After reading the title to this article, I know what you’re all thinking: “How can that be true?” Well, SCEA’s Senior Vice President of Publisher Relations Rob Dyer seems to think that it’s a pretty solid fact. It is true that the Xbox 360 had a year lead time in its console release and that certainly put Sony in a position where they not only had to play “catch-up ball” as Dyer puts it. Though, with the recent $299 price drop for the PS3 and more people picking up the system since it became a bit more affordable, there are more systems in more homes. It is because of this growing number that Dyer says the PS3 is a better platform for publishers over the 360.
Before the price cut, they had a two-to-one advantage; if you were a third-party publisher looking at the index, you should have been selling twice the number of units on the 360 as you would on the PS3. So what we did when following a particular title was see if we over or under-indexed against that. So anything below 2, we over-indexed, meaning we did better, and above 2 meant it was under-indexing.
What it shows you is that as our installed base has been growing, we’re now down to a 1.6 to 1.0, and what we’ve been finding is that outside of the shooter category we literally over-index every single category – sports, fighting, action/adventure, music, etc. We do better for our publishing community than 360 does.
Dyer’s position is clearly stated. Publishers should start looking at developing for PS3 first over 360 because the install base is growing, but in a world where gamers buy more 360 versions of a multi-platform game, how does Sony plan to whisk gamers away from the big white box?
What is going to be the driving force is either exclusive ad campaigns, like the Madden campaign, or exclusive content like we had with Batman. The PS3 version outsold the 360 version, and what we’ve said to [developers] is ‘If you take advantage of what the PS3 can deliver – more content on the Blu-ray disc, better graphics, being able to get more of what the player wants onto the disc – you’re going to see those sales translate.’
So what we’ve been doing is going to publishers and using that as our basic story, and going after exclusive content. You’re going to see a lot of that, and for example, you’re seeing it now with Dante’s Inferno. EA had the collector’s edition only on PS3. They filled up that Blu-ray disc and were able to do a lot more that they couldn’t with 360. The consumer is starting to understand that – there’s a lot of cross-ownership between PS3 and 360, and so we’re now trying to differentiate that and give that consumer a reason to buy the PS3 version instead of the 360 version.
The strategy is adding more content to fit on to the BD format, which without a doubt has a very hefty storage amount. I’m groaning at the idea of this being implemented by developers if only because it would add more time to the development of a game. Outside of the idea of adding content, developing for a PS3 and utilizing it’s maximum capability does take time unless you’re someone like Naughty Dog who has some time to see what the system can and cannot do and not have the hardware go to waste.
Adding content that’s inaccessible to gamers because they chose to make the choice of not buying a console is a terrible and selfish move on the part of Sony. I understand that dollars and units sold are a big deal for both Microsoft and Sony, but cheating gamers out of the maximum experience they can get out of a game? Shameful. It goes beyond the console-exclusivity you find with games like Mass Effect 2 or Halo.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to feel penalized because I didn’t want to jump on the PS3 side of the console war. I can see how this can be spun as a “reward” for the early adopters, but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s kind of a jip that I can’t get access to more content out of the game because I don’t have a PS3. And when they mean exclusive content, that means I can’t get it DLC either.
So what’s this all mean then? Will Sony be able to take over the console market because of exclusive content in the games that are released for their console? I’m gonna be a little cavalier here and say “no.” Why? Ignoring PS3′s growing install base, there are people who just plain prefer playing their games on Xbox 360. As much as the console war is ugly, the loser shouldn’t be the gamer.
Source: Industry Gamers
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This is precisely why I like Nintendo. When I purchase games for that system, I don't feel cheated due to the fact that they do not focus on DLC to much.
Don't get me wrong, Nintendo also has its faults; like making five million versions of a handheld. Seriously, they need to stop beating a dead horse on that one.
I own a PS3, but I totally agree with you on this issue. I don't want to see exclusive, extended content on my system over another, anymore than theirs over mine. No gamer should be punished for wanting to play a game on a system that they made a choice to buy.
I agree with what has been said here.
I don't own a PS3 and I'm not saying its a bad system at all, but to buy it only for the few exclusive titles that it has makes no sense to me when I can get the same third-party games plus better exclusives like Mass Effect 2 on a 360.
i dont see what the big issue is here. i own all three systems, and i dont play my xbox at all, unless im playing mass effect or fable. but this is no difference than console exclusive games. sony has a system that can do more and is more powerful than its competitor. why not use it to the max. its called a console war for a reason. some people lose and suffer, its the rule of war. no one seemed to care when xbox was getting exclusive games and now people bitching because ps3 is getting exclusive content? if it is such an issue expecially for xbox gamers and microsoft why don't the due the same thing? and when they do because we all know they will, no one will bitch.
BD format is significantly better thatn the HDDVD. And for the better part no one uses the full capacity of the BD format, so developers who want to use the full format may in anyway they please and if that means exclusive content so be it. and if lengthens production time then release the xbox one first when it finishes and then the ps3 when it finishes.
Mass Effect 2 better on PC. Look too the future for sales not the short road. No offense. 360 great system, but in reality buying a 360 for its ok very select good elxcusives is ridiculous. Yet, as always it is up to the gamer. To some 360 has better exclusives, to some PS3 has what they want.
Nintendo's lack of DLC has less to do with whether or not they'd like to focus on it and more to do with the limitations of the hardware and operating system.
Even fanboys should be able to admit that Sony is a hardware company. Obviously their hardware should be much better – if it weren't they'd really have been doomed this generation.
The PS3 definitely has legs…
I totally agree with you. Its clear that the author favors the 360 too lol. From day one, Sony has been pushing their Blu Ray format and everyone laughed at them. Now when the fruits of their labor are paying off, people are complaining. I find it funny how the author hasn't mentioned Microsoft and their doings in TOTALLY ripping off PS3 owners. He bashes Sony for being smart and releasing an efficient storage medium, but when Bill Gates drops 50 mill for DLC, its not ripping off gamers? It simple, PS3 was built to last, and its becoming clear. The 360 won't be able to keep up this year and from now on, so here is a solution, buy a PS3. And yes, its called a console WAR for a reason. Competition means growth. The author has seemed to lost sight of this.
Do some research buddy. “The few exclusives that is has”? Are you kidding? lol I own a 360 and the only exclusives worth noting are Gears and maybe Mass Effect which I didn't really care for. I don't feel like typing all the 1st and 3rd party exclusives that the PS3 has. And I can't wait till later this year and 2011 when all the game developers develop for the PS3 only because games cant fit on a dvd. It should be entertaining to watch the 360 fanboys cry in agony.