With the most recent FFXIII to 360 announcement what other exclusive third party game is left? There aren't that many anymore if you compare the amount of exclusive games with the last gen consoles(PS2, X-box, GC) to this generation of consoles. It seems like more and more developers are finding more incentives in making their game multi-platform with such high costs in development these days. What does this mean for console holders like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo? It will probably mean more emphasis on first party, in house, exclusive titles as well as online support to distinguish one console from another when there are no exclusive third party games anymore or maybe, dare I say it, a one console future that Dennis Dyack strongly believes will happen.

More sales for the game developers, less profit for the console developers. You do it the other way and it's pretty much the same thing. Either way one or the other will suffer a loss in sales. On the flip side gamers wont have to worry about buying all three?

No, exclusive rights will remain.

So far, the titles that use to be exclusive to Sony system, are becoming available on the Microsoft system. Notice what type of titles are being released? To me, it seems the popular titles are being release on both consoles. Who wins with this change? The companies that develop the game and the console receiving a series they did not have. Who loses? The company that had the exclusive rights. Sony had a large number of exclusive during last console era, in a sense, it's evening out during this era. Titles like Valkyrie Chronicles and Disgaea 3 could remain exclusive. I don't see them becoming multi-platform titles, but the more popular series like Final Fantasy should start seeing more multi-console release.

Exclusive rights remain, but it's starting to even out. Sony did have the most popular series of the previous era exclusive to their system. Not the case this time around. There was also a time when Nintendo had the majority of game developers on their side, too.

Anyway, games will remain exclusive, but don't expect the more popular titles to remain exclusive to a particular console. You'll see game being released for one particular console and you'll also see Namco/S-E approach releasing games from their major series, Tales and Final Fantasy, on each console, keeping each game released for that particular console exclusive.

It'll become which console came out first. What used to make or break a system was the games that came out for it. That's why I think PS2 blew away Dreamcast and N64 and even XBox before Halo came out.

Because there's definitely a ceiling that you hit for graphics in the new consoles, yeah things might be SLIGHTLY better, but they're not gonna get much better than they are now. Not to mention it's what you prioritize your gaming as.

For somebody who likes online gaming, 360 is the way to go, the XBox Live is SIGNIFICANTLY more popular, and the way it USED to go waas if u liked single player games, Playstations were ur thing because of the RPGs. I mean, remember PS2 has only 2 controller slots. It wasn't MADE to be a big party multi-player platform.

I completely agree with you. There will be fewer and fewer big third party exclusives, but the smaller games like the Disgaea's and Persona's will remain exclusive.

I think Disgaea and Persona will go multiplatform eventually. Atlus USA is publishing 3 360 games this year and NIS has stated that they are looking to make games on 360. I don't see why those wouldn't go multiplatform at some point or another. I also think that VC might go multiplatform down the road ( it's not like Sega is developing for PS3 only). The reason games like that were exclusive last gen is because PS2 had such a massive install base that a company didn't need to port their games. This gen is a totally different story. Any third party games that are not published by the console manufacturer are up for multiplatform releases.

NIS wants to make games on the Wii too, so it’s possible Disgaea might jump onto that as well. There's already one for the DS, so...another Nintendo console with a Disagaea might be likely...

What you're saying is that both the PS3 and 360 will, in a sense, have the same game library eventually. Only seeing point would be the couple of exclusive one system might have over the other, like Halo, but otherwise, they'll be the same. Only difference is what type of service each company offers, the consoles appearance and the specs of each system. Not even when Sega and Nintendo were the two competing systems did a setup like that exist.

It's starting to look that way. It's not like MS isn't loosing exclusives to Sony as well (2 way street). Both 360 and PS3 counted separately don't seem to hold a big enough worldwide market share to keep games exclusive this time around (especially with the rising cost of game production). Back when Genesis and SNES were going at it, there was a third system - the Turbo Graphics 16. The TG16 was left in the dust while the other 2 duked it out for supremacy. Now the Wii has grabbed the majority of the market while the 360/PS3 are the ones falling fast. This is a different era of gaming. Old rules don't seem to apply.

