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[Werewolfgrandma]

If we use the metric of time played=best
Multiplats are by far the best.

 

[Reindeer]

The statement might not be entirety true, but you quoting IGN is no different than quoting CNN when it comes to news. Also, there can be way more than 25 top games.

 

[LittleBigGamer]

Exclusives ftw.

 

[daninthemix]

I mean, is it possible that different people have different answers to that question?

How about we rephrase - would you rather lose the experience of every past and future multiplatform game you've ever played, or every exclusive?

Multiplats for me are far more diverse and interesting. Really sorry that it's become a meme, but there is a certain homogeneity to Sony exclusives, for instance.

 

[joe_zazen]

Unles you own every console, you don't gain anything from exclusives.

You will always be missing out on something.

I look at it this way: Gaming is dumb ‘turn off brain and waste some time’ entertainment, like watching netflix or reading comics. So, not having access to every single game makes as much difference to my life as not having access to every single movie or every single comic book; which is to say, not at all.

fomo hype culture is a scam.

 

[Warnen]

1st party games matter otherwise no one would have bought a switch.

best version on 3rd party games also matter

sadly if you want both they aren’t in the same place.

 

[Birdo]

I look at it this way: Gaming is dumb ‘turn off brain and waste some time’ entertainment, like watching netflix or reading comics. So, not having access to every single game makes as much difference to my life as not having access to every single movie or every single comic book; which is to say, not at all.

fomo hype culture is a scam.

My favorite two franchises (That aren't Zelda) are Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.

Every generation I have to buy two consoles. It sucks. Exclusives suck.

 

[joe_zazen]

My favorite two franchises (That aren't Zelda) are Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.

Every generation I have to buy two consoles. It sucks. Exclusives suck.

To be honest, I have to buy more than one as well because of Animal Crossing. I just dont need 3 + a gaming pc, lol.

 

[Vaelka]

If people actually explored a little then they'd realize that there are a lot of '' best games '' that aren't just big generic AAA titles too.
These lists always depress me a bit, there's so much more to gaming.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

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.

That's the way to look at it.

In an army, officers are a minority compared to the grunts. Does that mean you don't need officers in your army? Does that mean you should build an army made up of nothing but jarheads? You can throw down statistic of how grunts do most of the work, most of the fighting, and most of the winning. But to then say it means we should get rid of officers because they are expensive and a waste of space, shows one's ignorance of why officers are there.

Right now, Xbox Series X is an army with no officers. The officer trainees are coming in two years, but for now the jarheads are all Xbox has. Let's see how that plays out, shall we?

 

[Warnen]

Ironically op list makes the Xbox series X the obvious choice if you had to buy a console this year.

Unlike Nintendo Sony 1st party line doesn’t shine historically until much much later in the generation. While some major 3rd party games come out this year like cyber punk.

Unlike last gen Xbox isn’t the weaker offering at launch. So if you want the best version of 3rd party stuff and only game on consoles not much of a choice there.

Seems like op wants people to pick up the Xbox series X this holiday and wait 3/4 years for the ps5 library to start showing up.

Thanks op but I’ll stick with pc for now.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Ironically op list makes the Xbox series X the obvious choice if you had to buy a console this year.

Unlike Nintendo Sony 1st party line doesn’t shine historically until much much later in the generation. While some major 3rd party games come out this year like cyber punk.

Unlike last gen Xbox isn’t the weaker offering at launch. So if you want the best version of 3rd party stuff and only game on consoles not much of a choice there.

Seems like op wants people to pick up the Xbox series X this holiday and wait 3/4 years for the ps5 library to start showing up.

Thanks op but I’ll stick with pc for now.

We have yet to see Series X run a game. We will believe it run the best version of third party games when we see it.

 

[Naked Lunch]

Who are you to tell me what to like? In the most recent generation, 95% of the games I played are multiplat. In terms of gametime, most of my time this gen went to World of Tanks, Monster Hunter World, Ace Combat 7, and Smite. Other notables being Hyper Light Drifter, Dark Souls123, Sekiro, Shovel Knight, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Battle Garegga rev2016, DMC5, Yakuza, Resident Evil re-releases, Path of Exile.
All multiplat. 3rd party console performance is a huge deal for me. Its a flat out system seller.

