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Narrative of PS5 Exclusivity Hurting Games Countered by New Report

Zathalus

Member
They become 10 dollars after sales fall of a cliff. So either sell them at 10 dollars, or not at all. The first month is where, for most titles, most of the sales happen. Only exceptions have real legs.
So I assume the same happens on PC then. More front loaded revenue is ideal, and the exact split between games between Steam and Ps5 would of course vary on a per game basis.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
How is anybody dumb as to not understand that this is on a case by case basis? It's one datapoint that shows one thing for one game.

If you're gonna do statistics properly, you need multiple data points over time that can at least show a trend.

Jesus Christ people are stupid. Case in point...look at Helldivers 2, which shows the complete opposite of what folks are saying about Silent Hill. Still it's just another datapoint. Final Fantasy XVI is another game that lends credence to the original argument. So it ebbs and flows and depends on multiple factors.

THEN, you don't say anything about confounds in the report. When did the games release on either platform. Helldivers 2 was day and date, Silent Hill 2 day and date. What competition was available during the launch window? Was this competition available on each platform respectively? It's shit like this that makes me not trust journalism because they just wanna throw red meat out to folks to gobble up without questioning a damn thing.

I'm not saying the story is false or misleading. I'm saying there's not enough information, nor enough in-depth analysis to make a determination one way or the other.
 
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HogIsland

Member
Choice !? Hahaha if I only have Playstation and the game is Exclusive the only choice I need to make is do I get it or not !

Consumers without the Said platform are the only ones left Crying about not being able to play the game .
Thats not Sony’s problem to worry about consumers with no PlayStation
lol i have a ps5, i'm just divesting from the ecosystem. $80/yr for basic online multiplayer is reason enough.
 

dmaul1114

Member
Square Enix would beg to differ.

Their problem is they keep trying to make huge budget AAA JRPGS when the market just isn’t there for them in terms of making the profit margins they expect. They just don’t sell as much as the top AAA games. They can be very profitable, but they need to scale back budget as it’s just not a genre that can sell enough to push top level AAA graphics, tons of well done voice acting etc.
 

SNG32

Member
Why is GTA6 expected to be released on console long before PC and not the other way around?
So they can release the 30 fps version at launch and then release the definitive version on PC and next gen consoles. GTA is one of those games that probably has a high double dip rate and rockstar is aware of this.
 

Zathalus

Member
That doesn't mean pc gamers pay launch prices on Steam, Keys are mostly cheaper.
And consoles can get physical games for cheap as well. Does the number of Steam gamers that buy games from key resellers exceed the number of players that buy cheaper physical games? Completely unknown.
 

Zacfoldor

Member
I mean, if Sony put their games on Switch or PC they would make more money.

Xbox players don't buy enough games to be a drop in the bucket and dual console owners see games on Xbox and don't buy them anywhere because they think they will be coming to gamepass, so at the very least I think it is prudent to skip Xbox until they get their pricing sorted out.

Everyone else could get them though. Xbox players don't seem to like to buy new games. Why release them on a platform where there is no benefit(or a platform that users believe will eventually get your games for free if they buy the hardware and wait long enough)?

MS just needs to go full PC and this issue will go away for everyone. While PC gamers are super cheap about their software, ie won't pay for online, humble bundle, 99 cent sale, buy shit for a penny, "steam sales," cdkeyz, lolol pay for online console peasant, not paying full price for any game, "it's f2p bro just don't buy the loot boxes," ,"pokemon with guns is not a pokemon ripoff," "never paying no 69.99," "piracy isn't stealing", ect they will actually buy software day 1 if it is good(Wukong, BG3). I've yet to see evidence of this on Xbox. Hell, if anything Xbox gamers learned from PC "I bought 10 years of gamepass for a penny, I'll never pay for a game again, now Sony please port your games to my console".

How many copies has Starfield sold in total on Xbox Series consoles?

