Seriously, what does "Exclusive" mean to you?

[Wargamer]

I've been having this discussion with people on another forum; I argued that the X-Box / 360 has no exclusives, because they invariably appear as PC titles.

Go hunting online, and you'll find pictures of various games sporting the title "Only on X-Box" or "Only on X-Box 360". You can then find PC versions, which typically come out a little later.

Amongst the games I've found are Halo, Halo 2, Gears of War 1, Fable 1 and Mass Effect - all have been ported to PC.

So, I figured I'd come looking for a few more gamers, and work out why the hell my friend continues to claim, against all evidence, that the 360's "exclusive" titles (he used Gears 2, Fable 2 and Halo 3 as examples) really are 'Exclusive', and not "coming soon to a PC near you" titles.


In summary; how do you define an 'Exclusive' game?

As you can guess, my stand my view is "No other platform has it". LittleBigPlanet and MGS4 are Exclusive to the PS3, because no other platform (including PC) has them. Animal Crossing is not exclusive to the Wii (because the DS has it), but it is exclusive to Nintendo (who own the Wii and DS). Likewise, Twilight Princess is exclusive to Nintendo, but not to a specific console.

Oh, and before someone gets clever - I'm not referring to any illegal modding or other fancy stuff. I refer only to 'as sold' products. I'm well aware you can get virtually anything to run on PC if you try hard enough.

 

[rossatdi]

No kissing other people at the weekend.

Oh, wait you mean games?

At least a year.

 

[JaguarWong]

But the Animal Crossing game on DS is entirely different to the one on Wii... Same with the 360/DS versions of Viva Pinata.

So it's only the title that's relevant in your argument?
So if a game called 'Flame Bait 2: The New Cumguzzlers' was released for the 360 and the iPhone then that counts as the same game? Despite the fact that they could in no way be the same gameplay experience?

 

[Wargamer]

No kissing other people at the weekend.

Oh, wait you mean games?

At least a year.

So it's exclusive if one format has it at least a year before anyone else?

 

[rossatdi]

No kissing other people at the weekend.

Oh, wait you mean games?

At least a year.

So it's exclusive if one format has it at least a year before anyone else?

Yeah. I figure a year is about right for people who want to play to have had fair and decent chance to get there before it goes to a rival machine.

Literally any different format is an exclusive. Wii and DS cannot play the same cartridge so its not exclusive if its on both even if they are both Nintendo.

 

[chase211]

xbox defines exclusive as 'at launch can only be bought on 360'. But yeah, I agree with you, if you consider pc games xbox has very few exclusives.

I think its also worth noting that the only way xbox has a notable lead on exclusives is if you include games that came out before the PS3 was launched and include games that realy, no one gives a damn about (ie. shrek the game).

 

[Wargamer]

Literally any different format is an exclusive. Wii and DS cannot play the same cartridge so its not exclusive if its on both even if they are both Nintendo.

Yeah, but I'd consider a cross-format an "unofficial" exclusive. I mean, if the PS3 / PSP both had "Metal Gear Akiba", yet the PS3 box had "ONLY ON PS3" on the front, I'd take issue with it on the same grounds that, in fact, it is not only on PS3.

I realise a hand-held version of a game is not going to be identical to the "big boy" version, but even so.

 

[chase211]

if you look at all metacritic scores above 75 (a green score) for both ps3 and xbox and take out all titles released before the PS3 was realesed and look at only the exclusives (not including down loadable titles) you get these 2 lists. I left Gears of War 1 on the list despite it being realsed pre-ps3 just to make the fanboys happy. If I missed any let me know.

Xbox 360:
4 Gears of War 2006 94
7 Halo 3 2007 94
8 Gears of War 2 2008 93
14 Mass Effect 2007 91
18 Forza Motorsport 2 2007 90
23 Fable II 2008 89
42 Project Gotham Racing 4 2007 85
69 Crackdown 2007 83
74 Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise 2008 82
100 Tales of Vesperia 2008 81
103 Ninja Gaiden II 2008 81
111 Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation 2007 80
136 Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts 2008 79
137 Naruto: The Broken Bond 2008 79
149 Blue Dragon 2007 79
151 Lost Odyssey 2008 78
153 Naruto: Rise of a Ninja 2007 78

