April 27th 2024.
The recent release of Stellar Blade has stirred up a lot of discussion about the importance of exclusives in the gaming industry. One reader in particular has argued that without the need for exclusives as a selling point for consoles, many beloved games would not have been created.
As rumors of Xbox and PlayStation going multi-platform have circulated, opinions have been divided. It's difficult to discern whether these debates stem from genuine beliefs or just console warring. Initially, Xbox fans were upset at the idea of losing exclusive titles, but some have now convinced themselves that exclusives were never a good idea to begin with - a narrative that aligns with Xbox's agenda.
I too agree with the recent Reader's Feature about Microsoft and Japan, in which the author discusses how the company seeks to dominate and sideline anything that they cannot control. Now, instead of targeting Japanese companies, it seems they have set their sights on the concept of exclusives. Some argue that exclusives are unnecessary and even detrimental to the gaming industry - a notion that couldn't be further from the truth.
The fact that some of the best games of this generation and the last are exclusives should be enough to discredit the idea that they are a bad idea. Games like Spider-Man, Zelda, Super Mario, and God of War not only showcase the capabilities of their respective consoles, but also create a sense of prestige and loyalty towards PlayStation and Nintendo.
To Nintendo, the notion of exclusives being bad must seem laughable. Their games are only possible because they control both the hardware and software, allowing them to experiment and create consoles and controllers specifically designed for their games. They have recently become the most profitable company in Japan and their exclusives are the foundation of their success.
Even if we consider Nintendo to be too different from Sony and Microsoft, it's clear that PlayStation looks to them for inspiration in a way that Xbox doesn't. The success of the PlayStation 4 can be largely attributed to its exclusive titles, which is why there is so much disappointment surrounding the lack of new exclusives at the moment.
While we can only speculate about Sony's future plans, it's clear that their strategy has been to publish third-party games as exclusives. And it has worked incredibly well, with games like Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Stellar Drive receiving critical acclaim. These games were only made possible because of their exclusivity and the funding they received from Sony.
Take Rebirth, for example - Square Enix may have created the game regardless, but the additional funding from Sony allowed them to focus on making a game that was not only a statement about the developers and the franchise, but also about the PlayStation 5. This is true for most exclusives - they are not just games, but statements.
This week's release of Stellar Blade is a prime example of an exclusive game that wouldn't exist without the backing of Sony. If it did, it would have a significantly lower budget and inferior graphics. Like many other exclusives, Stellar Drive is a testament to the importance of exclusives in the gaming industry.
If exclusives were to become a thing of the past, what would happen to developers like the one behind Stellar Blade? They would have to rely on publishers to fund their new IP, and with a controversial lead character, their chances of success would be slim. Even if they were lucky enough to secure funding, they would likely be given minimal resources and be forced to alter their game to fit into an existing franchise or license.
Just take a look at the current landscape of gaming - most big-budget, new IPs are exclusives. The idea of doing away with exclusives is not only silly, but it is also being suggested for manipulative reasons, using fanboy loyalties to push a disturbingly Orwellian narrative.
As we approach the end of the first quarter of the year, the top two big-budget games, according to Metacritic, are Final Fantasy 7 Remake and The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered - both exclusives. If Nintendo weren't in a transition year, there would likely be even more exclusives on that list. Exclusives are the backbone of the gaming industry and they always have been.
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