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Forums - Gaming Discussion - The Death of Platform Exclusive Software

hinch on 23 January 2021

Being a multiplatform gamer the amount of consoles games coming to PC pleases me. At the same time I have no qualms in buying a console so I can play games months, sometimes years earlier.

Not to mention some true exclusives. This won't change at least for Nintendo consoles and most of Sony's first party lineup.



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freebs2 on 23 January 2021
curl-6 said:

Exclusives also help grow a system's userbase which results in it getting healthier software support, so they're a good thing in that way as well.

In that sense, exclusives help certain hadrware manifacturers to grow their userbase. Exclusivity doesn't help the market as a whole to grow larger and healthier, actually it could be argued the opposite. Going by the assumption that every gamer has a limited budget, by forcing to buy multiple system to access all games you're actually deminishing the value of the game software market (number of gamers * thier budget), so it actually hurts developers of non-exclusive game titles.

On the other hand, exclusivity is beneficial for game studios that make the exclusive title, since they get a co-marketing push from the platform manifacturer.

Exclusivity can only be beneficial for customers if exclusive games are designed to take great advantage of platform specific features; that was the case of games designed for the Wii or DS, but imo it doesn't apply very much to the Switch or to PS4 vs Xbox One. It can make sense for next gen games that require processing capabilites above what was avaliable on older gen systems.

Looking at games released in 2020, the only one that really can fit into that category was Half Life Alyx, probably.

Last edited by freebs2 - on 23 January 2021

Wman1996 on 23 January 2021
Ka-pi96 said:

And it's awesome!

I just hope Sony release more of their games on PC too. Horizon was a good start, but why not everything? I hope that Nintendo jump on the bandwagon and release their entire back catalogue onto Steam as well.

When Nintendo does release games on PC (inevitable), I think it's mostly going to be through their own store. Putting games on Steam does not seem like a Nintendo thing at all. If I'm proven wrong one day, I'll own up to it.



Lifetime Sales Predictions 

Switch: 156 million (was 73, then 96, then 113 million, then 125 million, then 144 million, then 151 million)

PS5: 115 million (was 105 million) Xbox Series S/X: 48 million (was 60 million, then 67 million, then 57 million)

PS4: 120 mil (was 100 then 130 million, then 122 million) Xbox One: 51 mil (was 50 then 55 mil)

3DS: 75.5 mil (was 73, then 77 million)

"Let go your earthly tether, enter the void, empty and become wind." - Guru Laghima

IcaroRibeiro on 23 January 2021
Cerebralbore101 said:
Hiku said:

Well, people generally only use one phone at a time, right? And you probably need to have a phone.
I wish iPhone's don't cost as much as they do, but it is what it is.

Anyway, when you buy a new phone, people often trade in their old phones. And whether you stay on the same platform, or switch to another, you'll generally be able to do the same things, and play the same games and transfer your accounts.

Buying an additional console is a bit different I think.
You'll have to ask yourself if it's worth it based on how much additional use it will give you.

Maybe it has 5 games I know that I want to play. For some people that's enough to warrant the price. For others it isn't.
And even if it is, what if you still have a bunch of other games left to play on your current platform? Then when will you even get to play those 5 games?

Then time goes on, and talks of a successor to that system starts popping up, etc.

You need a phone, but you do not need a phone costing $500 and up. I have a $30 POS ZTE branded phone that does 90% of what those $500 to $1000 phones do. Buying an expensive phone is just a colossal waste of money. I could see someone spending $150 or even $200 on a new phone. But $500? That's just crazy.


I don't know how it is in USA, but here any phone costing less than 300 USD becomes useless after 1 year of system software updates, Android phones are so bad that even the most basic apps like Facebook and WhatsApp turns to be leg and bug after just a few months. Browsing in internet becomes a hell as webpages demands more and more cache and your mobile storage only degrades 

Then you ask why not buy a iPhone that can last some 4  or 5 years? Well, because those cost 1500 to 2000 USD. And yes, I'm not kidding



wombat123 on 23 January 2021
Mar1217 said:
mZuzek said:

And to take things a step further still... I'm currently replaying Astral Chain on my Switch. It's such a good game, I love it. But you know what I'd love a lot more? If I could play it at 1080p 60fps on my PC. It's totally jarring going from a mid-level PC to the Switch, being thrown right back into the world of 30fps and crappy resolutions. The game still looks and plays beautiful, better than most on the Switch, but I can't help but want to play it at much better quality than this. Exclusivity here is the only reason I can't.

Technically speaking without the bargain of exclusivity which gives attraction to the hardware, games like Astral Chain would have most likely no chance to exist.

