I'm interested to see everyones thoughts on this, so what are your opinions on console exclusives?

 

Are they a good thing? Do they promote sales of a specific console? Or just make the fans bitter? Should we have every game on every console?

 

I've always stuck with playstation since the PS1. Exclusives to me have always been annoying but never something I would get really angry about because theres plenty of games on playstation as well. There's games I've always wanted to play such as halo, and dead rising 3 on xbox one, and when they announce a new game that looks like I'd enjoy it like sunset overdrive, and reveal its exclusive to xbox, I do feel pretty disheartened because I can't justify buying another £300 console just for a couple of different games.

 

The other issue I'd like your opinions on is timed exclusives, where it comes to certain console first, but gets released on the other after about a month, like plants vs zombies garden warfare, and the new tomb raider. Is there a point to doing things like that?

They f*cking suck!

I don't think there is any need for exclusives is this day an age.I think exclusives should only be for Xbox Live or PSN.

For gamers bad, for companies good.

 

It was always the way going back to the NES and Master System because Nintendo and Sega developed a lot of their own games - it was simply a marketing strategy to get people to buy their consoles. If you wanted shooters, blood and Sonic you went with Sega. If you wanted RPG's, adventures and Mario you went with Nintendo.

 

This then continued in the same sort of vein with Sony taking Sega's place in the PS v n64 war with Sega falling to wayside because of how they screwed over third party developers with the early canning of the Saturn for the Dreamcast.

 

Now its who wants to flash the cash - Microsoft got an early release and exclusive DLC for GTA IV by chucking money at it, likewise they continue to have Dead Rising as an exclusive from Capcom and now Tomb Raider. Everything else is just down to who owns the studios developing the games when it comes to exclusives.

 

The main way to get around this, at least back in the Sega/Sony v Nintendo days was lending off a friend. I had a friend who was Sega and then when they died off and he went Sony - I was always Nintendo. When he went on holiday he would lend me his console, I would also do the same. Now consoles are not just consoles, they are integrated entertainment systems, linked to Internet networks, used as Blu-Ray players, plugged into your Sky box and surround sound. To lend your console and do a temporary trade it means spending time disconnecting and then reconnecting a tonne of wires and then to trust your friend with around £400's worth of equipment were as in the past a console cost what, £150?

 

So whilst the marketing strategy remains a valid one in terms of getting gamers of certain types invested in your console it is just now too expensive for most people or too much of a hindrance for it to be a good thing for gamers UNLESS your a fan boy who invests too much time, pride and love in one brand alone even though the companies don't care about you. Then exclusives are ammo for fapping away to your hearts content.

Sega pretty much had to make a lot of there own games for the master system as Nitendo locked third party companies into contracts

They did and it only expanded later on with the release of the Mega Driver followed by the Saturn and they burned their bridges with a lot of them, mainly EA when they cancelled the Saturn when people still had games deep in development for it and switched it to the Dreamcast.

 

As a result a lack of titles from EA and others along with the easy to pirate nature of the console (plus the fact it was years before its time) the Dreamcast died a quick death. Although I bought one and I still own it because it had the definitive version of Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2.

I'm not even a playstation fanboy that's the thing, I've just stuck with the same set of systems. I think the exclusives are better for xbox because I don't really play uncharted, and resistance and killzone have pretty much died now.

 

I was debating getting a Wii U just to play the new super smash bros and mariokart but then that's a stupid idea thanks to the price of the console and I'm only on a student wage

I'm not even a playstation fanboy that's the thing, I've just stuck with the same set of systems. I think the exclusives are better for xbox because I don't really play uncharted, and resistance and killzone have pretty much died now.

 

I was debating getting a Wii U just to play the new super smash bros and mariokart but then that's a stupid idea thanks to the price of the console and I'm only on a student wage

 

They are releasing versions of them on the 3DS as well which is cheaper but at the same time can be a bit of a harsh one on the eyes, or well at least it was for me.

I'm not a massive fan of the 3D either.. it looks cool for about half an hour but then I would probably just turn it off. It's nothing more than a bit of a gimmick for me

Isn't there a problem with the 3DS that it might affect kids eyesight, since they're eyes are still forming and 3D may well screw your optic development? I'm sure it's tucked away somewhere in the manual that it's only suitable for over 12s or something?

Isn't there a problem with the 3DS that it might affect kids eyesight' date=' since they're eyes are still forming and 3D may well screw your optic development? I'm sure it's tucked away somewhere in the manual that it's only suitable for over 12s or something?[/quote']

 

I seem to remember that being mentioned in the news, I think they recommended you only play it for an hour and a half at a time with the 3D on to stop damage. Pretty criminal really because kids will play it for hours with the 3D on and don't know any different

Yeah it is one of the reasons why my sister bought her kids the DSi rather then the 3DS. Nintendo and 3D don't always go smoothly - after all remember the Virtual Boy?

 

I actually played on one, they had it second hand in Gamestation back in something like 2001 in the Manchester Arndale centre. Made me really bloody ill and it went back.

Pretty criminal really because kids will play it for hours with the 3D on and don't know any different

If the warning is in the manual / on the box, then I'd say the onus lies on the parent(s) to make sure Little Jimmy isn't playing with the 3D on too long.

Back on the subject of exclusives, these days it really isn't necessary since both consoles are on even ground. The only exclusives that should exist are 1st party stuff. Last gen was a bit of a different story because the PS3 was reportedly much harder to develop for. I feel Gringo has the right idea with "Good for companies, bad for gamers.".

I think for PS4/XB1 it's pretty stupid, but I'm all for Nintendo continuing to make exclusive games for their consoles because I have more faith in them making the quality product that the series like Mario, Smash Bros, Mario Kart etc. deserve.

 

Plus I have a 2DS. All the 3DS games, none of the needless 3D stuff.

Great for the company I never wanted a PS3 or a console in general but the exclusives sold me on it