PS3:
2 LittleBigPlanet 2008 95
5 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 2008 94
12 Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction 2007 89
15 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 2007 88
16 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2007 88
23 Resistance 2 2008 87
25 Valkyria Chronicles 2008 86
26 Resistance: Fall of Man 2006 86
43 Warhawk 2007 843
50 MotorStorm 2007 82
51 SingStar 2008 82
66 MotorStorm: Pacific Rift 2008 81
79 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue 2008 80
83 Eternal Sonata 2008 80
85 Heavenly Sword 2007 79
89 SIREN: Blood Curse 2008 78
94 Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice 2008 78
96 Ridge Racer 7 2006 78
97 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2008 77
108 Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty 2008 76
109 Age of Booty 2008 76
123 Folklore 2007 75

EDIT: Its also worth noting that I didn't include same time PC realeses on the list though I did leave those that were only realesed on PC later in the year (this realy only applys to Left 4 Dead and Command and Conqure:3)

 

[rossatdi]

Literally any different format is an exclusive. Wii and DS cannot play the same cartridge so its not exclusive if its on both even if they are both Nintendo.

Yeah, but I'd consider a cross-format an "unofficial" exclusive. I mean, if the PS3 / PSP both had "Metal Gear Akiba", yet the PS3 box had "ONLY ON PS3" on the front, I'd take issue with it on the same grounds that, in fact, it is not only on PS3.

I realise a hand-held version of a game is not going to be identical to the "big boy" version, but even so.

Of course. I'm failing to see the problem here! They could say 'playstation exclusive' which would be fine. Or simply the two games are different enough to be, just that, different. I don't really care that much about story so if a game will play significantly differently (like it was ported to the DS or PSP despite being a next gen game) I'd probably suggest that not be used but isn't really breaking the exclusive.

 

[chase211]

Literally any different format is an exclusive. Wii and DS cannot play the same cartridge so its not exclusive if its on both even if they are both Nintendo.

Yeah, but I'd consider a cross-format an "unofficial" exclusive. I mean, if the PS3 / PSP both had "Metal Gear Akiba", yet the PS3 box had "ONLY ON PS3" on the front, I'd take issue with it on the same grounds that, in fact, it is not only on PS3.

I realise a hand-held version of a game is not going to be identical to the "big boy" version, but even so.

Of course. I'm failing to see the problem here! They could say 'playstation exclusive' which would be fine. Or simply the two games are different enough to be, just that, different. I don't really care that much about story so if a game will play significantly differently (like it was ported to the DS or PSP despite being a next gen game) I'd probably suggest that not be used but isn't really breaking the exclusive.

Ya, I agree. Ever tried to play the DS version of Assassins creed? Call of duty 4? Its not the same game, not even similar. The shity handheld (and oftin Wii) ports are not the same game, they are just released to leech sales off the hype of the full IP. Rule of thumb, if the game is developed by a seprate team (oftin not even by the same company) alongside the main title...its a different game.

 

[ranger19]

I get a bit frustrated whenever someone says a 360 exclusive isn't *actually* an exclusive just because it came out on PC. I mean, yes-- technically it's not an exclusive, but for the most part technicalities aren't important when making console comparisons (and quite frankly this usually comes into the picture when a PS3 supporter wants to diminish the number of 360 exclusives, in my experience).

When comparing between consoles, it usually doesn't matter if the game eventually came out on PC or not. It's PS3 or 360, and PC gamers are usually a different market. How often do you know someone who has a PS3 but any 360 "exclusive" they want they just get for the PC instead after it comes out? I know none.

Even if there is a sizable number of people doing this, it's important to remember that to Microsoft, it doesn't matter whether you're playing their game only on 360 or only on PC. The point is (now correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is right) that they're being released as "Games for Windows"... so you have to have a Windows computer... a MICROSOFT product... to be able to play these games. So they're making money off of you buying their stuff whether it's a 360 or a PC.

If Sony had a hardware share in the PC industry, you can bet that they would be releasing a bunch of their exclusives to the "Games for Sony" computers as well.

 

[Wargamer]

Well, the term 'Exclusive' is best applied here as a noun.

1. A news item initially released to only one publication or broadcaster.
Gears of War is not a news item, it's a product. Thus, this is not an applicable definition.

