The Game Plan 05.04.07: The Death of Exclusives, Part 3
Posted by James McGee on 05.04.2007
Motion controls, raw power, or deep pockets--which x-factor will win the console war? Find out inside.
Remember a few years ago when Capcom decided to make all future Resident Evil titles exclusive to the Nintendo Gamecube? Then do you remember how Resident Evil: Outbreak was released on the Playstation 2, and the story changed to "Oh, we meant just the main entries in the series, like Resident Evil 4. " And then do you remember how Resident Evil 4 showed up on the PS2 a few months after debuting as an "exclusive" on the Gamecube? Unless you were a total brand-loyal fanatic, you probably shrugged and said "Eh, at least I get to play it" (unless you were an exclusive Xbox owner, in which case you may have said a few things not fit for print here). You know who didn't shrug? Nintendo (who probably burned a Capcom-shaped voodoo doll), Sony (who probably threw a party), and Microsoft (who burned Capcom, Nintendo, and Sony-shaped voodoo dolls). Non-exclusive titles are good news for consumers and developers, because it gives more people the opportunity to buy and play those games, while first-parties feel the sting.
As more and more third-party developers make their games available on multiple platforms, the Big Three first-party companies (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony) have all found new ways to make their systems stand out to gamers. In the first part of this feature, I looked at how each system chose to incorporate movie playback into the package, and while it appears that the Playstation 3 may have picked the winning horse in Blu-Ray discs, I feel as though the media format will not have a huge bearing on the console wars in the long run. Next, I examined online functionality and found that, though every system allowed gamers to play around online, the Xbox 360 blew away the competition with Xbox Live, where games are the focus while movies and TV shows provide an added bonus.
Now that the movie and online experiences are out of the way, we can start looking a little more at how each company is focusing on the most important element—games. Each company brings a few unique things to the table that I like to call "x-factors" that set them apart from one another in terms of the games they can offer consumers. These built-in qualities could encourage—perhaps even mandate—third-parties to tailor their games for one particular system. This week, I'll be looking at some of those x-factors. I am James McGee, and here's The Game Plan.
Probably the most obvious example of an x-factor is the Wii itself. Because the whole console is designed around motion-sensing, it offers a completely different gaming experience than either the 360 or PS3. Nintendo has offered people a new way to play video games that, so far, has captured everyone's attention and brought in a whole new consumer base of casual gamers. There are a lot of creative uses of the funky little "Wiimote" right now, but most of those have come from games produced by Nintendo itself. In the early batch of releases, third-party titles have often been either lack-luster editions of games that appeared on other consoles (Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Call of Duty 3), or uninspired original titles (Red Steel, Far Cry: Vengeance). In both cases, the motion-sensing controls appear to be a poor fit for the style of game, but unfortunately, flinging the Wiimote around is mandatory for Nintendo's little system. And what happens if the gimmick turns out to be just that, and the motion-sensing fad dies away in a few years? That, coupled with the Wii's lack of horsepower compared to the other two systems, could scare other game companies away. Still, every system has bad games, especially at launch, and there have been a few shining examples of third-party games (Rayman Raving Rabbids, Trauma Center: Second Opinion). If anyone can take a gimmick and change the way we think about video games (DS anyone?), it's Nintendo. I'm not the biggest Wii fan around, but I still think it has every chance to stay on top with its totally unique approach to gaming.
In contrast to the Wii's spectacular start, the Playstation 3 has had nothing but rocky roads from the beginning. While most of Sony's problems have been PR issues, there's also the fact that developers and consumers haven't really wrapped their heads around the behemoth that is the PS3. I'm not much for tech-talk, so I can't rattle off the specifications, but suffice to say this is the most powerful console on the market, and once people start tapping into its full potential, the results may melt your face off. Coupled with the larger storage size of Blu-Ray discs (upwards of 50g as compared to a standard DVDs 4-10g) there are things the PS3 can do that Nintendo and Microsoft's machines simply cannot, and that kind of freedom may start swaying more third-parties back to Sony's side. Rockstar Games recently admitted that the guaranteed harddrive, size of Blu-Ray discs, and power of the PS3 has made developing Grand Theft Auto IV much easier than doing so for the 360. Creative minds don't like restrictions, and so the PS3 could become the system of choice for ambitious developers.
There are still a few hang-ups, though. The PS3's Sixaxis controller incorporates some of that motion-sensing mumbo-jumbo itself, but not nearly to the same degree as the Wiimote, which has led a lot of people (including yours truly) to speculate that it was a last-minute attempt to compete with Nintendo. Even though there are rumblings of a more advanced controller on the way that can match the Wiimote wiggle for wiggle, motion sensing still may not be a proven, long-term commodity. If this isn't just a fad, but instead a true glimpse of gaming to come, Sony may never be able to overcome their late/inferior start. Of course the biggest problem is that, even if companies wanted to just release games on the PS3, are there enough owners to buy those games? The high price and lack of quality games have kept Sony's numbers way below expectations, and some companies (like Eidos, makers of Tomb Raider and Hitman) have stated they will hold off on developing games for the PS3 until there's a larger consumer base. It's an unfortunate but understandable catch-22—the system won't sell without quality games, but quality games won't be made unless the system sells. However, if enough consumers and developers take a chance on Sony, the results could be unlike anything we've seen. I originally predicted the PS3 would win the console war, and I'm still standing by that prediction.
As I said last week, Microsoft has the advantage of an early start. The 360 isn't quite as powerful as the PS3, but it's still a brute, and its fanbase simply grows every day. Always one to try extending the lead, Microsoft has taken a unique approach in the quest to attract third-party exclusives: they've actually started trying to buy some of the more prominent publishers/developers, such as Capcom (Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Dead Rising) and Take Two Interactive (Grand Theft Auto). That's right—Microsoft's x-factor is Bill Gates's checkbook. Now, I realize that, so far, these reports are all rumors, and no one has sold out to Uncle Bill yet. But it's happened before, as both Rare (once Nintendo's darling) and Bungie (of Halo fame) have both come under Microsoft's banner. Everybody's got a price, and it's just a matter of time before Microsoft finds the right publisher and makes the right offer. Considering the quality of games these developers produce, making them produce those games exclusively for the 360 would be a major coup. It's kind of a slimy way to get ahead, but it's also a sound, proven business strategy, and video games are a business, after all.
Next week, I'll wrap up this series on the death of exclusives by talking about…well, exclusives. First-party exclusives, that is, because they will be perhaps the most important factor in the console wars. As always, let me know what you think. See you next week.