I agree, games like Astral Chain (and most Platinum games in-general) aren't financed with the expectations that they're going to sell a lot.  Without companies like Nintendo willing to moneyhat them for the specific purpose of diversifying their exclusive library, these types of games would rarely be made because they're too niche for their required development budgets.  Do people think Nintendo moneyhats games like Bayonetta 2 & 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 or Wonderful 101 because they think they'll sell a ton?  There's a reason Platinum couldn't find anyone to finance Bayonetta 2 before Nintendo and why it took this long for a sequel to MUA2 to be made.



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Cerebralbore101 on 23 January 2021
IcaroRibeiro said:
Cerebralbore101 said:

You need a phone, but you do not need a phone costing $500 and up. I have a $30 POS ZTE branded phone that does 90% of what those $500 to $1000 phones do. Buying an expensive phone is just a colossal waste of money. I could see someone spending $150 or even $200 on a new phone. But $500? That's just crazy.


I don't know how it is in USA, but here any phone costing less than 300 USD becomes useless after 1 year of system software updates, Android phones are so bad that even the most basic apps like Facebook and WhatsApp turns to be leg and bug after just a few months. Browsing in internet becomes a hell as webpages demands more and more cache and your mobile storage only degrades 

Then you ask why not buy a iPhone that can last some 4  or 5 years? Well, because those cost 1500 to 2000 USD. And yes, I'm not kidding

You just made a fantastic argument for why nobody should care about phones at all. They cost a ton of money and are obsolete and worthless in such a fast amount of time.

mZuzek said:
Cerebralbore101 said:

You need a phone, but you do not need a phone costing $500 and up. I have a $30 POS ZTE branded phone that does 90% of what those $500 to $1000 phones do. Buying an expensive phone is just a colossal waste of money. I could see someone spending $150 or even $200 on a new phone. But $500? That's just crazy.

I don't even know who you're talking about, but like...

That's not how it works, at all.

I spent probably more than R$6000 on my PC. Don't know what that is in dollars, probably close to $1000 at this point given how ridiculous the exchange rate is getting. That doesn't mean I have money to spend on other things. Me having spent that much on a PC doesn't make me rich, it just shows that I thought having a good PC was worth that level of investment. It took me a whole year to buy all the parts and finish it.

Sure I could afford a console with that money I spent on the PC, but I could not afford a console after buying the PC. Would've then had to save up for another several months for that (though not really, because covid killed my income, but that's beside the point). And from that point on, even if I had the money, do I really want it?

Personally, I kinda want a PS4 or PS5 for their exclusives. Makes me think about saving up to get one, but when I look at the price, that's it really. For that money I can, and should, instead be getting other things that are far more important for my life, for example a new guitar. Another console just isn't enticing enough in this situation. For a lot of people, the $500 phone is more enticing, because they use their phone that much. And I mean, if the phone costs that much, I'm willing to bet it probably could run more advanced games than a Switch can.

It's just such a stupid argument for exclusivity. I can afford a PS4 if I save up enough. But I don't want to. Am I wrong to want the ability to play a PS4 game on a system I already own? That's ridiculous, honestly. I understand why exclusives exist and that they likely will remain exclusives, it is what it is. But I would much rather they not be exclusives, for obvious reasons.

And to take things a step further still... I'm currently replaying Astral Chain on my Switch. It's such a good game, I love it. But you know what I'd love a lot more? If I could play it at 1080p 60fps on my PC. It's totally jarring going from a mid-level PC to the Switch, being thrown right back into the world of 30fps and crappy resolutions. The game still looks and plays beautiful, better than most on the Switch, but I can't help but want to play it at much better quality than this. Exclusivity here is the only reason I can't.

Well, I can't afford to play both MTG and buy up a ton of videogames. So should I go complain that MTG prices need to drop, or that videogame prices need to drop? We all have far more things we want in life than we can afford. Even if we have all the money in the world, we still can't consume every single piece of media out there. Our time has a limit just like our money. Everybody has to choose one thing over another eventually. If you choose to spend a massive chunk of your income on one thing, you can't complain about another thing costing a much smaller chunk of your income. It's like wearing gold jewelry from head to toe, and then trying to haggle with the price of a shirt at the mall.






Cerebralbore101 on 23 January 2021

Also, I'd like to remind people that exclusives wouldn't exist if they weren't exclusive. The best games of the generation are always made by Sony and Nintendo. After CDPR screwing up that has become even more apparent. Sony/Nintendo pump far more money into their exclusive games than normal, because they count on making the money back by selling extra hardware, and then raking in 3rd party royalty fees on software. Sure, they take a hit on the hardware sale, but royalty fees more than make up for it.

