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[Empire Strikes Back]

Me reading the lists: Hm, OP does have a point
Reaching Xbox list: Eh...

1st party games do matter.

 

[martino]

Incentive to buy that console? Maybe better games, more funding or tailored to the console if it is exclusive? (which seems to be what the OP is suggesting).

OP is saying that the better games and the ones he/she buys are exclusive games.

sure but again top sales list would indicate he is a niche.

 

[ACESHIGH]

I think that both sides can be pushing a narrative. The problem with forums like this one and RetardEra is that they lean HEAVILY towards console single player games. For this reason they fail to see the big picture. Exclusive games can be great, but the most popular games are multiplat even in platforms lauded for their exclusives like the PS4, most folks play COD Warzone, Fortnite, FIFA and GTA.

The console single player enthusiasts are a loud minority for the most part, the majority is playing their multiplayer games which are multiplatform in most cases with the exception of PC exclusives like DOTA, CSGO, LoL or WoW. And I am saying this as mainly a SP gamer.

Also I don't buy the idea that Nintendo and Sony make games that people enjoy but MS does not. Check the Steam top sellers if you have any doubt. The problem is that MS games are not suited for list wars as they are less in quantity. Games like Forza Horizon, Killer Instinct, Flight Simulator or the Halo MCC can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment. This is not the case with one and done narrative SP games.

 

[phil_t98]

I think people that say that, aren't satisfied with the exclusives they are getting IMO

All perspective and what type of games you like, for me Spider-Man is PS4 top game over god of war and uncharted. Not played last of us 2 yet but i would say deffo Spider-Man. Also would never have red dead 2 in any list even if its xbox ps or pc. Poor game imo but others like it, so lists will always be controversial

 

[GhostOfTsu]

Yes, some of best games ever are the big exclusives from Sony and Nintendo by pretty much every metric. The ones that disagree are PC players that play mostly MP games, sports or small indies.

I don't play Multiplayer, I tried all the big ones and after 1 match I'm done.

I feel sorry for people that never played God of War, Ghost of Tsushima or BOTW.

 

[teezzy]

Lol what PC exclusive games are there anymore? Indies?

Gone are the days of Duex Ex, Kingpin, Noone lives forever, Morrowind, the odd games and tons of shooters plus RTS games that only belongs on PC.
PC fans brag about RDR2 and AC on high setting now lol. If your only gaming on the PC, your missing out on Tons of amazing games.

Thank god for Nintendo and Playstation. My favourite games outside of Darksouls have mostly been console exclusive In the last 12 years.

Gaming would be nowhere near the same if it wasn‘t for my PS4 and Switch so hell no to 3rd parties and non exclusives making the best games.....

The point is that most games which are ported to PC, play better on that platform. On top of that, you can play said games with the exact hardware and peripherals of your choosing, and the majority of those titles offer far more customization for performance in the options. PC players can decide what they want to play and how they want to play it like no other gaming demographic. Mods and all.

While I agree, the days of PC games which can't be run in some fashion on most major consoles has largely come to an end, post OG Xbox, it's not fair to discredit the vast amount of indies, and older titles, which are easily playable on PC currently. You can't access these on console, and only Xbox seems to be interested in making backwards compatiblity more akin to PC. Let's not even get into emulation, because PC players have access to nearly every game ever made in that regard.

Microsoft has gone full hog on getting their exclusives onto PC and Sony seems interested in following suit at this point. PC gaming is better than ever, so it doesn't matter if you can play worse performing versions of games on other platforms or weaker PC rigs. That's not the point. The PC enthusiast community online isn't as elitist as console players seem to think.

Also, yeah, plenty of indies are PC exclusive. There's non indies too though which just make far more sense on with mouse and keyboard: SImulation, RTS, FPS (yes, I know), etc.

There's a reason PC has only grown in appeal, marketshare, and accessibilty since the days you're referring to. I don't think anyone who plays on PC is upset that console players have access to similar titles. We don't really pay much attention to that stuff, honestly.

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

Borrowing your list I definitely have more exclusives than multiplatform games for the Nintendo Switch. PS4 exclusives and multiplatform games are about even.

PlayStation 5
God of War
The Last of Us Part 2
Bloodborne
The Witcher 3
Persona 5 Royal
Grand Theft Auto V
Horizon Zero Dawn
Marvel's Spider-Man
Red Dead Redemption 2
Ghost of Tsushima
Resident Evil 2
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Ratchet and Clank
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Yakuza 0
Monster Hunter World
Nier Automata

Nintendo Switch
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Super Mario Odyssey
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Luigi's Mansion 3
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Dead Cells
Super Mario Maker 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Pokemon Sword and Shield
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
Hollow Knight
Astral Chain
Link's Awakening
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

I guess I like exclusives more for one console than the other.