The exclusives I liked this gen are extremely thin. On XB there is really only one for me: Halo MCC - I can see myself playing it for the next decade - so there is alot of value there. In Sony's case their "AAA" output this gen did nothing for me. Bloodborne is really the only PS4 exclusive I couldnt do without. I traditionally used to buy PS consoles solely for the Metal Gear franchise - which was no longer exclusive for MGSV and the series is now dead forever. It still pains me we didnt get a proper Gran Turismo on PS4 in all those years.

I cant speak for switch: I havent bought a Nintendo console since Gamecube and wont buy one until they put F-Zero online.

 

[Tiamat2san]

For me this generation
RDR2 (X/P/PC)
Witcher 3 (X/P/PC)
Killer instinct (X/PC)
Gears 5 (X/PC)
Yakuza kiwami 2 (X/P/PC)
Dead rising 3 (X/PC)
FFVII remake (P...will the rest after the timed exclusivity)
Forza Horizon 3 (i prefer the Australia to UK) (X/PC)
Horizon (P/PC)
Dragon ball FighterZ (X/P/PC)
Street of rage 4 (X/P/PC)
GOT (P)
GOW (P)
Quantum break (X/PC)
Tekken 7 (X/P/PC))
Smash bros ultimate (S)

If you consider MS games to be multiplateform then the vast majority of my games are in this category.

 

[Vawn]

Not a lot of exclusives left if you eliminate Single Player games.

Why the HELL would you do that?

 

[Optimistic Gamer]

Why the HELL would you do that?

Uhm... I answer your question in the sentence after that one.

 

[BlackTron]

That's the way to look at it.

In an army, officers are a minority compared to the grunts. Does that mean you don't need officers in your army? Does that mean you should build an army made up of nothing but jarheads? You can throw down statistic of how grunts do most of the work, most of the fighting, and most of the winning. But to then say it means we should get rid of officers because they are expensive and a waste of space, shows one's ignorance of why officers are there.

Right now, Xbox Series X is an army with no officers. The officer trainees are coming in two years, but for now the jarheads are all Xbox has. Let's see how that plays out, shall we?

I have to tell you that when writing my post, in my mind's eye I saw one Jedi leading a platoon of clone troopers. But I didn't think it was necessary to go full nerd full throttle to make the point. You read my mind though.

 

[Clear]

How are the "best games" judged to be so? More people like and play them?

Shocking then that games available to the widest market tend to get lauded by more people than those stuck on singular platforms...

 

[Vawn]

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii, 2010) – 97
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017) – 97
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 (PlayStation 4, 2018) – 97
4. Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 4, 2014) – 97
5. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch, 2017) – 97
6. Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, 2010) – 96
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360, 2011) – 96
8. The Last of Us (PlayStation 3, 2013) – 95
9. The Last of Us Remastered (PlayStation 4, 2014) – 95
10. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, 2010) – 95
11. Portal 2 (Xbox 360, 2011) – 95
12. God of War (PlayStation 4, 2018) – 94
13. Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360, 2011) – 94
14. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS, 2011) – 94
15. BioShock Infinite (PC, 2013) – 94
16. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (Xbox 360, 2010) – 93
17. Divinity: Original Sin II (PC, 2017) – 93
18. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013) – 93
19. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC, 2010) – 93
20. Persona 4 Golden (PlayStation Vita, 2012) – 93
21. Persona 5 (PlayStation 4, 2017) – 93
22. Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, 2012) – 93
23. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PlayStation 4, 2015) – 93
24. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, 2011) – 93
25. Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360, 2010) – 93
26. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PlayStation 4, 2016) – 93
27. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch, 2018) – 93
28. Inside (Xbox One, 2016) – 93
29. Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One, 2018) – 92
30. God of War III (PlayStation 3, 2010) – 92
31. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PlayStation 3, 2011) – 92
32. Bloodborne (PlayStation 4, 2015) – 92
33. Celeste (Switch, 2018) – 92
34. Super Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3, 2010) – 92
35. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PlayStation 4, 2015) – 92
36. Undertale (PC, 2015) – 92
37. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS, 2013) – 92
38. Divinity: Original Sin II – Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4, 2018) – 92
39. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U, 2014) – 92
40. Journey (PlayStation 3, 2012) – 92
41. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii, 2012) – 92
42. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch, 2017) – 92
43. The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (PlayStation 3, 2011) – 92
44. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine (PC, 2016) – 92
45. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PlayStation 3, 2011) – 91
46. Overwatch (PC, 2016) – 91
47. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U, 2014) – 91
48. Forza Horizon 3 (Xbox One, 2016) – 91
49. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (PC, 2019) – 91
50. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (Switch, 2019) – 91

