Definition of Exclusive
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1a :excluding or having power to exclude b : limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group
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2a : excluding others from participationb : snobbishly aloof
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3a : accepting or soliciting only a socially restricted patronage (as of the upper class)b :stylish, fashionablec : restricted in distribution, use, or appeal because of expense
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4a :single, soleexclusive jurisdictionb :whole, undividedhis exclusive attention
Merriam Webster Definition
There has been a lot of flak thrown around on Social Media and the Gaming community, to the point where debates and arguments can go on for days about this subject. Exclusives for any platform are a good thing. It can drive sales, increase a fan base for the platform it’s launching for and enables the developer to focus solely on the project at hand. This allows studios and developers to focus heavily on the game without having to reallocate resources. So, let’s go over the terms everyone is currently using.
Console Launch Exclusive: The first console the game will launch on, potentially moving to another platform after a 3-6 month window to allow devs time to focus on one platform.
Currently it’s difficult to tell (in regards to Xbox “Console Launch Exclusive”) if it means that it will go to PS4 at a later date, Or because since certain games are already on PC it’s launching only for that 1 specific console. It’s murky water with this subject and no clear definitions have really been made.
Timed Exclusive: This is a fairly obvious one, where content for 1 platform will be released to all others at a later date while being restricted to only 1 platform for a short period. Though this has never truly been used as a label for a game and more so by the gaming community itself.
Console Exclusive: This is another very obvious definition that a lot of the gaming media seem to misconstrued in thinking that it still means “Timed”. It Doesn’t. Halo, Titanfall, Gears of War, Forza, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ratchet and Clank, God of War,(the list goes on and on) are all exclusive to their specific consoles. With no chance of being seen on the rival platform.
In regards to certain high debate subjects like the exclusivity of PUBG (PlayerUnknown Battleground) and Black Desert Online, both were announced as Console Launch Exclusives. When it was first announced that PUBG was coming to Xbox we could have easily said that it had the potential to be seen on Ps4 after a short period of time on the Xbox platform. Recently though Microsoft has expanded its partnership with Bluehole Studios, potentially pushing back the window of it coming to other platforms by a much larger window. We cannot be certain as to what will happen though, and can truly only confirm what will happen after official announcements are possibly made later on down the road.
Hopefully Microsoft sees the value of what PUBG can provide, and will continue to further their working relationship with Bluehole Studios to have it as a Console Exclusive.
Conclusion: Everything is very “muddled” right now. Not actually knowing if certain titles will come to the rival platform until way later down the road, makes it difficult to truly define these meanings and rule out what others say. Some definitions are blatantly obvious, some not so much.
PlayerUnknown Battleground comes out on Xbox One on 12/12/2017
Pre-Order Here!
