Exclusives were once the primary driving force behind console sales, but the situation has now changed dramatically. IGN spoke with experts to understand what’s happening with this premium model.
In essence, the gaming industry’s biggest challenge is that its rapid growth rate has stalled. The audiences of Xbox and PlayStation are not expanding, and no modern console has managed to surpass the PlayStation 2’s record. Additionally, a “new commercial reality” has emerged in recent years: global inflation is on the rise, banks are increasing interest rates, and businesses are shrinking after experiencing explosive growth during the COVID era. All of these factors compel companies to cut costs, mitigate risks, and seek out new audiences wherever possible.
Due to these factors, Microsoft and Sony have begun releasing their exclusives on third-party platforms. Analysts believe that this trend will inevitably continue, with companies becoming even more aggressive in reaching new audiences. In the coming years, we can expect to see fully portable devices and cloud technologies from the two giants – these are additional tools for addressing the problem. Consumers of gaming content need not worry; they will only benefit from this shift.
However, no one will completely abandon exclusives: some select games will remain exclusive to a single platform, as this strategy still stimulates console sales. Additionally, experts do not believe that Nintendo will adopt an “everywhere, anywhere” release strategy. For some reason, this company’s system works like clockwork.