You also have of to factor in the development cost for games now a days that it isn't feasible to make a huge game like FFXIII exclusively for one console opposed to last gen development costs.

MS doesn't have much to lose opposed to Sony after the success of the PS2. Most of Microsoft's major software successes have come from their first party games like Halo, Fable, and Forza last gen. Think of how many huge exclusive third party games the PS2 had like DMC, Final Fantasy, Soul Calibur, Tekken, GTA, and Metal Gear. All of these PS2 centric franchises are now spreading to the 360. Sony had way more to lose then Microsoft and even less to gain this generation. What third party exclusives does the 360 have to lose besides Gears of War? BioShock and Eternal Sonata is coming to the PS3, but in comparison to some of the PS3's loses they can't compare.

Metal Gear and Soul Calibur were on both GC and Xbox. Both PS2 GTA games are also on Xbox. That would only leave DMC 4 as going to 360 (as far as I know Tekken is still PS3 only) from your list. Bungie is now currently not getting published by MS (EA is now going to publish their games), so anything that they make that's not Halo will most likely be released on PS3. Bioware's (KOTOR, Mass Effect) games have been only on Xbox consoles and they are now going to have their games published by EA as well (meaning more could go to PS3). Even Bizzare Games (PG4 creators) have moved on and if they create a new racing franchise (I think MS owns the PGR series), that too will go multiplatform. Plenty of exclusives are becoming multiplatform this generation.

Metal Gear, GTA and Soul Calibur for the most part are recognized as Playstation games because most of the games in those franchise were released on the PS2. These games are more recognized and have sold much more then most of those games you mentioned on the X-box side.

My point is that they weren't completely exclusive last gen, no reason for them to be exclusive this gen. They are also not Sony brands, but properties of their own companies.

My point was that for the most part these franchises like Metal Gear and Final Fantasy have been loyal Playstation supporters and and Final Fantasy is obviously isn't a first party game from Sony, but from SE still many people were shocked to see Final Fantasy XIII announced to be on the 360 as well because many people associate these games with the Playstation brand.

I know why you see it that way. You grew up with the Playstation and have some sentimental attachment to it. Final Fantasy was a Nintendo franchise until the Playstation got FF7 as an exclusive. Remember FF1-FF6 are all on Nintendo systems. How do you think fans felt when they found out FF7 was not coming to the N64? FF13 coming to 360 is great for fans of the series who have the system, but that doesn't mean that PS3 owners can't have fun with that game as well. Hell Metal Gear originated on the MSX (a Microsoft computer of all things), but the majority of people started playing the games on NES and later the PSX. Just because a third party game is released on a system doesn't mean it must stay there.

I don't have anything against making games multi-platform. There are people out there who say the PS3 is dead now that they lost another big exclusive, but fail to realize that Sony had a lot more to lose then gain this generation then Microsoft or Nintendo. With more and more of these Playstation centric franchises migrating to the 360 it makes it an even playing field now. This is why I created this thread and why the topic is about the future of third party exclusive games because of the recent move of FFXIII to the 360 and by other major franchises because of rising development costs. Which is why I think first party games will be the main focus this generation if the trend of third party exclusives continue.

I wouldn't compare the move of the Final Fantasy franchise from the Nintendo systems to the PS1 to what is happening with FFXIII since both consoles, PS3 and 360, are getting Final Fantasy XIII. The situation with FF7 is much worse then what is going on with FFXIII since only the PS1 got FFVII and the following sequels on the PS2.

I've never considered Soul Calibur to be solely or mainly a Playstation game. Other than Soul Blade on PS1 the series started with the original and best Soul Calibur which was on the Dreamcast which was never released on the PS2. Soul Calibur 2 was multi platform and actually sold more on the GC than the PS2 and Xbox because of the inclusion of Link, and yeah Soul Calibur 3 was exclusive to the PS2 but it was also the worst in the series.