Edit: Actually Nintendo makes money on hardware too. :D

Last edited by Cerebralbore101 - on 23 January 2021

LudicrousSpeed on 23 January 2021

Comparing phones to consoles, lulz

There will always be exclusives. But I don't think that anyone but fanboys care that there are less than ever.



IcaroRibeiro on 23 January 2021
Cerebralbore101 said:
IcaroRibeiro said:

I don't know how it is in USA, but here any phone costing less than 300 USD becomes useless after 1 year of system software updates, Android phones are so bad that even the most basic apps like Facebook and WhatsApp turns to be leg and bug after just a few months. Browsing in internet becomes a hell as webpages demands more and more cache and your mobile storage only degrades 

Then you ask why not buy a iPhone that can last some 4  or 5 years? Well, because those cost 1500 to 2000 USD. And yes, I'm not kidding

You just made a fantastic argument for why nobody should care about phones at all. They cost a ton of money and are obsolete and worthless in such a fast amount of time.

mZuzek said:

I don't even know who you're talking about, but like...

That's not how it works, at all.

I spent probably more than R$6000 on my PC. Don't know what that is in dollars, probably close to $1000 at this point given how ridiculous the exchange rate is getting. That doesn't mean I have money to spend on other things. Me having spent that much on a PC doesn't make me rich, it just shows that I thought having a good PC was worth that level of investment. It took me a whole year to buy all the parts and finish it.

Sure I could afford a console with that money I spent on the PC, but I could not afford a console after buying the PC. Would've then had to save up for another several months for that (though not really, because covid killed my income, but that's beside the point). And from that point on, even if I had the money, do I really want it?

Personally, I kinda want a PS4 or PS5 for their exclusives. Makes me think about saving up to get one, but when I look at the price, that's it really. For that money I can, and should, instead be getting other things that are far more important for my life, for example a new guitar. Another console just isn't enticing enough in this situation. For a lot of people, the $500 phone is more enticing, because they use their phone that much. And I mean, if the phone costs that much, I'm willing to bet it probably could run more advanced games than a Switch can.

It's just such a stupid argument for exclusivity. I can afford a PS4 if I save up enough. But I don't want to. Am I wrong to want the ability to play a PS4 game on a system I already own? That's ridiculous, honestly. I understand why exclusives exist and that they likely will remain exclusives, it is what it is. But I would much rather they not be exclusives, for obvious reasons.

And to take things a step further still... I'm currently replaying Astral Chain on my Switch. It's such a good game, I love it. But you know what I'd love a lot more? If I could play it at 1080p 60fps on my PC. It's totally jarring going from a mid-level PC to the Switch, being thrown right back into the world of 30fps and crappy resolutions. The game still looks and plays beautiful, better than most on the Switch, but I can't help but want to play it at much better quality than this. Exclusivity here is the only reason I can't.

Well, I can't afford to play both MTG and buy up a ton of videogames. So should I go complain that MTG prices need to drop, or that videogame prices need to drop? We all have far more things we want in life than we can afford. Even if we have all the money in the world, we still can't consume every single piece of media out there. Our time has a limit just like our money. Everybody has to choose one thing over another eventually. If you choose to spend a massive chunk of your income on one thing, you can't complain about another thing costing a much smaller chunk of your income. It's like wearing gold jewelry from head to toe, and then trying to haggle with the price of a shirt at the mall.




Impossible in our current life. Unlike USA most Brazilians only started using internet thanks to mobile phones. Meaning some people doesn't know how to use SNS or even write emails without a smartphone. Mom herself often get lost browsing on PCs. 

Then you ask me, "ok but you can ignore smartphones and go to PC". I could... 3 or 4 years ago and believe me I did. However nowadays mobile apps are the main digital channel for us. Let's ignore using SNS and using streaming services I can easily replace (even though listening to music would be hard without one), here are things a mobile will provide me other devices won't:

- My digital documents are all on the phone (and it is much more practical and safe than carrying them with me)

- Information regarding my health assurance is all on the cell phone, the website sucks hard and I would be restricted if not at home. Same goes to control of credit card, energy and water bills

- Families, friends and coworkers mostly use mobile apps to chat. I remember when I've started college and for one year I was the only one without a smartphone, it was painful 

- Official state digital registrations are increasingly being made exclusively through apps, since everyone here has a cell phone but not everyone has a PC

- I use my mobile to confirm my identity and have access to my digital workspace 

- I use my mobile to manage my daily/weekly schedule, eating plan and my purchases on the go

Console games are a hobby, I can survive without one, but without a cellphone my life would be significantly less comfortable and practical. The sole reason I don't own a PS4 is because I was mugged two times in the last 4 years (this and the fact when I finally could save money I choose a Switch, but that's another story), hence I owned 3 different cellphones in the said 4 years instead of a PS4 and I don't regret it

Well maybe regret the fact I was mugged, but not my choice 



Cerebralbore101 on 23 January 2021
IcaroRibeiro said:
Cerebralbore101 said:

You just made a fantastic argument for why nobody should care about phones at all. They cost a ton of money and are obsolete and worthless in such a fast amount of time.

mZuzek said:

I don't even know who you're talking about, but like...

