Xbox 360 has weakest exclusives says GamePro
by Blake Snow 
{ Feb 7th 2007 at 2:45PM }
Despite recent inroads in securing exclusive game IP from the PS3, GamePro thinks the Xbox 360 still lags behind both Sony and Nintendo when it comes to exclusive system-sellers. The editorial states that outside of Halo 3 and Gears, the 360's future lineup is "very slim." They continue, "Microsoft needs a few more great reasons to own an Xbox 360 because when the PS3 picks up some steam a year (or less) down the road, it's going to be a tough battle."But wait, there's more! Apparently, GamePro forgot to mention Bioshock and Mass Effect at first -- two of the biggest and most anticipated 360 exclusives this year (oops!) -- and they're still forgetting about Splinter Cell: Conviction. Furthermore, the publication dubs PS3 the exclusives winner with "surefire blockbusters" that just so happen to include plenty of sequels. That's fine in and of itself, but the very same article knocks Wii for having sequels and makes no correlation in giving bonus points to the 360 for not having many. Inconsistencies run amuck!
Granted, Microsoft is generally viewed as having the weakest lineup of exclusives when compared to Sony and Nintendo's long history of hits (as this video depicts) but the 360's early install-base seems to be helping the fight to gain more distinguished titles. Let's see how many lasting ones Gates & Co. can create.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Screwed @ Feb 7th 2007 2:54PM
Microsoft Offensive Force!! Let the defense begin, remmember, offense is the best defense, bring in PS3 to attack as well.
OGHowie @ Feb 7th 2007 2:52PM
People still read Gamepro?!?
Striderhayasa @ Feb 7th 2007 2:52PM
Gamepro? That magazine is still in publication? uh...okay....
That's the main reason I haven't commited to the 360 as of yet. Not enough A+ exclusives, too many PC ports, Too many FPS and Too many FPS that are PC ports. 1st party development is key and right now, MS has the least impressive of the three.
Unfortunately, I know entirely too many fanboys that can't accept that but then again, these same people only play 360...oh well.
Corosato @ Feb 7th 2007 2:53PM
mass effect, bioshock, crackdown, next splinter cell.... yeah no other anticipated exclusives...
Keif @ Feb 7th 2007 2:53PM
who the hell reads gamepro?
jsn @ Feb 7th 2007 2:53PM
I'm still waiting to see this list of exclusive ps3 titles that are sure fire blockbusters. MGS is a solid game, but if you're not a rabid fan for the series, it doesn't offer anything revolutionary. Other than that, you've got a bunch of exclusives that are unknown commodities. Nobody knows if they'll be anything more than average games.
32_Footsteps @ Feb 7th 2007 2:54PM
GamePro has inconsistent journalism? I'm shocked, shocked to find out this to be true!
Anyhow, it reads pretty much like an editor went over a fanboy's ranting and corrected spelling and grammar issues.
I don't question why print magazines have seen decreasing subscription rates over the last several years.
Nate @ Feb 7th 2007 2:55PM
360 has, by far, the best exclusive lineup for the near future....
Bioshock
Mass Effect
Halo 3
Crackdown
Fable 2
Blue Dragon
Too Human
That list of 7 games right there is better than anything the PS3 can offer....sure MGS4 is gonna be great, and a couple other might do well, but I really don't see the PS3 competing with the 360 as far as exclusives go....the Wii has some promising games lined up (SSBB, MP3, Super Mario Galaxy), but again, I don't see how it stacks up to the 360...with a mix of sequels and brand new IPs, the 360 looks real good for the next year.
nate @ Feb 7th 2007 2:55PM
i think at least BioShock is coming to PC...maybe thats y....and it say anything about Fable or the long list of new titles MS is trying for? I say Nintendo holds #1 for exclusives that no one else will ever get (not quality really)...and probably PS3 over MS by a very small margin this gen
Baby21 @ Feb 7th 2007 2:56PM
Reasons Game Pro didn't put Bioshock and Mass Effect on the list, because it might not exclusives to xbox360 ONLY.