If Starfield don't sell on Xbox nothing will.
 
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Cakeboxer

Member
And consoles can get physical games for cheap as well. Does the number of Steam gamers that buy games from key resellers exceed the number of players that buy cheaper physical games? Completely unknown.
PS is like 80% digital and not every physical game is cheaper on lauch. Only Steam knows the numbers, but all my friends get keys and we are old, bet younger folks buy them even more.
 
I’d rather have the option of playing it on PC or Handheld at whatever resolutions and settings I choose.

Yeah no disrespect to you brother, but you sound entitled. You don’t need everything perfect , or top of the line setting to enjoy games . Sucks to be that type of gamer honesty.

You’re also the type of gamer that probably hates Microtransacrions in games bc you wish all items/cosmetics come included in the game.
 

Zathalus

Member
PS is like 80% digital and not every physical game is cheaper on lauch. Only Steam knows the numbers, but all my friends get keys and we are old, bet younger folks buy them even more.
Well in Europe at least, physical makes up 38% for PS5. For Steam games Steam takes a 30%-20% cut depending on sales and the threshold to reach 25/20 isn’t that high. Compare to 30% for Sony on digital and close to half lost on physical and you will see it’s not quite that clear.

Edit: Forgot to mention, those third party keys not bought on Steam, 100% of that goes to the publisher, not including the service fee the key seller charges of course. So buying a $50 third party key vs a $70 key directly on Steam doesn’t matter for the publisher, they get roughly the same amount anyway.
 
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Guilty_AI

Gold Member
Yeah no disrespect to you brother, but you sound entitled. You don’t need everything perfect , or top of the line setting to enjoy games . Sucks to be that type of gamer honesty.

You’re also the type of gamer that probably hates Microtransacrions in games bc you wish all items/cosmetics come included in the game.
my god, there's tons of shiitakes here but yours is truly unrivaled
 
Yeah no disrespect to you brother, but you sound entitled. You don’t need everything perfect , or top of the line setting to enjoy games . Sucks to be that type of gamer honesty.

You’re also the type of gamer that probably hates Microtransacrions in games bc you wish all items/cosmetics come included in the game.

A lot of assumptions there… settings are all about choice. Sometimes by turning down some things you don’t care about you get a better and smoother experience. Nothing says you must play at the top end of settings.

The great thing about PC is the choice is yours. If you want to play at 720p low you can. Nothing wrong with it.
 
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Zacfoldor

Member
I mean, yall really think if Starfield don't sell well on Xbox Series consoles that Lego Horizon is going to? We ain't talking about Bloodborne 2 here, we are talking about TLOU remakes, Horizon remakes, ect. Sony gonna make money on those at day 1 pricing by porting them to Xbox?
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Final Fantasy 16 didn't do well on PC either.

Its mentioned in the article....

RE4 Remake was also 65% PS5, 15% PC in EU.
How does this prove your point? Not everyone owns the same system. So limiting a game to one system, even if it’s a very popular one, mathematically limits the sales of the game. There is no way to argue that’s not the case.

Add to that, FF16 would certainly have sold better on PC if there wasn’t a 16 month gap between PS5 launch and PC release. Had they released simultaneously, there’s no doubt whatsoever the PC version would’ve sold more units. People who really wanted it at or near launch, only had one option.

And in 6 months or 9 months are whatever it’ll be the exact same thing with FF VII Rebirth. Surely would’ve done better as a title if it had launched on more than one storefront/platform.
 
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Which goes to show just how useful these initial limited sales data really are. RE4 Remake has just passed 8 million sold, and the most accurate sales trackers put half of that on PC.
Are u talking about sales or revenue, if it’s revenue then it’s probably like 70/30 in PlayStations favour.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
2 Besting selling launch titles on PS5 in Japan. FF16 and FF7rebirth, both exclusive.
Square wasnt happy with Tomb Raider selling millions
That’s really not saying anything. The Japanese home console market is nearly extinct, compared to anemic sales just 10 years ago. It’s almost entirely mobile/handheld. The dedicated platform market in Japan is ~80% Nintendo, ~15% PlayStation, and less than ~5% Xbox.
 
