Will “Timed Exclusives” kill Sony’s console business?

Darkanubis74

My name is Justin Hartman. I enjoy video games, writing, Modding and anything to do with the scene in general. I look forward to creating quality articles for others to enjoy.

51 Responses

  1. Kah says:

    It could well be that Sony has a strategy to push other games not seen on competitor consoles instead in order to differentiate their lineup.

    But the lack of any news on their part sure isn’t comforting haha.

  2. ils says:

    timed exclusive won’t kill PS3/Vita/PSP,
    but treating customer like *** does…

    SONY main failure is its management/planning
    PSPgo -> they push digital download for this handheld, but not every game is out at PSN
    PS3 -> like this article said.. they act as if they didn’t care about poor performance from non 1st party games.

    Vita -> best handheld hardware/spec but crappy software. where is full HTML5 support ? (video, audio etc). and most Vita’s game is either port/remake or available in other device with CHEAPER price.

    example :
    Zen Pinball 2 on iOS/Mac -> free 1 table and 1-3$ for each other table
    Zen Pinball 2 on Vita -> timed demo, 7-10$ for each table (forget the exact price)

    just my 2cents

    • zoraktorok says:

      ummm…. 7-10 per table? 2.49 for individual tables, 2.99 for Plants vs zombies and 9.99 for the four packs… I am not an apple user at all so I can’t argue with their range… No free table on the vita, but it isn’t THAT bad. The biggest offender is dungeon hunter, which is third party as well. Devs just expect to be able to make more money on the vita, it being prodominently a gaming device.

      • ils says:

        Zen Pinball 2 PS Vita: Avengers Chronicles Pack
        (Add-On Content 100KB) $9.99

        it that 1 table or 4 packs ??
        i really like avengers table but $10 is too much

        • That’s 4 tables, you dumbfuck. Learn to read.

        • ZorakTorok says:

          Antother think users hate, the demo has all the tables, 100kb is only an unlock for the tables, but yes it is 4…. Unfortunatly i got the ninia gaiden table first. Guess what? Unless it is fixed, yo have to buy the avengers tables to get trophys, period.

    • Sakuryu says:

      Agreed&

  3. Guardian says:

    This just reminds me of EA and their WE’LL FIX LATER policy.
    This earned them the worst company in America award.

    http://consumerist.com/2012/04/congratulations-ea-you-are-the-worst-company-in-america-for-2012.html

    But again that is an internet poll and I don’t rely much on that. Sony should have won that prize.

    I was looking forward to bu a PS3, but after everything that have been going on. I don’t think it is a good idea to support a company that will treat me like *** later on.

    • zoraktorok says:

      You could always get an older ps3 for the hardware and stay on 3.55 . Much more usefull and fun to play around with than a 360, however, if soley for gaming grab the box… I’ve had 4 and would like to get another one at some point — keep it legit for online play.

      • CATPowah says:

        Is 360 have that better performance than PS3 ? I thought when PS3 support HD and Bluray it was supposed to have better performance than any home consoles.

        • ZorakTorok says:

          Coding for the 360 is easier and EVERYONE has a mic (sometimes good), ps3 has 9 seperate parts to code for which ends up being a ***, but has more power… 360 has more exclusives, mor dlg and just general better support. Ps3 is a media powerhouse with the right homebrew, just depends on what you want, yeah it plays blurays

        • TrECeNTeRs says:

          PS3 may have better hardware but most games look the same.. Dev’s aren’t going to change much console to console.

          I prefer having vo-ip partys so I stick with Xbox.. Easier to make more friends.

    • z3 says:

      How would they threat you like ***?

  4. randy is pseudo says:

    Coming from a hardcore gamer who loves any good game, always low on budget, 16 and has a very accurate knowledge on gaming, i would like to point these things out. Nintendo is smart in that they can really, truly innovate, at least compared to the ps move and kinect. Sure the 3DS was a major fail to me, which made me get the Ps vita, but the Wii U is looking great. The xbox 360 is an all around great console, almost every service and most of my friends are on it as compared to the psn network. ( friend thing shouldnt count tho.) Both have great services as netflix and such, but ultimately the xbox 360’s menu appeals to me more than the ps3. I look at xbox and see a gaming social device at its best, ps3 is more of just a gaming device, thats great and all, but what if someone decides on xbox more that ps3 cause of these small features. Lastly, Nintendo and Microsoft are always on date with their little releases and up to date on gaming goods, ps3 …well….ehh. I love ps3 dont get me wrong, i find the wifi on the thing better than xbox which kicks ***, but in the end, people who want to step in for a gaming or new experience, xbox and wii will unfortunately win…

  5. randy is pseudo says:

    i also agree with wololo in a way…I hate that sony isnt doing this “timed dlc or exclusive ports” for their system like xbox is…(minecraft, call of duty exclusives) remember, those are system sellers in a way,

  6. Rowan says:

    well skyrim and call of duty are boring as *** so not an issue for me also i dont buy dlc, and in all honesty timed exclusives are not a decider for me, its the game i like which is why i chose playstation for ratchet and clank, little big planet and a few others

  7. Kizzurp says:

    Just to add another DLC timed exclusive… Resident Evil … sigh.