Top 50 Metacritic Games
Bolded console exclusives

26 Console Exclusives / 24 Multi-console games

PlayStation - 12
Nintendo - 12
Xbox - 2

 

[Arachnid]

I mean, that's pretty accurate for the most part. Not much of a narrative. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In that case though, it would still make more sense to have the console with the best exclusives since you still have access to those multiplats.

EDIT: Ooooh, I forgot about the Switch above (though a lot of those highlighted games are now on other Nintendo consoles other than the Switch; it would get muddy for playstation too if you start counting PS3 games being remastered for PS4). That's the exception though since it seems to not get most of the multiplats other consoles do. I've always kind of tucked it away in its own category.

 

[Vawn]

I mean, that's pretty accurate for the most part. Not much of a narrative. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In that case though, it would still make more sense to have the console with the best exclusives since you still have access to those multiplats.

EDIT: Ooooh, I forgot about the Switch above (though a lot of those highlighted games are now on other Nintendo consoles other than the Switch; it would get muddy for playstation too if you start counting PS4 games being remastered for PS4). That's the exception though since it seems to not get most of the multiplats other consoles do. I've always kind of tucked it away in its own category.

I would count games on multiple Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles, etc as still exclusive. Halo, for example, is still a console exclusive.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

It’s true. Most of the best games are multi platform, by far.

 

[Vawn]

It’s true. Most of the best games are multi platform, by far.

From what I am gathering, that seems to be the consensus among the primarily Xbox crowd, while primarily PlayStation and Nintendo crowds think the opposite.

Review scores give the edge to exclusives. Best selling games are the FIFAs, Call of Duty, Maddens, etc are multi-platform.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

So I was sort of ruminating on this for a bit and I realize that if I made a top 100 games list most of that list would be games that were originally only available on one platform. Today a lot of the games may be available on lots of platforms heck a year out from them releasing they might have been available on multiple platforms but when they originally released they released in one place. I bring up this idea because I think it's a boon to video game development to not have too many targets to develop for. I understand that my own preferential list isn't going to be agreed upon by everyone it's not meant to be but I would ask how many people arguing this can say much differently from me. Like really think about it if you did an all-time top 100 games how many of them were at least for a certain amount of time only playable on a single platform? And how many multiplats have versions on other platforms that aren't even worth playing? like I literally can't handle the framerate in something like The Witcher 3 on console after playing it on PC, or a game like destiny 2 that I've grown to love on PC is unplayable to me on console not just because of the frame rate but they actually slow everything down. Fallout and elder scrolls games last gen were multiplat but most of the time that just meant one of the versions was absolutely borked and I think that was always the PS3 version. I still remember in forum arguments during that gen games that performed poorly enough on the PS3 were considered 360 exclusives by a lot of people. If I remember right Bayonetta was an example of this but I could be confusing it for another game?

