Console exclusives and multiplatform releases

[Jkudo]

You can't have it both ways. You're trying to argue that Halo got a lot of attention and sales because it was exclusive, and that Call of Duty got a lot of attention and sales because it was great.

Halo would have still done very well even if it weren't exclusive. It was a great FPS at a time when there just weren't too many of those. Halo did more for MS than MS did for Halo. The fact that it was exclusive helped sell a lot of Xboxes. I don't think the fact that it was exclusive helped its own sales at all.

You do have a point, but third party multiplatform games usually won't have the same money behind it in marketing. With support from Sony or Microsoft, a game can sell enough on a single console to justify it being an exclusive.

 

[Vault101]

So I'm not really familar with how this kind of stuff works

But I've wondered what are the benifits of releasing a game as an exclusive as opoased to being released on a number of platfroms?

and are multiplatform releases more common now as oposed to say 1999?

Multi-platform = More overall sales, or so the theory goes.

Exclusives are generally of a higher quality, since they are developed specifically for that system, and the company usually (in my understanding) gets a nice little check for making their game exclusive.

DLC is the more common thing to make exclusive right now (whether it's 100% exclusive [never released on anything else] like Dead Money for FO:NV, or a timed exclusive [immediate release on one platform, usually the 360, later release on others] like GTAIV:EFLC), as more companies are going for the "More platforms = more money" concept.

The thing is, most of the time in a non-exclusive, somebody gets gypped.

The PC version is too "consolised", the PS3 version doesn't run right, the Wii version has poor graph- well, that's a given, but the other two still stand.

The 360 seems to be the only system that is not affected negatively by multi-platform releases, as most companies develop the 360 version first, then port to PS3/PC. The problem with doing that is that every system processes data differently, making ports generally seem "poorly made" or "terribly unoptimised".

The best solution is to develop the PS3 version first, then port to the 360, then to the PC, with some extra love given to the PC port (like higher resolution textures, more PC friendly UI, dedicated server support, etc.), that way, all the ports run smoothly (in a perfect world. There will still be problems, but not near as many), and nobody has any reason to complain about the company being "stupid lazy fucks who can't port a game worth a rat's dick."

Sometimes you'll notice games not being released on PS3, but they get released on 360 and PC. The main reason for that is exactly what I said above, every system processes differently.

As for the commonality of multi-platform releases, I think the number is rising, as more developers adopt the "more platforms = more money" concept, and I'm okay with that. So long as the ports are done well, or hell, developed separately, I can live with games being on more than one platform. It brings us closer to a unified online experience. PS3 connecting to 360, PC to Mac and Linux, possibly all of them together, so long as the game fits.

Anyway, I'm typing too much, sorry about that. I hope I answered your question. ^^;

you ansered that perfectly! thanks!

 

[Steampunk Viking]

But I've wondered what are the benifits of releasing a game as an exclusive as opoased to being released on a number of platfroms?

There are a couple of reasons for this, not necessarily all "benefits" but they're reasons:

1) The game was developed in part by the company that made the console (Example: Mass Effect 1, which was co-made by Microsoft Studios, whereas the second was EA)
2) The company is owned by the company that made the console (Example: Lionhead Studios)
3) The license for the game is owned by the company that made the console (Examples: Donkey Kong Country orStarfox Adventures)
4) Laziness/ease - Some consoles are just easier to code for and allow the company to focus their attention on other games/projects.
5) The series or said game are contracted to that specific console (Examples: Metal Gear Solid series or Final Fantasy 7/8/9/10) - Some companies will pay handsomely to keep them exclusive to their console so more people will buy it.
6) Compatibility, ever tried playing Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance for the Gamecube? Neither have most people. It's a waste of money to produce games that won't sell on that console.
7) Import functions, some games allow people to import games and, if the first game is exclusive, some companies may not see the point of making future games multiplatform (Mass Effect 2 is one of the first to defy this though)

So there are the 7 reasons I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are more reasons out there.