  8. z3 says:

    No, timed exclusive DLC of a handful of games will not kill any console business. PS3 have time exclusive Battlefield 3 DLC for example. The PS3 version of Batman Arkham had exclusive Joker mode, which was never released for the Xbox 360 as far as i know.

    Upcoming games like Assassins Creed 3 and Far Cry 3 will have exclusive content for the PS3 version. This will not kill the Xbox 360.

    • Darkanubis74 says:

      Playstation does also have those small things that xbox wont have but they are fewer and farther between. Dont get me wrong, i much prefer ps3 to xbox but sony is far from catching up to microsoft in terms on conering the exclusive market. Wether it will actually kill sony, no it wont. that doent mean they arent hurting though.

      • z3 says:

        I dont think that the time exclusive stuff matters much on either side. Other examples are like the collector’s edition of Dead Space 2 and Medal of Honor both included an extra game (‘Dead Space Extraction’ and ‘Medal of Honor Frontline HD’ respectively) only for the PS3 version, but that didnt really matter much to the overall consoles business.

        Fewer in between, i’m not sure about that. Battlefield 3 is quite recent, and you have upcoming Assassins Creed 3 and Farcry 3 as mentioned. Xbox 360 has Call of Duty and recent Skyrim, but what else?

      • z3 says:

        And Resident Evil 6 as well, as Kizzurp mentioned above here. The number of games are pretty similar, so one side doesnt skew a lot more than the other.

  9. sean says:

    The last two generations of consoles from Sony used some wonky components to get the job done, Emotion engine and the cell processor. Not easy to develop for or port to.

    PS4 is supposed to finally fall in line and use a traditional style processor http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/04/04/sources-detail-the-playstation-4s-processing-specs

    Hopefully this alleviates the development problems they have had since the PS2. With the PS4 and Xbox720 running near identical hardware for graphics and CPU.

    The incompatable DLC excuse should go away.

    with this change you could see less platform independent titles. Unfortunately this will defiantly lead to each platform trying to out do the other with content, ala Soulcalibur characters or this Skyrim kabosh.

    TLDR: PS4 X720 will be on similar hardware, the only avenue to fight is in game features: Characters, Costumes, Maps. The DLC fight will only get worse.

  10. l@p.cc says:

    I am not sure Sony can do anything about Bethesda poor ports except not allowing them to be released. Bethesda has always had problems porting their games to PS3.

    I also usually have a policy against paid dlc (short side missions and item packages should come as a free part of the main game) so don’t care about them. Online code / large campaign dlc would be acceptable.

    For me, as a recent PS3 owner, I think these are the main problems with Sony’s service:
    1) Customer service can only be contacted by phone; not by email.
    2) If you’re an US customer possible issues are fixed faster compared to European customers.
    3) Inaccurate marketing (issue not solved yet): http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/08/08/celebrate-super-stardust-hds-5th-anniversary-with-stellar-savings/

  11. pomopop says:

    Well,

    Sony has other exclusivities, like for Assassin’s Creed : AC3 will have 1 extra hour of gaming. Another episode had the exclusivity of the Copernic DLC (I don’t remember which one). So I think both companies have exclusive content.

    Then, regargind to titles themselves, I think Sony has a big advantage whith franchises like Uncharted, God of War, InFamous, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, Motorstorm, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Gran Turismo, etc. Microsoft hasn’t many big franchises : HALO, Gears of Wars, Alan Wake and Forza Motorsports are the ony one coming to my mind.

    More, Sony is making of the PS3 and the PSVita a must-have couple of consoles, with features like Cross Play/Buy/Controller ; Microsoft can’t do anything expect releasing a portable Xbox…

    So, in my opinion, Sony loses points with “some” DLC releasing on Xbox before PS3, but they have their own partnerships, their own exclusivities and their own arguments and a good combo with PSVita/PS3, so, I don’t think they will die because of timed exclusives DLC 😉

  12. zorrodood says:

    why does everything always kill consoles? the wii is completely hacked, but i don’t see anyone crying over a dead wii.

  13. Darkanubis74 says:

    I would like to say that I did not mean timed exclusives would definitely kill Sony or their consoles. I think though, that a lot of people (fans mostly) are looking the other way when it comes to their faults. Sony is losing market share and I believe that this a chief reason why. I never said Sony had no exclusives or that they had no good IP’s, but they do not have nearly the amount of exclusivity deals or relationships with developers that Microsoft does. It has a lot do with money.

    • Yes says:

      Sony lost marketshare mostly because of the $499/$599 pricetag in the begining. This was a gamble that they did, which unfortunately for Sony didnt work out as they had hoped. It took years before Sony got the PS3 price down to $299.

      Interestingly enough, despite PS3 launching 1 year later than the Xbox 360, the sales of both consoles worldwide is not that far from eachother.

      About fans looking the other way, i don’t think that this is the case. In the article you say that Sony has done nothing about it, so several of people have listed many exclusive things that were only on PS3 from 3rd parties.

