Exclusive games have been and will always be a thing. It’s a money making thing. “Want this game? Buy our console!” Some indie devs can’t afford a multi-platform release, so PC is their first and only option. All platforms have some pretty good exclusives, Playstation with God of War and Spider-Man while Xbox boasts the Gears of War and Halo series while Nintendo has the Legend of Zelda series. It’s really a pick your flavour and I envy those who can afford all of it.
But is the appeal of exclusives dwindling? I think the answer is very convoluted and best dissected in a previous article but here we discuss the budding relationship between Xbox and Nintendo, which has left Sony as a third wheel.
It’s no secret that Xbox is a huge advocate for crossplay. They have been pushing for it for ages, while Sony has promptly said no, however, they couldn’t say no forever and recently caved in by allowing crossplay for Fortnite. Yes, PS4 and Xbox One players automatically match-make together in the same pools. The bridge has been built and I think that in time, PlayStation won’t be able to exclude itself from the gaming equivalent of Woodstock that is currently going on between Microsoft and Nintendo.
Despite Minecraft being owned by Microsoft, the game has remained on every platform. I feel this was a smart move as I imagine the backlash for locking it down would have been tremendous. On top of that, the game still got full support provided by Microsoft and eventually crossplay between Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PC and mobile. It’s quite crazy to think about it. A little indie game that use to be played on computer after or during school back in the day is now on our consoles, phones and PCs while all being connected. That’s a lot to take in. Yet, PlayStation is sitting all alone on the side. It’s understandable; Sony doesn’t need crossplay to make money. It’s doing quite well on its own but it’s sad to see how business is making them exclude their player base from all the fun.
In a surprise move, Nintendo allowed Xbox Live to run on the Switch. This move clearly shows the love affair between Microsoft and Nintendo. With Xbox Live being implemented on the Switch, there is no doubt that Nintendo can use the standard of online gaming defined by Xbox to better their online services while Xbox can carry on roleplaying as Mr Smith spreading to every nook and cranny within the gaming world. This would mean more subscribers on the Switch and more Xbox exclusive games appearing on the Switch so it’s a win-win for both parties. This is clearly just the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. While Sony is a no show to the gaming Woodstock.
The console war is over, folks! Somebody tell Sony that.
But I don’t think they can deny it for very long once they see how much money there is in the concept of ‘sharing is caring’.
Or maybe I’m wrong.
But what do I know? I’m just along for the ride.