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Ebrietas

Member
How does this prove your point? Not everyone owns the same system. So limiting a game to one system, even if it’s a very popular one, mathematically limits the sales of the game. There is no way to argue that’s not the case.
The point is that these games aren't "hurt" because they are PS exclusive, not that they wouldn't have sold additional copies on other platforms (duh, no shit).

Is Breath of the Wild "hurt" by being Nintendo exclusive and not on PS and PC where it would sell several millions more? No, of course not. It's the framing of PS exclusives that is being pushed back on, that they are somehow destructive for all parties involved.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
Square should launch their games on all platforms they plan on supporting from the start day 1. Maybe also make games known for being RPGs....an RPG.

Though I must say I do love using the TR 2013 schtick as a baseline for what they deem a failure.

If it doesn't sell 6 million week 1 it's a bomba.

So pretty much everything they've currently put out this generation.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
The point is that these games aren't "hurt" because they are PS exclusive, not that they wouldn't have sold additional copies on other platforms (duh, no shit).

Is Breath of the Wild "hurt" by being Nintendo exclusive and not on PS and PC where it would sell several millions more? No, of course not. It's the framing of PS exclusives that is being pushed back on, that they are somehow destructive for all parties involved.
It’s the exact same thing with any game from any publisher or platform holder. ________ would have sold better had it released on more than one platform. It’s a fact for any PS console exclusive just as much as it’s a fact for any Xbox or Nintendo game.

I’m not interested in the extremely boring/not important fanboyism/ console-warring element to this story/topic.
 

HogIsland

Member
anyway, why are we acting like it's a bad thing that the average price of games is cheaper on pc? why shouldn't there be a discount when the publisher is saving crazy money on development licenses/hardware, retail supply chains, certification red tape, etc?
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Great article. Numerous games have shown that playstation exclusivity doesn't hurt games - we aren't going to even mention them - but we have one example of one game, in its first week, in Europe, a remake of a sequel that the original didn't get a PC release sold better on PS5.
Also random blog post with a single tweet as evidence = new report.
Hilarious.
 
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Woopah

Member
I guess Nintendo didn’t get the memo. 😜
It's different for platform holders.
I'm not saying the story is false or misleading. I'm saying there's not enough information, nor enough in-depth analysis to make a determination one way or the other.
I would say its false. The data points it's using is a game that sold better by not being exclusively.
2 Besting selling launch titles on PS5 in Japan. FF16 and FF7rebirth, both exclusive.
Square wasnt happy with Tomb Raider selling millions
Do you think this would have been different if both games had launched on PC?
 
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TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Unless I'm missing something, this is stating that older titles are selling well on PC and are the main drivers of revenue on PC.

Which makes complete sense to me, as that is one of the main benefits of PC gaming.
You mean like the Resident Evil Bundle that not available on consoles...
 

Crayon

Member
It's useless on our end. It's just to put out people who didn't buy that playstation.

As far as a narrative push though... I've seen it go as far as saying sony's own games being exclusive is a problem. That's a bit much to put it kindly.
 

Allandor

Member
What a terrible article.

Using one anecdotal example that sold ~30% more than it would have, in just one region, by being on another platform and one year and a half late port. Meanwhile companies that do market research and actually put out games like Sega, Square (and even Sony and XGS to some extent) are opting to be multi-platform as it is a more successful strategy.
This. Yes Plattform exclusivity must not be a bad thing, but it's always better to widen the range of possible customers without changing the gameplay.

Also if only one console has the absolute market share, companies are getting quite arrogant, and that is not good for customers. Just look how Sony behave in ps3 times when the were trying to catch up with Xbox. And when they were successful again, many things changed again. Without competition this will happen over and over again. And Nintendo is no longer competing here. They are more or less in a total different market.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
Do you think this would have been different if both games had launched on PC?