      The problem (to put in that way) is that when Microsoft makes a deal with Activision about Call of Duty, then there is nothing Sony can do about this. Microsoft have already made that deal. The same situation/problem goes the other way around when Sony makes a deal with 3rd parties. But Sony does try to get exclusive 3rd party content at least.

      • Darkanubis74 says:

        I understand and respect your opinion, I just happen to feel that sony is NOT stepping it up on playstation 3, heck, Vita for that matter. they aren’t listening to their fanbase. sony could respond to Microsoft much, much more than they are. Saying that they have these few exclusives makes it better is wrong in my opinion. Call of duty and skyrim are system sellers, bottom line. even if you don’t care about DLC a lot of other people do and a lot of the gamers out there are NOT patient enough to wait a month to play the map packs or get the new guns or become a vampire lord, no matter how silly it sounds to more mature gamers such as ourselves. I, in no way hate Sony, They are my absolute favorite company and I would love them to be better, thats all

        • Yes says:

          I dont think that you hate Sony, i’m just asking questions to some of your claims 🙂 For example, when you say that Sony is not stepping up, what are you expecting them to do? The Call of Duty deal is already made to Microsoft years ago, and most likely the same deal with Bethesda as well (Fallout 3, Skyrim). There is nothing Sony could do about this right now.

          I would say that Sony stepped it up on this when they got Battlefield 3 timed exclusive DLC instead, and the same with Assassins Creed 3, which is also a huge franchise.

          I also think that it should be concidered how much effort Sony puts into the 1st party developement for the PS3.

    • Yes says:

      Just to add something to what i wrote, i know that you later on said that you know about the PS3 exclusive deals. But are you sure that Microsoft have a lot more exclusive content from 3rd parties compared to Sony? Is there a list over this?

      • Darkanubis74 says:

        They could step it up in other ways, i dont expect them to be able to take exclusives from ms but at least put some deals in place to ease the effects. I know there are ps3 excluives but not really anything as powerful as cod or skyrim. I dont think that this effects everyone here but you have to admit those are very major series that will shift the average gamer in favor of microsoft. Everyone needs to realize these are just opinion on my part and i do not expect you to feel the same nor do i expect you influence your tastes.

        • Yes says:

          I understand that it is your opinion, no problem about that, but dont you concider Battlefield 3, Assassins Creed 3 and Farcry 3 to be big franchises? CoD is the biggest there is on consoles, so it is impossible to match that.

  14. Pirate Cat says:

    DLC is extended content, often a waste of money, it’s sales or lack of should have nothing to do with game sales or console life.

  15. youngoz says:

    well to be honest… i don’t think it will.. both companies will have timed exclusives which will make you decide on which console/game to get… it wouldn’t surprise me if both Microsoft and Sony are in on this to make the consumer go and buy both systems just to have an exclusive game or timed exclusive title… in the end the consumer loses… that’s just my 2 pennies

  16. hammer says:

    just because COD is the only game the OP plays doesn’t mean that sony doesn’t do timed exclusives as well. Do some research before you post BS like this dribble

    • Darkanubis74 says:

      I actually do not play Call of Duty, haven’t since modern warfare 2 really. anyone can look at the facts and see that microsoft has more deals in place that affect gamers from other platforms like PS3 or PC. I did do research, if you can link to something that says sony does as many exclusives or that gamers don’t care that MS have timed exclusives I would love to see it. Thanks for the feedback though! 🙂

      • hammer says:

        your the one who wrote the article so how about you provide the proof that what you say is the truth. As far as timed dlc exclusives sony has bf3, farcry 3, and assassins creed,to name a few .You make it sound like sony doesn’t get any exclusives at all.

        • Darkanubis74 says:

          I’ve said at least 3 times I know sony has exclusives, you’re missing the point. I will No longer respond to you as you seem to just be looking for a fight.

          • hammer says:

            sorry ,its just that your article seems anti sony just because ms has COD exclusive.
            sony does many things wrong but exclusives is not one of them

  17. Zero says:

    WII IS THE BEST!

  18. Turd Sandwich says:

    Well Call of duty does suck I think it’s one of the worse games ever made.

  19. passerby says:

    just one comment…..
    region lock and japanese games…..thats it.

  20. Norml says:

    $ony has NO PR system anymore, just look at the Vita. Gamers need a new company to come in, new companies usually respect their customers…until they get too big, than the cycle repeats. $ony was a all for their customers during the PlayStation era, now they just do security updates and leave out features and charge their customer an arm and a leg.

    • Darkanubis74 says:

      A very valid point, I hope that someday soon they realize that they can’t get by just releasing uncharted and little big planet hoping hardcore gamers stay loyal. they need to take their competition seriously also, which they’re not.

  21. James Way says:

    3 words…The Last of Us. In essence they got better *** on their plates than the scraps MS allows them to have.

  22. 2die4 says:

    its this simple
    “Microsoft pays for DLC , Sony makes games”

    and i would rather have a new game then some crappy exclusive dlc as thats all microsoft have and its so sad that people think that microsoft actually has any decent line up of games when it does not.

  23. Dr_Spikes says:

    X box360 is no mach for the ps3
    I think sony over all is a better company then microsoft
    Its all about sony