Console Exclusives: Significance and Impact *spinoff*

[MrFox]

Well, it's a pointless article. It explains not 100% of gamers care about sony's exclusives, which nobody implied anyway. Otherwise MS would be selling zero consoles. There are obviously other factors at play, but the article doesn't help quantify anything. If you subtract a major factor... you're left with the remaining factors, but what's the point?

Multiple other sites did a poll on this, and on the surface the results should be alarming for MS. I think they made the mistake of listening to a loud minority instead of hiring a firm to do a real market research. (like 7 years ago)

 

[iroboto]

I think they made the mistake of listening to a loud minority instead of hiring a firm to do a real market research. (like 7 years ago)

I’m not sure what you are referring to here. But I would like to read if you have it available.

 

[Recop]

The article is absolutely right if we speak about the X. You have to pay +100$ though.

I we only consider the XB1/XBS, then it's completely false. You still get inferior multiplatforms and BC won't compensate this bad point.

They should change the title...

 

[Deleted member 11852]

The multiplayer market is saturated and hyper competitive. Going up against COD, Battlefield, Battlefront, Fortnite, Warframe, Destiny, etc. seems like a bad idea. Making any game especially a new IP is risky, making it MP is no less risky or more likely to succeed, just ask the Lawbreaker devs or Rare.

Sony gave the competitive multiplayer genre a try last gen with Warhawk and MAG. It is a saturated space and not something that Sony need to invest in in my view - and not just because multiplayer isn't my jam.

Sony's first and second party single-player focussed games are definitely their strength demonstrated by the many accolades their studios/games are nominated for, and win, in areas like technical excellence, writing, storytelling and so on. I genuinely think Sony have helped raise the bar in this respect.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Almost all people I know (even all of those who are over 40 years old) only play multiplayer titles and SONY has in my opinion almost nothing but GT Sports. Nobody of them will get a PlayStation 4 in the future if this stays so. If they had an ingenious exclusive multiplayer title it would be different.

It's okay. All market indicators point to Sony software sales soaring without the help from all people you know.
You don't have to worry about Sony's lack of 1st-party multiplayer titles.

I have a different view of SONYs multiplayer offering. With the exception of GT Sports almost all of them are clearly focused on a single player. Mostly the multiplayer mode of a game looks more like a small extra.

Because - as mentioned already in this thread - multiplatform publishers have flooded the market with the exact same opposite: they're all constantly launching multiplayer games with a single player mode that looks like a small extra.

That said, maybe using your 1st-party studios to create multiplayer games is just a bad business decision.
If 3rd-party multiplatform makers are doing multiplayer games then Sony and Microsoft should be doing single-player games.

Horizon and God of War are much less likely to find competition from CoD, Fortnite and GTA V than Sunset Overdrive and Sea of Thieves.

It's great that all people you know still prefer the Xbox, though. Competition is welcome and needed, even though I don't think Microsoft is being very smart right now.

 

[DrJay24]

I have a different view of SONYs multiplayer offering. With the exception of GT Sports almost all of them are clearly focused on a single player. Mostly the multiplayer mode of a game looks more like a small extra. As far as the big games are concerned, they are mostly very similar for me. Most of the different titles are rather smaller games.

So confirmation bias then. Ignore the data that doesn't back your bias and exaggerate the data that does. If you love your Xbox, great. That doesn't diminish the variety of both MP and SP offerings on the PS4, despite your hundreds of friends who would never touch a PS4.

 

[Recop]

I see another problem with multiplayer games : once you have a very successful franchise, what can you do ? More multiplayer games that will potentially compete with your first success ?

It's a bit risky and Steam knows it with Counter Strike, Team Fortress and Dota.

 

[Jupiter]

So confirmation bias then. Ignore the data that doesn't back your bias and exaggerate the data that does. If you love your Xbox, great. That doesn't diminish the variety of both MP and SP offerings on the PS4, despite your hundreds of friends who would never touch a PS4.