 

[Vawn]

So I was sort of ruminating on this for a bit and I realize that if I made a top 100 games list most of that list would be games that were originally only available on one platform. Today a lot of the games may be available on lots of platforms heck a year out from them releasing they might have been available on multiple platforms but when they originally released they released in one place. I bring up this idea because I think it's a boon to video game development to not have too many targets to develop for. I understand that my own preferential list isn't going to be agreed upon by everyone it's not meant to be but I would ask how many people arguing this can say much differently from me. Like really think about it if you did an all-time top 100 games how many of them were at least for a certain amount of time only playable on a single platform? And how many multiplats have versions on other platforms that aren't even worth playing? like I literally can't handle the framerate in something like The Witcher 3 on console after playing it on PC, or a game like destiny 2 that I've grown to love on PC is unplayable to me on console not just because of the frame rate but they actually slow everything down. Fallout and elder scrolls games last gen were multiplat but most of the time that just meant one of the versions was absolutely borked and I think that was always the PS3 version. I still remember in forum arguments during that gen games that performed poorly enough on the PS3 were considered 360 exclusives by a lot of people. If I remember right Bayonetta was an example of this but I could be confusing it for another game?

Break your post up. That is hard to read.

But, yeah, most of the best games WERE exclusive when they released, even if they eventually got ported - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, etc.

There definitely does seem to be an advantage for designing a game originally around a single platform.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

Break your post up. That is hard to read.

But, yeah, most of the best games WERE exclusive when they released, even if they eventually got ported - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, etc.

There definitely does seem to be an advantage for designing a game originally around a single platform.

Yeah it's because I'm posting from my phone instead of waiting to get home and typing out my responses more thoughtfully. Neogaf addiction is a real problem.

I do expect someone to tell me they post totally fine from their phone but I'm going to be honest with you guys I've only had a smartphone for less than a year. I'm not an incredibly social person in real life and I don't really go places so before some point in 2019 I just had a little flip phone for when I was going to doctors appointments or something else. I am the quintessential mother's basement video game nerd.

 

[Vawn]

Yeah it's because I'm posting from my phone instead of waiting to get home and typing out my responses more thoughtfully. Neogaf addiction is a real problem.

I do expect someone to tell me they post totally fine from their phone but I'm going to be honest with you guys I've only had a smartphone for less than a year. I'm not an incredibly social person in real life and I don't really go places so before some point in 2019 I just had a little flip phone for when I was going to doctors appointments or something else. I am the quintessential mother's basement video game nerd.

I only ever post from my phone.

 

[CitizenX]

Have you not heard of emulation? ALL games are on PC in a way that is pretty equal or better to its console port.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

I only ever post from my phone.

I'm so unused to dealing with a touch screen that everything you're seeing me say is me dictating to the phone using voice to text. I don't really like touch screens.

Circling back to the topic though even huge games like resident evil 4 originally was only a GameCube game I was actually someone who bought it at launch for GameCube and holy crap did that the game blow me away. If I named my favorite games of the early 2000s it'd be stuff like Halo CE, resident evil 4, Metroid prime, eternal darkness, Half-Life 2... All games that at least originally had only one home.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

From what I am gathering, that seems to be the consensus among the primarily Xbox crowd, while primarily PlayStation and Nintendo crowds think the opposite.

Review scores give the edge to exclusives. Best selling games are the FIFAs, Call of Duty, Maddens, etc are multi-platform.

From what I have gathered it seems to be console warrior PlayStation fans who claim that this is the general consensus among the Xbox crowd.

 

[jadefire66]

Sooo am I the only one in this thread who looks at the exclusives in OP's list and sees "Bloodborne + a bunch of mediocre games" ?

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

The top 200 listings for PS4 on Metacritic, minus DLC, nets you about 169 multiplats out of 187 games, and these are all good games, even at 200 IIRC the games are still getting scores of 84+.

That means 90% of those games are multiplats. Not quite 95% but most certainly more than enough to prove this isn’t a “narrative” but more like a “reality”.

You could stretch it out further, say top 300, and you’d get even more multiplats, maybe even enough to raise it to that 95%. OP is listing only the tip top of the list of good games because the only actual narrative here is the one he is trying to peddle.

Moving it away from critic reception, look at sales. Loaded with multiplats. The exclusives that are high on the list are all games that were great but more importantly most were bundled a lot. So was GTA V on PS4, which is why it has huge PS4 sales.