 

[Humdinger]

I'll just say that over the past 4 or 5 years, the majority of my playtime has been occupied by Sony exclusives. I've really enjoyed what they've put out, and I've gone back to many of the games a second, third, or even fourth time.

I play multiplats as well, but I can't think of any that have really made an impact on me this generation -- you know, something that really stuck with me as a memorable experience.

 

[THEAP99]

Of course exclusive games are gonna be more quality. Cus they have to sell a console based on the game and it’s like they can fall back on 3 platforms for it to tell. If you fuckup, you’re done on one console.

This is why exclusives are very important and should be praised.

 

[longdi]

Yes imo multi-platform games are plenty and varied to satisfy most gamers.
What a console needs is to offer best performance and value to attract said group of gamers.

Remember PS4 did not start with great first party titles or exclusive games. It build up steam because it offered the best value $399 and best performance. No drm always-on no reselling baggage too.

 

[teezzy]

I'll just say that over the past 4 or 5 years, the majority of my playtime has been occupied by Sony exclusives. I've really enjoyed what they've put out, and I've gone back to many of the games a second, third, or even fourth time.

I play multiplats as well, but I can't think of any that have really made an impact on me this generation -- you know, something that really stuck with me as a memorable experience.

Red Dead Redemption 2? Witcher 3? Devil May Cry 5? Doom? Rocket League? Tekken 7? Monster Hunter World?

 

[Kokoloko85]

The point is that most games which are ported to PC, play better on that platform. On top of that, you can play said games with the exact hardware and peripherals of your choosing, and the majority of those titles offer far more customization for performance in the options. PC players can decide what they want to play and how they want to play it like no other gaming demographic. Mods and all.

While I agree, the days of PC games which can't be run in some fashion on most major consoles has largely come to an end, post OG Xbox, it's not fair to discredit the vast amount of indies, and older titles, which are easily playable on PC currently. You can't access these on console, and only Xbox seems to be interested in making backwards compatiblity more akin to PC. Let's not even get into emulation, because PC players have access to nearly every game ever made in that regard.

Microsoft has gone full hog on getting their exclusives onto PC and Sony seems interested in following suit at this point. PC gaming is better than ever, so it doesn't matter if you can play worse performing versions of games on other platforms or weaker PC rigs. That's not the point. The PC enthusiast community online isn't as elitist as console players seem to think.

Also, yeah, plenty of indies are PC exclusive. There's non indies too though which just make far more sense on with mouse and keyboard: SImulation, RTS, FPS (yes, I know), etc.

There's a reason PC has only grown in appeal, marketshare, and accessibilty since the days you're referring to. I don't think anyone who plays on PC is upset that console players have access to similar titles. We don't really pay much attention to that stuff, honestly.

I get that and agree mostly.
TBH I do miss my total wars and all the other RTS and Simulation games. And of course the indies.

It probably is better than ever I just miss the more big games and I guess Double “AA” games that were only on PC. It seems like the biggest games on the PC are games that are also on console. And the PC studios like Bethesda and Blizzard aren’t looking good since losing focus on PC. There probably there but I havent heard of them and buried in steam lol.

Maybe by the end of the gen I can afford a decent gaming pc. I really do miss Total War lol And theres probably loads Im missing out on. Ill be happy with playing the odd non console games so specs isn’t that important for me/4k 120fps.

But I would definetly be missing out if I couldnt play games like Bloodbourne, God of War, Mario Odessy, Ghosts of Tsushima, Fire Emblem, BOTW, Last of us, Uncharted series, Demon Souls ( the game that boosted my love for video games ) Spider man, Luigi‘s Mansion and much more.

 

[Bryank75]

Depends on where you play.... PS exclusives are so good and you get 2 to 3 on average a year that will contest game of the year..... but for multiplayer stuff the 3rd party stuff is handy.

Nintendo are in a Switchuation where they can't get some of the best 3rd party stuff but luckily they also have great exclusives.

Xbox and PC are more dependent on 3rd party....for a few reasons.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Red Dead Redemption 2? Witcher 3? Devil May Cry 5? Doom? Rocket League? Tekken 7? Monster Hunter World?