These are mostly small multiplayer titles with probably a tiny numbers of players where even old Battlefields games will have more players. I just wanted to point out that SONYs current game landscape will not win this kind of players and if SONYs big games focus almost exclusively on a third person story driven single player this will not change. Those who want to have all the single player titles already have a PlayStation for the most part. A big multiplayer hit would attract many new customers who had never thought of buying a PlayStation before.

That's a really unscientific way to gauge what the market wants. HZD has sold 8 million. Uncharted series has sold over 40 million and includes multiplayer. Going from my own local experiences, no-one plays online multiplayer shooters and no-one plays PUBG or Fortnite...that's why I don't pay any attention to my own very limited sphere and instead look at the broader picture with multiple people's opinions (the number here saying the exclusives to matter to them) and the sales data and ad hoc polls where it's quite obvious that these games matter to plenty of people.

And Minecraft sold 144 million times and PUBG around 40 million times. If SONY does not want to take such opportunities it is their business. I just wanted to point it out.

 

[chris1515]

These are mostly small multiplayer titles with probably a tiny numbers of players where even old Battlefields games will have more players. I just wanted to point out that SONYs current game landscape will not win this kind of players and if SONYs big games focus almost exclusively on a third person story driven single player this will not change. Those who want to have all the single player titles already have a PlayStation for the most part. A big multiplayer hit would attract many new customers who had never thought of buying a PlayStation before.



And Minecraft sold 144 million times and PUBG around 40 million times.

Minecraft is on multiple platform from PC to Xbox, PS3, 360, PS4, Xbox One, smartphone and one day it will be possible to play PUBG on PS4 and it seems people find satisfaction in playing Fortnite...

 

[chris1515]

And sales wise from the estimation wr have PS4 sold two times more than Xbox One.

And most of the time sales of COD or other game are better on PS4 something does not compute...

Edir: Funnily the only game with better sales on Xbox One is Assassin's Creed with the marketing deal and it is a single player game...

 

[Jupiter]

And what's exactly the problem with SONY making a big AAA multiplayer franchise?

 

[DrJay24]

https://twitter.com/x/status/986638179426942976

So no MP, no, loot crates, no season pass. Old school SP, which I heard was dead.

 

[djskribbles]

And what's exactly the problem with SONY making a big AAA multiplayer franchise?

Because as it was already said, the MP scene is extremely competitive. Making a high budget SP experience is risky, but making a MP focused game is even more so. Why compete with the long list of 3P MP titles that are on your platform anyway? Why not make a unique story driven experience to separate yourself from the competition?

You're bringing up games that are on every platform known to man, and some of the best selling games of all time.

You look at PUBG and it's easy to say, oh hey, let's make a MP game because PUBG was so successful. Fact of the matter is, PUBG is a very rare case and it's not at all that simple.

edit: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/amp/2018-04-20-sonys-studios-continue-their-winning-streak

 

[Shifty Geezer]

And what's exactly the problem with SONY making a big AAA multiplayer franchise?

Why should they? It's very risky with a huge chance of failure and too much competition. Sony are quite comfortable doing what they're doing and doing it well and attracting players to their platform as a result.

Sometimes, possibly often, diversification can weaken your company instead of make it stronger. Sony trying to make a platform exclusive Fortnite or Minecraft or LOL would likely turn out as well as all the other rivals who've failed to overturn the giants and just be a gigantic money hole.

Also, mod-hat on, can you please stop capitalising Sony.

 

[MrFox]

And what's the problem with SONY making a big multiplayer franchise?

Competition against well established 3P, user base preference, not being able to make an MP game that is critically better than everything else, crowded space, dependance on critical mass, might be a zero sum investment, MP gamers play what their friends play...

Who knows, they might try a big MP military shooter again at some point, but it looks like their focus is currently where 3P's isn't.

Their SP games critical reception is unchallenged. 6 of the top 10 best reviewed games on ps4 are their exclusives. They double down where it works. The SP space can't be overcrowded since the games last a few weekends.

 

[Jupiter]

https://twitter.com/x/status/986638179426942976

So no MP, no, loot crates, no season pass. Old school SP, which I heard was dead.

Where did I say single players were dead? Where's the problem with Season Pass I think it's good if I can play games for years because they always get new content while linear single player titles are hardly played after just a few weeks.