Cos of PC
X @ Feb 7th 2007 2:57PM
#6 (Screwed)
You are right - THE P$3 SUCKS!!! :lol:
ahhhhh! Now I feel better :)
dsr7997 @ Feb 7th 2007 3:28PM
And Project Gotham and Forza and.....
Screwed @ Feb 7th 2007 3:04PM
WOW MSOF you guys impressed me. Instead of showing what are the good games, you attack gamepro instead. Good keep it up. rememmber you must attack sony as well.
Pom @ Feb 7th 2007 3:48PM
Hrmm. Halo 3, Halo Wars, the Gears franchise, Fable 2, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Too Human trilogy, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Cry On, Shadowrun, Viva Pinata... This lineup is lacking?
It's true that some of those (Hello, Viva) are going to effectively bomb in terms of sales, but the fact is - that's a great lineup of exclusives, covering a fair few genres. The PS3's (ever shrinking) exclusive list doesn't look in a much better shape, frankly.
ManOwaR @ Feb 7th 2007 3:44PM
Sounds like Sony has there hands DEEP in Gamepro's pockets or the person that wrote the article did a half ass job in the research department. How could a magazine that has been around as long as Gamepro forgot to mention BIOSHOCK and MASS EFFECT? Kinda funny for a gaming rag to forgot two big upcoming titles like those.
But then again it's not like Gamepro is the Bible of Gamers' worldwide...they generally market to a younger crowd. Like any of these "paper route" kids is gonna have $600+ to blow on the PS3.
Joe_123 @ Feb 7th 2007 2:59PM
@ 10.
That's true, besides everyone has a freaking PC so don't tell me I have to buy a 360 to play either of those games (I'm pretty sure they'll come on the PC as well)
Grunge @ Feb 7th 2007 2:59PM
Time to whip it out! Let's measure our dicks! I mean exclusives!
nate @ Feb 7th 2007 2:59PM
you do realize besides RFOM...the PS3 isn't going to have a "new" AAA title till probably June or later...it's all PC and 360 ports..so try again Striderhayasa..and read up and you'll see I just defended the PS3
Josh @ Feb 7th 2007 3:01PM
MS has the biggest exclusive of all with Live, as far as I am concerned.
Linkman2004 @ Feb 7th 2007 3:02PM
I just love how they say that the Wii has to many sequels, but most of the exclusive games they listed for the PS3 were on their fourth or higher iteration. Congratulations for making yourselves look like complete A-holes, GamePro.
C. Grant @ Feb 7th 2007 3:02PM
Why is Elder Scrolls IV on a 360 list of exclusives?
Zertoss @ Feb 7th 2007 3:03PM
Well, let's see what's exclusive now that I like:
Viva Pinata, Dead Rising... um...
Well, at least Blue Dragon is coming. Sick and tired of shooters and racers.
Richard DeV @ Feb 7th 2007 3:57PM
Gamepro has always been garbage. Suck it Air hendrix!
Steve @ Feb 7th 2007 3:06PM
Why do the elitists continuously slam sequels? I prefer sequels. If I find a game that I like I'm naturally going to want to continue the experience. Sequels with movies are very risky because movies are story-based and the film industry has had the technology to present anything they want on the screen. Video games are different. The story comes after gameplay in importance, and these little consoles aren't capable of presenting anything the game designers want. Every time a generation cycle comes along it becomes possible for any game to have a sequel where gameplay mechanics can be used that were impossible on the prior system.
Think about it: Remember when "Dinosaurs" was released in the early 90s? (It was also known as "Jurassic Park" in some regions) What would an advance in technology allow for a sequel that couldn't have been done in the original? Not a hell of a lot. Now, imagine the SNES had a Dinosaurs game and pretend it was very good. A sequel on the N64 would allow the designers an incredible degree of freedom for updating the gameplay.
Personally I'm far more interested in finding out about Samus Aran's next adventure than the adventure in "Project HAMMER". I'd rather see what Link's up to again than play "Joe Schmoe Saves the Day". I'm not ashamed to acknowledge that the ability to continue a great game with a sequel is a great thing.
matthew @ Feb 7th 2007 3:06PM
they just fessed up to FORGETTING Bioshock and Mass Effect. How seriously can you take an article that initially just forgot two of the biggest games of one of the consoles?
