since “star blade” launched on the playstation 5 on april 26, 2024, we haven’t seen another truly console-exclusive title—exclusive to a single console platform, including pc, and not just an ip license—signed by any of the “big three” publishers!!!
in recent years, most releases have been “console-plus-pc” bundles. whether it’s hades ii, which debuted on the nintendo switch in its first year, or sony interactive entertainment’s extensive partnerships with third-party studios, there haven’t been any new third-party titles released as pure console exclusives. and microsoft has already expanded its co-developed and co-published games to even more platforms.
while we’re glad sony has returned to the exclusive route, i believe the new ceo’s course correction is a major factor—but there’s another reason as well: console manufacturers can no longer afford to invest in purely exclusive titles.
take sony’s partnership with konami, for example. the initial short demo-style game, silent hill: short message, was a console exclusive, but the full-fledged sequel, silent hill 2, along with the subsequent title townfall, were exclusive to both pc and ps5. meanwhile, markets outside the console segment now account for a substantial share of developers’ revenue—and even the console makers themselves are getting greedy.
back in the ninth generation, whether a true exclusive label could still entice core gamers to buy a console was already a big question mark; at least se and capcom no longer put much faith in exclusive deals. (even though capcom does release across all platforms, giving exclusive perks yet failing to meet financial targets is hardly sony’s fault!) long-established ips that once commanded massive fan support on ps4 can no longer draw crowds like they used to, so every developer has to work harder to maximize marginal returns. this is the awkward reality facing all console makers in the ninth generation.
for platform holders, tapping into the full potential of first-party ips across all stages of development, bolstering the adaptation of ip properties into film and tv to attract new consumers, and once again prioritizing the moat provided by exclusivity—are all key to surviving into the tenth generation. (sony, promise me: after you finish the bloodborne anime movie, you’ll go back to developing games, okay?)