That's not how it works, at all.

I spent probably more than R$6000 on my PC. Don't know what that is in dollars, probably close to $1000 at this point given how ridiculous the exchange rate is getting. That doesn't mean I have money to spend on other things. Me having spent that much on a PC doesn't make me rich, it just shows that I thought having a good PC was worth that level of investment. It took me a whole year to buy all the parts and finish it.

Sure I could afford a console with that money I spent on the PC, but I could not afford a console after buying the PC. Would've then had to save up for another several months for that (though not really, because covid killed my income, but that's beside the point). And from that point on, even if I had the money, do I really want it?

Personally, I kinda want a PS4 or PS5 for their exclusives. Makes me think about saving up to get one, but when I look at the price, that's it really. For that money I can, and should, instead be getting other things that are far more important for my life, for example a new guitar. Another console just isn't enticing enough in this situation. For a lot of people, the $500 phone is more enticing, because they use their phone that much. And I mean, if the phone costs that much, I'm willing to bet it probably could run more advanced games than a Switch can.

It's just such a stupid argument for exclusivity. I can afford a PS4 if I save up enough. But I don't want to. Am I wrong to want the ability to play a PS4 game on a system I already own? That's ridiculous, honestly. I understand why exclusives exist and that they likely will remain exclusives, it is what it is. But I would much rather they not be exclusives, for obvious reasons.

And to take things a step further still... I'm currently replaying Astral Chain on my Switch. It's such a good game, I love it. But you know what I'd love a lot more? If I could play it at 1080p 60fps on my PC. It's totally jarring going from a mid-level PC to the Switch, being thrown right back into the world of 30fps and crappy resolutions. The game still looks and plays beautiful, better than most on the Switch, but I can't help but want to play it at much better quality than this. Exclusivity here is the only reason I can't.

Well, I can't afford to play both MTG and buy up a ton of videogames. So should I go complain that MTG prices need to drop, or that videogame prices need to drop? We all have far more things we want in life than we can afford. Even if we have all the money in the world, we still can't consume every single piece of media out there. Our time has a limit just like our money. Everybody has to choose one thing over another eventually. If you choose to spend a massive chunk of your income on one thing, you can't complain about another thing costing a much smaller chunk of your income. It's like wearing gold jewelry from head to toe, and then trying to haggle with the price of a shirt at the mall.




Impossible in our current life. Unlike USA most Brazilians only started using internet thanks to mobile phones. Meaning some people doesn't know how to use SNS or even write emails without a smartphone. Mom herself often get lost browsing on PCs. 

Then you ask me, "ok but you can ignore smartphones and go to PC". I could... 3 or 4 years ago and believe me I did. However nowadays mobile apps are the main digital channel for us. Let's ignore using SNS and using streaming services I can easily replace (even though listening to music would be hard without one), here are things a mobile will provide me other devices won't:

- My digital documents are all on the phone (and it is much more practical and safe than carrying them with me)

- Information regarding my health assurance is all on the cell phone, the website sucks hard and I would be restricted if not at home. Same goes to control of credit card, energy and water bills

- Families, friends and coworkers mostly use mobile apps to chat. I remember when I've started college and for one year I was the only one without a smartphone, it was painful 

- Official state digital registrations are increasingly being made exclusively through apps, since everyone here has a cell phone but not everyone has a PC

- I use my mobile to confirm my identity and have access to my digital workspace 

- I use my mobile to manage my daily/weekly schedule, eating plan and my purchases on the go

Console games are a hobby, I can survive without one, but without a cellphone my life would be significantly less comfortable and practical. The sole reason I don't own a PS4 is because I was mugged two times in the last 4 years (this and the fact when I finally could save money I choose a Switch, but that's another story), hence I owned 3 different cellphones in the said 4 years instead of a PS4 and I don't regret it

Well maybe regret the fact I was mugged, but not my choice 

Damn. Sounds to me like the mobile phone market has Brazil by the balls. In that case you are absolutely right, that people in your country absolutely need a phone. It's a truth that I find mind blowingly disgusting, because I'm sure you guys have enough problems without needing to have an expensive phone to basically survive.