Second party developer is a colloquial term used by gaming enthusiasts and media often used to describe two different types of game development studios:

1. Independently-owned studios who take development contracts from the platform holders and what they produce will usually be exclusive to that platform.
2. Studios who are partially or wholly owned by the platform holder (also known as a subsidiary) and what they produce will usually be exclusive to that platform.

In reality, the resulting game is first party (since it is funded by the platform holder who usually owns the resulting IP), but the term helps to distinguish independent studios from those directly owned by the platform holder.

So, it really does matter if it's 1st party or not. Gears COULD go multi plat next gen, and that wouldn't be good of course.

Is that supposed to be an accomplishment? Sony released no AAA games in 2012. Last I checked, Froza was a AAA title, yet its sales don't reflect that. Spinoff or not.

That looks like the best launch lineup I've ever seen for a console. I sure hope that's true!

Well most of the games listed as exclusive ms holds the ip, so i guess by your definition, at least five of the seven games are 1st party.

Looking at those screeens it looks like a mobile game. No way they would release a game that looks that horrible on the next Xbox, not even the 360. It could be an XBLA game though, but considering how poor Judgement sales are, they'll probably delay this game indefinitely, whatever platform its supposed to release on. Gears of War isn't in a position to be milked right now.

Forza Horizons is selling about as well as a NFS game, which makes sense.

I don't think it was an AAA game either (in budget or reviews).

EDIT: Also to your Gears of War Tactics comment: Did you not see the alpha part in the title?

VGLeaks

We would like to show you pictures of this game, those pictures are extracted from a previous footage. The graphics are poor, obviously, the video showed a game in works, probably an alpha version, maybe more primitive.

You contradict yourself here, you say sony released no AAA games but lbp is a triple A title, does it not count because it is a spinoff?

Alpha or not it doesn't matter. Look at how the game is from a top-down view and look at those touch-controls. It's obviously a mobile game.

It would appear so, and if this list is true it's probably the best 1st party launch line up of a new console, indicating MS is fucking serious this time around (not that they weren't before, but we've heard a lot of things sounding like it'll be more of a media box). If this is true they're going full out, taking Sony head on and leaving Nintendo in the dust. This would be a great start for 9th gen for them!