2. An exclusive right or privilege, as to market a product.
Gears of War is on PC. Thus, the 360 does not have 'exclusive right or privilege' to market the game.

And yet, the box says otherwise.

 

[WaffleGod]

What does "exclusive" mean to me?

A word a lot of angry 12 year old fanboys use against eachother on places like gametrailers and youtube.

 

[Xvito]

It means nothing to me, cause I own a 360 and a Ps3(I hate the Wii).

 

[chase211]

I get a bit frustrated whenever someone says a 360 exclusive isn't *actually* an exclusive just because it came out on PC. I mean, yes-- technically it's not an exclusive, but for the most part technicalities aren't important when making console comparisons (and quite frankly this usually comes into the picture when a PS3 supporter wants to diminish the number of 360 exclusives, in my experience).

When comparing between consoles, it usually doesn't matter if the game eventually came out on PC or not. It's PS3 or 360, and PC gamers are usually a different market. How often do you know someone who has a PS3 but any 360 "exclusive" they want they just get for the PC instead after it comes out? I know none.

Even if there is a sizable number of people doing this, it's important to remember that to Microsoft, it doesn't matter whether you're playing their game only on 360 or only on PC. The point is (now correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is right) that they're being released as "Games for Windows"... so you have to have a Windows computer... a MICROSOFT product... to be able to play these games. So they're making money off of you buying their stuff whether it's a 360 or a PC.

If Sony had a hardware share in the PC industry, you can bet that they would be releasing a bunch of their exclusives to the "Games for Sony" computers as well.

\

Your looking at it allll wrong sir. You see every time you buy a game on 360 its written on a dual layer DVD, on PC CD or DVD, either way those royalties are going back to Sony who owns the format...so realy microsft has no exclusives...right?

lol, I can't believe that.

I understand where you are comming from...an 'I only own xbox and all that maters is xbox' point of view, however as someone who owns all the consoles (including the god awefull wii) and a PC I buy a game on PC if it comes out on PC, not on 360...so to me, it is very very very much NOT a '360 exclusive' because I'm sitting here playing it on my PC.

 

[ranger19]

Your looking at it allll wrong sir. You see every time you buy a game on 360 its written on a dual layer DVD, on PC CD or DVD, either way those royalties are going back to Sony who owns the format.

Honestly, thats the way you look at it? Microsoft makes penies on PC game sales and quite a tidy sum on 360 games, not that that maters at all.

I personaly own every single console and a nice PC, if a title comes out on every console I buy the superior one, which is ALWAYS the PC version so to me, it does mater. If you want to come up with elaborate reasons why a PC game doesnt count go for it, but honestly, why put that much effort into it? Bottom line is, is it exclusive or not?

I suppose that's true-- about the formats being Sony products and getting the money (if that is indeed the case, which I don't know). What I meant there is that if a game is released for PC, it's still released as a microsoft product, so it's still essentially 'exclusive' to Microsoft.

Second, when a game comes out for 360 and eventually PC, I know that a significant amount of the time it only comes out for the PC ages later. Gears of War, or Halo, for example, both came out completely exclusive to the 360 but eventually had versions on the PC. Was the game lying to you when on it's box it said "Only on 360"? Not at all. Maybe a year later.. but boxes can't be updated a year after they've been shipped, and it would be too costly if they could anyway.

Finally, I still look at it in terms of consoles only. I have all three systems and a formidable PC, but I simply prefer gaming on consoles - I like the controllers (yes I know you can go out of your way to get computer controllers, but I'd rather use the ones I have), the setup (HDTV + surround sound) and the overall experience of the console. So whether a game comes out for PC or not doesn't bother me - it's all about the consoles.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Does this really need discussing?

If something is an exclusive, then it's only coming out on one system. If it comes out on another system later on, it's not an exclusive any more.

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

Well if exclusive can mean to one console developer e.g. Nintendo, why can't it count for Microsoft who do both the xbox and PC?
So technically its still exclusive to them, in the same way animal crossing is to Nintendo.

 

[JaguarWong]

What does "exclusive" mean to me?
A word a lot of angry 12 year old fanboys use against each other on places like gametrailers and youtube.

I got news for you - you can change "places like gametrailers and youtube" to 'every games site on the internet, this one included'.