Ill raise you Ghosts of Tsushima / God of War and BOTW/Mario Odessy/ Spider man/ Bloodbourne/ Destiny 1 and GT Sports/ Mario KArt/ Driveclub / Animal Crossing / Fire Emblem / Last of US 2

Now if you said Sekiro Id say nothing lol

 

[teezzy]

Ill raise you Ghosts of Tsushima / God of War and BOTW/Mario Odessy/ Spider man/ Bloodbourne/ Destiny 1 and GT Sports/ Mario KArt/ Driveclub / Animal Crossing / Fire Emblem / Last of US 2

Now if you said Sekiro Id say nothing lol

Oooh I forgot about Sekiro! I just found it odd to hear someone has no third party games that left an impression on them.

But yeah, ultimately video games rule, no matter what platform you have* you're pretty much guaranteed to have a great time these days.


*even Stadia probably

 

[TheCrimsnFuckr]

Pretty much all of my favorite games are multiplatform barring just a few (Morrowind, Halo MCC, God of War 4) but really it’s just down to preferences I guess

 

[Jigsaah]

I've come to announce that I transcend this argument. Bow to me you filthy peasants.

 

[TheGrat1]

Not a lot of exclusives left if you eliminate Single Player games.
Yet these are the games that keep people engaged for a long long time. That's why they (imho) are more important.

No need to explain to me how often you played through the last of us 2, Ori and god of war.

Are you saying Bloodborne, Uncharted 4/Lost Legacy and Dreams do not have multiplayer?

 

[Dr. Claus]

Final Fantasy, Trails franchise, Dragon Quest, Yakuza - all franchises I consider better than any first party exclusive. So yes.

That doesn't mean that first party exclusives can't or aren't fantastic and must-play as they absolutely are and help people push to buy specific consoles/platforms - but I find that much of my excitement these days are from third party multiplats.

 

[tillbot8]

I very much enjoy both...never underestimate the casual market! We may scoff at some big generic titles but they are the lifeblood of the industry whether we like it or not!

 

[Sleepwalker]

It's true. The amount of first party titles is minuscule in comparison to third party games.

Out of the 13 PS4 exclusives in your list I only cared for about 4.
Out of the Xbox one exclusives in your list I only cared for 2.

A decent single player game every few years from Sony or MS does not sway the needle for me, you know what does? Multiplayer games and the platform choice of your friends/social circle. I started this generation on the xbox but most of my friends got PS4s, which ended up making me switch due to being able to share gaming experiences and gameshare with them.


Nintendo's offering is the only one I actually bought for it's first party output.

 

[Denton]

I can't think of a single console exclusive I would put into my top ten. Last of Us might make it into top 15 though.

Seriously. I own PS4 Pro, had PS2 as well. But my top games of all time are:

Witcher trilogy
Red Dead Redemption 2
Kingdom Come Deliverance
Mass Effect Trilogy
Fallout trilogy (1,2,NV)
STALKER trilogy
Gothic 2 NotR
Metal Gear Solid 2
Hitman Blood Money
Mafia
Deus Ex series
Vampire Bloodlines
Dishonored 2

All are either PC or multiplatform.

And I played all the big exclusives this gen, but none of them came close to these.

 

[Vawn]

Also I don't buy the idea that Nintendo and Sony make games that people enjoy but MS does not. Check the Steam top sellers if you have any doubt.

Steam where Xbox has ALL of their first-party games, Sony has 1 or 2 and Nintendo has zero? That proves what again?

 

[Optimistic Gamer]

Are you saying Bloodborne, Uncharted 4/Lost Legacy and Dreams do not have multiplayer?

Yes. 100% what I was saying.

 

[Calverz]

Looking at the list it's clear Sony is in a league of their own. Playstation has at least one exclusive each major "competitor" want to kill them for. For PC it's Bloodborne. For Nintendo it's Persona 5. For Xbox it's Spiderman. But there is no title on any other platform that Playstation fans consistently call for. There's a huge difference in quality between the games made by Sony or are exclusive to the platform and everyone else. It's sad to see.

Wow so many people have short memories......remember the days when sony were desperate for a halo killer and thought that game would be killzone? Or remember when they wanted a smash bros killer and we got playstation all stars. Yea those were the good ol’ days.

 

[BlueXImpulse]

Wow so many people have short memories......remember the days when sony were desperate for a halo killer and thought that game would be killzone? Or remember when they wanted a smash bros killer and we got playstation all stars. Yea those were the good ol’ days.

We're talking about today.

 

[Calverz]

Steam where Xbox has ALL of their first-party games, Sony has 1 or 2 and Nintendo has zero? That proves what again?

His point is people love xbox studio games and the steam charts prove it.

