The PC is another gaming platform. No matter how some may like to pretend that PC gaming is dead, or that it isn't in competition with console gaming, they are wrong -- at least, at the moment. Basically, it's all one market, and making the PC distinct from consoles is as silly as separating HD consoles from the Wii just to lessen the blow that the Wii is wiping the floor with the PS3 and 360.

The example from Germany above shows clearly that PC and 360 directly compete for the same customers, but I can provide a personal example as well. When I made my choice between 360 and PS3 I went for the machine with more exclusives that I wanted to play. As almost every 'exclusive' game I wanted on the 360 I could play on my PC, it was hardly appealing to me, especially as either the PC or PS3 version was often superior for multi-platform titles.

So, from my example alone, you can see why claiming a game available on PC and 360 is exclusive to the 360 is nonsense as far as the console war is concerned. If all those games had only been available on 360, I may have bought one; but they're not, so I haven't. In short, the 360 loses sales due to shared 'exclusivity' with the PC from many of its key titles; thus, the situation has a direct influence on the so-called console wars.

 The only reason people don't count them as exclusives it's to "Oh they shouldn't have that much exclusives"

Bioshock sold 330k on the PS3, so there were at least 330k PS3-users that would have bought this game earlier, if it had been available on the PS3.

Why are you guys making a big deal about Mass Effect 2 / 3 eventually coming to the PS3? Because you want to play it, even if it is available on the PC as well. Console exclusives are a big deal for a lot of people.

People are angry right now that the Fallout3 DLC is just available for the PC and the Xbox360 and not for the PS3? Why are you angry, you could have played this on PC anyway? And you knew it when it was released that you won't see this DLC on the PS3.

Why are there people hoping Left 4 Dead will make it to the PS3? You can play it on the PC right now?

A lot of PS3 users hope for PC games coming to the PS3. You act like you would be pissed to have the opportunity to play those games on your console.

bioshock ps3 version have extra contend, new modes etc. some people may have jump late to the game.

well i am not and not even a pc version being announced and people who could bought the pc version and not planning to buy a second 360 version.

people DLC should have come too, and some people bought it without knowing that.

never heard that so many people wanting it, it's not my kind of game either.

but my point it's that still they are not exclusive a people that buy the PC version don't buy, 360 also.

or viseversa, those ps3 that bought bioshock likely won't buy the 360 version either.

exclusivity its simply not there.

timed exclusive effect its that people buy your version first (or buy your system to play it) before competition version comes out.

if so timed exclusivity like microsoft use it it's wouldn't be a waste of money

well, of course, if it's only a matter of giving money to microsoft, or having more exclusives than the PS3, then it may be convenient to call them exclusives. I won't be buying anytime soonneither the X360 nor the PS3, but I have bought both Mass Effect and Gears of War. yes there are a lot of other games that will not be released for the PC, but then again, I think we're talking about these games specifically and not counting how many exclusives I can play on the X360.

They are not considered exclusive because they are NOT exclusive.

The "Microsoft exclusive because of Windows" doesn't wash either.

I don't need Microsoft to play Spore or a shedload of other games.

The PC versions of multiplat or 360-PC exclusives should sometimes be considered exclusive to PC. The console versions are often so inferior that the PC version should be considered a different game altogether.

I'm looking at you Supreme Commander and Orange Box.

Answers in bold above.

No, PC is in direct competition with Xbox 360 because it affects the games' sales. Simple as that.

It might not be a significant lose but it is a lose none-the-less. To pretend otherwise is just folly.

I own a PS3, a 360 and a gaming PC.

I bought Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead on the PC so thats 2 sale the PS3/360 lost; I will be buying Fear 2 for the PC too, so there's another.

They are both mircosoft platforms so people usualy refer them as exclusive compared to non mircosoft platforms at least thats how i see it

My stance: It is NOT a console exclusive.

However, in the context of the 360/PS3 war, it is still a 360 game NOT on PS3, thus giving the 360 library an edge.

So while not exclusive, they help make the 360 a better choice then PS3.