NOTE: As we move forward into the future of SuperGamerology, expect a few changes in my content. Firstly, my Reviews and Wayback Flashbacks will be considerably more succinct--though longer versions will be available for viewing at another venue, these will still be full reviews. Also, look for video reviews in the future as well. With my Editorial posts, I will be examining the gaming industry from an outsider's perspective, and one with little knowledge of the inner-workings of game companies, game design, and the like; and actually, I consider these less "editorials" and more "collaborations." So please, bear with me and see these as an opportunity for discussion and debate.
The Death of the Exclusive
In the 1980's, Mario was the symbol of Nintendo's rising dominance in the video game industry. SEGA gave us Sonic the Hedgehog in the late 80's and 90's. PlayStation introduced Crash Bandicoot. And Xbox brought us Master Chief. These were, and most still are, the symbols of exclusivity: iconic characters available only on these particular consoles.
Exclusivity is a trait not uncommon in the world of media. Superman and Batman are the property of DC Comics, Mickey Mouse is the creation of Walt Disney and still the signature of its company, and surely Skywalker Ranch speaks for itself. But nothing sells a video game like an exclusive. My PS3 plays this, your Xbox plays that, his Wii has these games, her PC can do that one. Fanboys squabble all the time about who has the better lineup, and it has surely raged since the days of Atari and Commodore.
But the days of the exclusive seem to be coming to an end. There will always be first-party developers, for I don't believe we'll ever see Samus and Master Chief going toe-to-toe against the Helghast. But this generation of gaming has seen many first-party developers move to a multi-platform approach. Just this year, the announcements of major studios Bungie (Xbox) and Insomniac (PlayStation) beginning to develop for publishers other than Microsoft and Sony was a huge shakeup in the gaming world (even more so with Bungie's deal with Activision coming on the heels of a contentious situation between Activision and in-house studio Infinity Ward). And seeing other powerhouses like Bioware purchased by Electronic Arts seems to be the start of a whole new world where every gamer will be able to play whatever they want on whatever console they choose.
The questions becomes, is this good for the gaming industry? Or more importantly to us, is it good for the gamer? What does the lack of exclusive content mean for the end of this generation, and what will it mean when we see the eventual next generation?
Can Xbox survive without Gears of War? PlayStation without Uncharted? Nintendo without Zelda? Is this something that the industry needs, or will this ultimately damage both hardware and software sales?
Discuss in the comments below, and come back in a few weeks for a follow-up.
The Death of the Exclusive
In the 1980's, Mario was the symbol of Nintendo's rising dominance in the video game industry. SEGA gave us Sonic the Hedgehog in the late 80's and 90's. PlayStation introduced Crash Bandicoot. And Xbox brought us Master Chief. These were, and most still are, the symbols of exclusivity: iconic characters available only on these particular consoles.
Exclusivity is a trait not uncommon in the world of media. Superman and Batman are the property of DC Comics, Mickey Mouse is the creation of Walt Disney and still the signature of its company, and surely Skywalker Ranch speaks for itself. But nothing sells a video game like an exclusive. My PS3 plays this, your Xbox plays that, his Wii has these games, her PC can do that one. Fanboys squabble all the time about who has the better lineup, and it has surely raged since the days of Atari and Commodore.
But the days of the exclusive seem to be coming to an end. There will always be first-party developers, for I don't believe we'll ever see Samus and Master Chief going toe-to-toe against the Helghast. But this generation of gaming has seen many first-party developers move to a multi-platform approach. Just this year, the announcements of major studios Bungie (Xbox) and Insomniac (PlayStation) beginning to develop for publishers other than Microsoft and Sony was a huge shakeup in the gaming world (even more so with Bungie's deal with Activision coming on the heels of a contentious situation between Activision and in-house studio Infinity Ward). And seeing other powerhouses like Bioware purchased by Electronic Arts seems to be the start of a whole new world where every gamer will be able to play whatever they want on whatever console they choose.
The questions becomes, is this good for the gaming industry? Or more importantly to us, is it good for the gamer? What does the lack of exclusive content mean for the end of this generation, and what will it mean when we see the eventual next generation?
Can Xbox survive without Gears of War? PlayStation without Uncharted? Nintendo without Zelda? Is this something that the industry needs, or will this ultimately damage both hardware and software sales?
Discuss in the comments below, and come back in a few weeks for a follow-up.
I am old school kid at heart. It would be really strange to see Zelda on an Xbox. If gaming goes that route its going to be a industry solely based on user console preference. While I see good and bad in that I sincerely will miss certain characters on their systems.
ReplyDeleteIf that is the case anyway.
I think it's clear that the TRUE first-party stuff, the stuff developed directly by Nintendo Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment or Sony Computer Entertainment, and Microsoft, will remain exclusives.
ReplyDeleteBut when folks like Bungie and Insomniac start going multi, how long will it be before Epic, Naughty Dog, and others start developing for the competition?