 

[Ryu Kaiba]

I agree with OP, the games I'm hyped for the most tend to be exclusives. Outside of that its just Square Enix and now CD Projekt Red.

 

[FStubbs]

Isn't Sunset Overdrive a Playstation exclusive now?

 

[Codes 208]

looking at the list Sony does have a surprising lack of multiplayer games. Craig jokes aside I really wished they had their own equivalent to halo/gears that offers more than single player. I feel like 1887 would’ve been more relevant if they made a multiplayer mode even if it was clearly aping off of gears’ cover-based mechanics.

Isn't Sunset Overdrive a Playstation exclusive now?

owning the IP =/= exclusive

If they rerelease Sunset on PS4 or 5, that doesn’t just magically make the xbox version disappear.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I disagree that the best games are multiplatform. Is it any coincidence that some of the most highly rated games and GOTY candidates are PlayStation and Nintendo exclusives?

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Isn't Sunset Overdrive a Playstation exclusive now?

The developers(Insomniac) that made Sunset Overdrive are now PlayStation exclusive I think.

 

[ShirAhava]

I sold my PS4 because I realized all the games I loved were mutiplat and the exclusive games were either boring to me or I didn't like at all

 

[Lupin3]

Do you believe almost all the best games are multi-platform? Why do you think this narrative is pushed?

I don't believe anything. I just play what I like. Unfortunately, though, the game of forever, The Last Guardian, is an exclusive. Imagine that game on PC, where you'd get higher resolution, better framerate and silence.

 

[NoMoChokeSJ]

I definitely think PS4 had some of the best exclusives this generation. God of War, Spiderman, TLOU2, Ghost of Tsushima were all great titles but I dislike the noisy hardware and the controller compared to my One X. Because of this I lean towards playing on xbox or Pc for multiplatform games. Exclusives only go so far over the course of a generation.

 

[BlackTron]

I'll bet exclusives mattered to Nintendo in 2017 when they delivered Switch alongside BOTW.

This one blockbuster game put the Switch in demand, kicking off high sales for the system that raised its install base, each of which is now potential to sell a handful of multiplatform games on, games where Nintendo did not do any of the work, just collect the royalty fee.

Exclusive games lead a platform to victory from the front. They act as symbols of quality for the platform and foster hype/brand loyalty. Even if they would lose money on exclusive games, they should still do it, that's how critical it is, to create an ecosystem where the other games can rake it in.

 

[Craig of War]

Top Selling games of 2019.

Multiplats in RED. Exclusives in BLUE:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
2. NBA 2K20
3. Madden NFL 20
4. Borderlands 3
5. Mortal Kombat 11
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
8. Kingdom Hearts III
9. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
10. Mario Kart 8
11. Grand Theft Auto V
12. Red Dead Redemption II
13. Minecraft
14. FIFA 20
15. Anthem
16. Pokemon Sword
17. Resident Evil 2 2019
18. Luigi’s Mansion 3
19. Days Gone
20. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

How did Anthem make the list the game was horrible

 

[Humdinger]

Red Dead Redemption 2? Witcher 3? Devil May Cry 5? Doom? Rocket League? Tekken 7? Monster Hunter World?

I didn't play most of those games, because they never attracted me enough to give them a whirl. Most of them are just not the types/genres of games I tend to enjoy (e.g., Doom, Tekken, Rocket League).

I did play and enjoy Witcher 3, but it wasn't particularly memorable or impactful for me, personally. I didn't connect with Geralt, and I have no memory of what the story was about. Didn't enjoy the combat much, either. It was a fine RPG; I just didn't adore it the way others seem to.

I've gone back and forth on whether I want to give RDR2 a whirl. Maybe someday.

I could name several AAA multiplats that I really enjoyed last gen (Mass Effects, Skyrim, Fallout, AC2, etc.), but I'm struggling to name a single one for this gen. Far Cry 4, maybe? That's a long time ago. I'm sure there are more, I've just forgotten.

 

[FromDuskTillGameOver]

How did Anthem make the list the game was horrible

Easy, just invest a huge part of ur budget into marketing.

 

[SoraNoKuni]

XBOX list is a sad mess, makes me wonder for yet another time why people buy that console.
On another note the top selling games were predictable, as anyone would expect, it saddens me but that's what most people play and that's probably why even in this date a lot of people consider gaming to be for children.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

Whether they are the best games is subjective. The best selling games, by far, are multiplatforms. Only Nintendo exclusives can sometimes come close.