No Im just stating that the 2 best selling PS5 Japanese launch titles are Square titles that were exclusive. They werent Multiplatform or another 3rd party.
It was a reply to someone saying square isnt happy, I doubt the extra PC sales would of made Square much happier
 
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Kokoloko85

Member
That’s really not saying anything. The Japanese home console market is nearly extinct, compared to anemic sales just 10 years ago. It’s almost entirely mobile/handheld. The dedicated platform market in Japan is ~80% Nintendo, ~15% PlayStation, and less than ~5% Xbox.
Yeah but its still there best selling titles
 
Please do

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Every single one shows LARGE increase in players between their latest major release in a series from the previous release. Consistency and continued releases grow audiences. Exclusives inhibit not only the ability for these titles to truly grow on other platforms... but for publishers themselves to cultivate audiences. Look at FROMSOFT.. The Souls games have grown like crazy on PC.. and their outlier release "Armored Core 6" still did HUGE numbers... because they've built up a rapport with PC gamers over the years. The hype they generate now doesn't just lift up Souls games... it lifts up ALL FROMSOFT games. This is what publishers need to do to cultivate and grow on more platforms. It's not good business to put all of your eggs in one basket.
 
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begotten

Member
Square Enix would beg to differ.

SE are the most incompetent bunch of idiots in Japan right now.

They downplay all their games despite being mercanaries and taking random deals left, right & center.

How can you release Pixel Remasters on Mobile & Steam first, complain.
Have Octopath all over the place, complain.
Release 50 farming games on Switch which don't do well, complain.
Invest in Babylons' Fall and Foamstars, complain.
Rebirth is amazing and best thing you've done in awhile, complain.

They should look at Capcom, and now Konami who are already a better publisher than them again.
 
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lordrand11

Member
Alanis Morissette Reaction GIF by MOODMAN

Building great things require talent and dedication, not just money.
Three one trick pony developers that are forced to similarity title-to-title with no real change (Insomniac, Santa Monica, Naughty Dog) equal talent?

Not to mention their biggest flop Concord so far they made with their head buried in the sand. And the highest selling titles are still non Sony owned ones (Call of Duty, GTA 5)

Sony this generation has made some awkward moves.
 

Astray

Member
SE are the most incompetent bunch of idiots in Japan right now.

They downplay all their games despite being mercanaries and taking random deals left, right & center.

How can you release Pixel Remasters on Mobile & Steam first, complain.
Have Octopath all over the place, complain.
Release 50 farming games on Switch which don't do well, complain.
Invest in Babylons' Fall and Foamstars, complain.
Rebirth is amazing and best thing you've done in awhile, complain.

They should look at Capcom, and now Konami who are already a better publisher than them again.
Finally someone other than me says it.

Square Enix is easily one of the worst run publishers in the world rn.

You need to make appealing games, if you don't make appealing games then you won't be selling shit even if you ship to every console.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
Three one trick pony developers that are forced to similarity title-to-title with no real change (Insomniac, Santa Monica, Naughty Dog) equal talent?

Not to mention their biggest flop Concord so far they made with their head buried in the sand. And the highest selling titles are still non Sony owned ones (Call of Duty, GTA 5)

Sony this generation has made some awkward moves.
CoD and GTA will always be higher selling titles, so that's 100% irrelevant.

Concord flopped. Who cares? It happened and it's over. Y'all talk about it like the world's going to end because of it. Get over it. "Sony buried their heads" — while they either released and/or published bangers all year. "But, but Concord".

The "one trick pony" talk — forced? Says who? Let's try this angle — are Nintendo's studios forced to make games from the same franchises every gen? They release more sequels and games from franchises that released decades ago than anyone else and no one bats an eye. Why is Sony held to a different standard?
 
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