Because as it was already said, the MP scene is extremely competitive. Making a high budget SP experience is risky, but making a MP focused game is even more so. Why compete with the long list of 3P MP titles that are on your platform anyway? Why not make a unique story driven experience to separate yourself from the competition?

You're bringing up games that are on every platform known to man, and some of the best selling games of all time.

You look at PUBG and it's easy to say, oh hey, let's make a MP game because PUBG was so successful. Fact of the matter is, PUBG is a very rare case and it's not at all that simple.

edit: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/amp/2018-04-20-sonys-studios-continue-their-winning-streak

If we want to minimize the risks do we just always have to do the same thing? Besides, sometimes it doesn't need such a Budget. I'd like to see a comparison between the development budget, marketing costs and profit of Uncharted 4 vs. PUBG.

Competition against well established 3P, user base preference, not being able to make an MP game that is critically better than everything else, crowded space, dependance on critical mass, might be a zero sum investment, MP gamers play what their friends play...

Who knows, they might try a big MP military shooter again at some point, but it looks like their focus is currently where 3P's isn't.

Their SP games critical reception is unchallenged. 6 of the top 10 best reviewed games on ps4 are their exclusives. They double down where it works. The SP space can't be overcrowded since the games last a few weekends.

I don't think so but I don't have to write about it anymore because I would just repeat myself.

Ratings also told me that Destiny 2 with 85% is one of the best video games or that Black Panther is one of the best movies of all time and Blade Runner is bad. What they say doesn't interest me in the slightest.

 

[MrFox]

What they say doesn't interest me in the slightest.

Your personal interests are statistically insignificant.

 

[djskribbles]

If we want to minimize the risks, do we just always have to do the same thing? Besides, sometimes it doesn't need such a budget I'd like to see a comparison between the Budget, marketing costs and profit of Uncharted 4 vs. PUBG.

I didn't say anything about minimizing risk, it's about thinking logically.

Sony is taking risks by giving their studios the freedom and funds to make these big blockbuster SP experiences that aren't guaranteed to sell well. But at least they're unique experiences and differentiate themselves from the competition.

Making a MP focused game is extremely difficult due to the vast amount of competition. It has less likelihood of succeeding, and it makes little sense to compete with other titles on your platform.

Both cases are risky, but logically it makes more sense to make something that's lacking in the market and it's clearly doing well for them.

And let's get something clear, just because Sony has many SP story focused games, doesn't mean the platform lacks diversity. As I said before, that's not all Sony has in their library. And even their SP experiences are very different from one another. These games are there to compliment the large library of 3P games.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Couple of examples - Everquest, Sony operated successfully for years, but eventually gave up on it. And Drawn to Death was an MP game only. A terrible one, and one we all knew was going to fail because it was ugly as sin, but they backed an MP game only and lost money.

You have the likes of Paragon* and Lawbreakers competing in the arena shooter space, and of course anyone there is going to have a hell of a job beating Overwatch. Same with Minecraft - what Minecraft-like is going to win players away from Minecraft? And Fortnite? What would a game have to be to win players away from Fortnite?

* probably meant Battleborn instead of Paragon.

Why even bother competing with those big fish who totally own their space, when there's a nicely untapped market that brings diversity to your platform portfolio? Where's the business sense in that?

 

[chris1515]

I didn't say anything about minimizing risk, it's about thinking logically.

Sony is taking risks by giving their studios the freedom and funds to make these big blockbuster SP experiences that aren't guaranteed to sell well. But at least they're unique experiences and differentiate themselves from the competition.

Making a MP focused game is extremely difficult due to the vast amount of competition. It has less likelihood of succeeding, and it makes little sense to compete with other titles on your platform.

Both cases are risky, but logically it makes more sense to make something that's lacking in the market and it's clearly doing well for them.

And let's get something clear, just because Sony has many SP story focused games, doesn't mean the platform lacks diversity. As I said before, that's not all Sony has in their library. And even their SP experiences are very different from one another. These games are there to compliment the large library of 3P games.

Be the next lawbreaker or Battleborn or seeing less sucess with the second episode of a franchise like Destiny 2 is a big risk. The market is so crowded...