 

[ZywyPL]

Does it really matter if a game is exclusive or not? For the fanboys it does obviously, but for the vast majority or normal, mentalny sane people? I don't think so. A game is a game, no matter who made it and which platform it is available on, I personally see games as either good, bad or average/decent, that's all, and I think that's exactly how most (normal) people see games as well.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

Look at the company with the least amount of exclusives to see why it's people from a certain camp that are pushing this thrid party games are better narrative.

When you don't got exclusives, of course certain people are going to to down play them. I would too if I didn't own a console with good games.

 

[Yoboman]

Hes right you know

I can count on one hand the multiplat games I'd be considering for GOTG

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

I don't know what percentage of the best games are multiplat, but it's a lot lower than 95%

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

I dont think people are saying 95% of the best games are mutiplatform. What they are saying is 95% of games released are multiplatform, which is true.
Its just a counter to the people that say how important excusives are, when they only make up about 5% of games released over a full year.

A counter to WHAT?
A counter to the argument that it is important to have exclusives?

If anyone really believe there is no need for exclusives for a console to survive, then they are either ignorant or in denial. Exclusive is vital to any physical console, and to say otherwise is actually only possible, when the person speaking is completely ignorant about console gaming, or want to believe in the inverse just to deny the truth that their chosen console is struggling.

"But what about PC"? They asked. Once again, there are plenty of PC exclusives, the fact that they don't play on PC is the only way they don't know it. At some point, the surviving fanbase of a dying system goes completely insane. I speak of Atari's death, and Sega's console death. We saw it all before, assuming you were old enough.

 

[Werewolfgrandma]

Obviously. That's why Gamepass isn't that great when you think about it : you will never get the best games, since most of them are exclusives to other platforms anyway. When time is the limiting factor, not money, you're better off just buying the best platform and the best games. That's why Sony is so successful.

Well if you consider 81% of the population is middle class or lower and most of those are lower middle class and below, I'm pretty sure money is the limiting factor for most gamers.

 

[Krisprolls]

Well if you consider 81% of the population is middle class or lower and most of those are lower middle class and below, I'm pretty sure money is the limiting factor for most gamers.

Ok I guess Gamepass is great for them.

 

[martino]

Whether they are the best games is subjective. The best selling games, by far, are multiplatforms. Only Nintendo exclusives can sometimes come close.

the thing is OP is also twisting the argument
the point was never best games are not exclusive it was quality exclusive importance is overblown to push hardware (at least coming from me)
i mean this list proved it :
with 4 games in top 25 best games you can sell 50M consoles.
But the reality being even more complex than that it's in fact because a lot of others things count in the equation.

 

[The_Mike]

I keep hearing certain people state that 95 or 99% of the best games are on everything, so exclusives don't matter.

After looking through my own collection, I noticed of all the games I play, more than half are exclusive to one platform. And those were usually the BEST games.

As an example, I took the latest top 25 games per platform from IGN.

PlayStation 5
God of War
The Last of Us Part 2
Bloodborne
The Witcher 3
Persona 5 Royal
Grand Theft Auto V
Horizon Zero Dawn
Marvel's Spider-Man
Control
Uncharted The Lost Legacy
Red Dead Redemption 2
Ghost of Tsushima
Resident Evil 2
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
What Remains of Edith Finch
Ratchet and Clank
Overeat has
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Dreams
Tetris Effect VR
Yakuza 0
Apex Legends
Monster Hunter World
Nier Automata


Nintendo Switch
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Super Mario Odyssey
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Luigi's Mansion 3
Mario Kart 8 Delux
Splay the Spire
Steamworld Dig 2
Dead Cells
Celeste
Super Mario Maker 2
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Diablo III
Stardew Valley
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Pokemon Sword and Shield
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
Splatoon 2
Monster Hunter Generations
Wargroove
Hollow Knight
Astral Chain
Link's Awakening
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
Ring Fit Adventure


Xbox One
Red Dead Redemption 2
Inside
Grand Theft Auto V
Forza Horizon 4
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Apex Legends
The Witness
Devil May Cry 5
Sunset Overdrive
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid 5
Gears 5
Titanfall 2
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Cuphead
Doom
Monster Hunter World
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Dark Souls 3
Halo Master Chief Collection
Ori and the Blind Forrest
Overwatch
Dead Cells
Firewatch

EDIT: This is not taking into account PC when speaking of exclusives.

Do you believe almost all the best games are multi-platform? Why do you think this narrative is pushed?

"people are saying that in general multi plats sells best, but my collection says I'm a fanboy so that's simply not true"

You can't state facts from your own opinion.