In this week’s entry of Now Loading, we talk about a topic that’s been debated quite a few times within the PlayStation LifeStyle staff, and that’s the term “exclusive.” By exclusive, we mean the way exclusive video games; the kind that are one of the main selling points of a console and why you should pledge your allegiance to it (or something to that effect).
When we were set to roll out our first Versus episode of the year, which was about confirmed “full exclusive” coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year, some on staff argued that games coming to PC but not to Xbox One should be in the list (read: Street Fighter V, The Witness, etc.). And if this happened, of course, the Xbox One will also get its fair share of added games (Halo Wars 2, Fable Legends, etc.). However, the staff was split! Some said it was OK for games that are appearing on PS4 and PC to be tagged as an exclusive, while others remain adamant that it should be “console exclusive” — a phase which Sony itself uses now.
It got so confusing for us that I asked feedback on Twitter, with the outcome essentially being a tie. When I finally had to make a big decision on our Versus video’s title, I went with “full exclusive” just to make sure people wouldn’t get confused, which kinda still didn’t work with some commenters.
Well, in this week’s Now Loading, that’s exactly what the staff weighs in on. Read on for the staff’s differing opinion on the matter.
Are the console and PC markets so different that consoles don’t see PCs as competition? If so, then, the term “exclusive” should apply to a PS4 game not coming to Xbox One but coming to PC, right? But doing that opens up a whole new can of worms.
Who do you think is right? Should we start using “console exclusives” from now on? Leave a comment and be heard, people! This might affect how we call exclusives here on PSLS!
Now Loading is a recurring staff-driven feature where PlayStation LifeStyle discusses anything video game-related under the sun (yes, even non-Sony platforms).
Essential Reading:
- Now Loading…Retail Game Prices – Should They Be Higher or Lower? And Overall Thoughts
- Versus – PS4 vs. Xbox One Full Exclusive Games Match Up for 2016
- Assessing the Highs and Lows of PlayStation VR’s First Wave of Games
Now Loading...Exclusives
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Now Loading...Games Coming to PC but Not Rival Platforms: Exclusives or Console Exclusives?
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Zarmena Khan
It's true that PC isn't seen as competition by console owners and manufacturers. Exclusive wars are Microsoft and Sony's staple. I honestly don't see an issue with using the term "exclusive" if the game is only coming to one console alongside PC. However, for clarity and because too many people whine about petty things, it's probably best to use the term "console exclusive" if a certain game is indeed coming to PC as well.
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Michael Briers
To the passer-by, deciding between which console would usually come down to that all-important price. But for many, exclusives are considered vital. Internet trolls may trumpet them as bragging rights, but Sony's roster of first-party and even second-party studios is enviable and there's something to be said about experiencing a game like Until Dawn that isn't available elsewhere.
But more recently, the term 'exclusive' has become much more lax, both in the way companies advertise it and, by effect, the way consumers view it. The Average Joe may not know that No Man's Sky is coming to PC, for instance, and I think it's crucial that both Sony and Microsoft be clear in their messaging. Differentiating between the two can help manage expectations prior to release. That's not to say console exclusives are inferior by any stretch of the imagination, but both Microsoft and Sony will ultimately sell more units through absolute exclusives, not games that are available to play elsewhere.
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Chandler Wood
There's a distinctly different crowd that plays games on PC. For the most part, console gamers are only going to care whether an exclusive is for their console versus another. It's also much easier to market that way, and Sony's figured out a clever way to differentiate total exclusives from console exclusives that will still hit PC by calling them... well... "console exclusives."
I think that Microsoft plays a lot more fast and loose with the term "exclusive" than Sony does, particularly when you think about the whole Rise of the Tomb Raider debacle. Sony at least clarifies exclusivity, and though it might take a little research, you can always find out what kind of exclusive it is.With all that being said, I'm a gamer. I like games. I like playing games. So when the game is coming to PlayStation, I'm not too worried about if it's coming to PC too. -
Alex Co
I honestly refer to games coming to PS4 and PC but not to Xbox One as an "exclusive." I used to game a lot on PCs back then, but I'm a console gamer at heart and I just don't see the PC as being part of the PS4 and Xbox One conversation.
Sure, the PC is the "master race" and all that, but there's a reason why people primarily game on a console and why games sell a whole ton more on consoles than on PCs.
In my mind, Street Fighter V, and the rest of the games appearing on PS4 and PC are exclusives. Am I correct in this branding? Maybe, maybe not, but if a game is coming to one specific gaming platform and can't be played on another specific gaming platform, then yeah, I think it is.
Think of it this way: a car made by Honda can boast that it has exclusive Android dashboard support for sedans, but Toyota has that same dashboard thing for its boats. Can Honda call it as an exclusive? I think so, no?
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Stephen Bitto
It's absolutely relevant to clarify the difference between console exclusivity and pure exclusivity. They are different. There are differences in how they are developed, funded, marketed, etc. From the standpoint of a gamer, the reasons a publisher would be motivated to bring a game to PC or not in addition to PS4/Xbox One should be interesting as well. So, it's a story worth telling. Finally, Sony didn't go out of their way to differentiate between the two because gamers don't care. Clearly they do and the clarification was resoundingly supported when they implemented it during recent game shows.
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Mack Ashworth
To me, the term "console exclusive" is best left unused. Hell, I'm not even sure what "console" means any more.
Ignoring the capabilities of the PC side of things seems silly, what with smaller form factor PC systems being produced, perfectly capable of sitting beneath a television and operated with a control pad.
An "exclusive" should only be launching on one system. Simple as that.
