game in the first place