 

[wolffy71]

I think we've probably reached the point where we could stop explaining to people why their favorite game type shouldn't be what they say it is. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

*deleted console warrior bullshit*

Sea of Thieves gave me an 8 hour session with randos a year ago that I still play with on various games.

 

[Raonak]

The PS3's comeback was largely attributed to the strength of their exclusives.

 

[Effigenius]

Best game is subjective, best selling is a better metric, since thats solid, recordable numbers.

 

[The Alien]

Thanks for the effort OP.

However when I got to the part where its all based on a Metacritic score is where you lost me.

 

[gypsygib]

The top selling games each year are often multiplats so people say the best games are mutliplats but of course there's a flaw in that exclusives have a much smaller audience to sell to.

But essentially, the average gamer choosing between a console will probably be buying it predominately to play 3rd party games online with friends and not for exclusives.

I definitely don't think top selling games are the best games but I don't play that much online MP.

 

[Drewpee]

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

Nope, can't do that.

 

[Vawn]

Nope, can't do that.

If you don't count anything on PC as not being a console exclusive, there is no way to discuss Xbox.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Nope, can't do that.

He excludes PC because it removes a lot of PS4 exclusives. The de facto standard Japanese games that come to PS4 but skip Xbone mostly all release on PC.

Like I said before, take the top 200 games on Meta, 90% are multi platform. Take sales charts, multi platform games dominate, the only exclusives on PS4 that come close are bundled games.

It’s weird how Sony fans flex over exclusives. Nintendo fans have much better exclusives and an entire ecosystem built around them but even they don’t make as big a deal about them.

 

[Vawn]

He excludes PC because it removes a lot of PS4 exclusives

Just the opposite. It removes all Xbox exclusives (and Horizon Zero Dawn).

And I'm just as big (or bigger) of a Nintendo fan than I am PlayStation.

 

[fighterman101]

The PS3's comeback was largely attributed to the strength of their exclusives.

No, it was because Sony's Playstation is world wide brand. PS3 actually outsold 360 in Europe after a year despite being more expensive, ran multiplatform games poorly at that time and didn't have much exclusives. PS3 started selling really well when it dropped the price and 3rd party developers started to understand the PS3 architecture.

This generation, assuming the Xbox series s is 299 dollars will allow xbox to outsell PS5 in North America, South America and maybe UK. Rest of Europe and Japan will buy the PS5. That's of course my prediction, but a reasonable one.

 

[Frito_Pendejo]

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.

This is stupid. I own all the systems and a PC I built myself. All of my PS4 games are exclusives. I still play multiplats on my One X more. People just do shit differently. That’s the way life goes. It doesn’t always have to be about brand loyalty.

 

[Drewpee]

If you don't count anything on PC as not being a console exclusive, there is no way to discuss Xbox.

The thread isn't about Xbox, it is about exclusives. Also, I don't care that the games are on PC, I hope there is a day when Sony gamers get to experience Halo.

I am not a fan of console exclusives.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

OJ Simpson doesn’t murder people 99% of the time

 

[Ten_Fold]

Best games are exclusives imo. Every big Nintendo release has been fire to me. Most of Sony’s big AAA are really good.

 

[skneogaf]

It's more like 95 percent of all games are multiplatform so if you enjoy 3rd party multiplatform games the most buy the console that does them best.

Graphics, sound amount of players etc all make the biggest difference in the 95 percent

 

[JoeyWestSide]

Those lists really mean jack shit when they're from the same (bad) source and for whatever reason The Witcher 3 is the best multiplatform PS4 game, but the fourth best multiplatform Xbox game..? Below Inside?

Regardless, the list demonstrates that it depends on the platform. Nobody buys a Nintendo console without the specific intention of playing Nintendo games, conversely Xbox barely has any exclusives to play, but it does okay. And something like PC is so unique that you'll never really see a LOT of PC games on consoles.

It's just an unanswerable question.

More games just need to be like Minecraft. Not a 3rd party but playable on everything and everybody likes it that way. What would the sales look like if it were platform exclusive? My guess is it'd be 1/20th the size.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

ITT:The OP has a pre-release PS5!!!