Plus, they have Oblivion as a 360 exclusive, which obviously it is not since its coming out on the PS3 soon. And Lost Planet and Dead Rising both did pretty well, and they're exclusives.
OTAM @ Feb 7th 2007 3:09PM
How long has Sony been around in games?
How long has Nintendo been around in games?
How long has Microsoft been around in games,not to mention they don't even make any first party ones (not including buyouts)? They have been around 1 generation. Look how many more games the 360 has gotten now that Microsoft is in it's 2nd generation and making deals with companies and building itself. You can't really expect a company to come out with 2 other big dogs in the market who have been there for years and years and get to their status in 3-4. It just doesnt work.
samfish @ Feb 7th 2007 3:08PM
I quit reading Gamepro and EGM around 10 years ago because I had grown weary of their blatant pro-Sony coverage when the PS1 was released...while often dumping on Nintendo and Sega.
...I can see that things haven't much changed.
Vidikron @ Feb 7th 2007 3:10PM
@19
Are you illiterate? The article listed some of the 360 games as did some of the comments (e.g. see #8).
Pete C @ Feb 7th 2007 3:11PM
Um, Mass Effect is exclusive to 360. There is no PC version announced. Go to the website and try to find any mention of a PC version.
Phil @ Feb 7th 2007 3:12PM
#8 Nate,
You forgot:
Alan Wake
Shadowrun (maybe an A title)
FORZA MOTORSPORT 2
Lost Oddyssey
Nate's 7 and my 3 or 4 (depending on Shadowrun), are just 10 or 11 exclusives that appear to have the POTENTIAL to be A titles.
PS3:
Killzone 2 (if the hype is true, remember killzone?)
MGS4
Motorstorm (if the US version is drastically different from the Japanese version)
FF series
What else is coming out at an A rating? I can't remember anything else right now.
Wii:
Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime
What other A titles does Nintendo have coming out in 2007?
Yeah, Gamepro seems to be a little off. Can we right them a bunch of nasty fan emails calling them worthless? What's their email address?
MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Feb 7th 2007 3:13PM
@10
Final Fantasy 7 came out for the PC, should we not had count that as a PS exclusive? See how fucked up your logic is?
Matt @ Feb 7th 2007 3:13PM
Is he just talking about '07 here or the general lineup for the life of the console? I can't get to the link, so I don't know. All biases aside, to say that Halo 3 is the only 360 exclusive worth mentioning is just downright retarded.
As people have already noted, Microsoft has an excellent lineup of games slated for this year. Both Bioshock and Mass Effect have already taken home numerous awards from shows like E3.
Pyronite @ Feb 7th 2007 3:13PM
GamePro is a HORRIBLE magazine. They've been sending me free issues for going on two years now and I always consider just throwing them away when they come in. Not much of a difference, considering that the magazine can be read front to back in less than 30 minutes, counting the "Previews" that really amount to no more than ad-like information on the game.
As far as the actual question of the piece goes, I don't know that you can decide what system has the best exclusives just yet. There are so many things up in the air at the moment that we do not know anything beyond assumptions. Will Devil May Cry remain Sony-exclusive or go to the 360 as previously suggested? Is Capcom going to stick with the exclusive 360 titless or are they going to start porting for the PS3 as well? As mentioned, there are many exclusives coming out for the 360 in the future and their success (or lack of) will play a large part in how exclusives are handled after them. The 360 is just now facing next-gen competition so we have no idea what will and won't be exclusive and I doubt third-party developers have much idea either.
About the only system we can really pin down regarding exclusives is the Wii and only then because Nintendo has such prolific first-party developers that we know the quality and quantity of games they'll be putting out. The only PS3 exclusives that really draw my attention are those made by the Ico/Shadow team, and those aren't even on the radar yet.
matthew @ Feb 7th 2007 3:15PM
@Screwed
this isn't about Sony, its about GamePro's article, which misrepresents the 360s lineup really badly. Not only do they include one non-exlusive (Oblivion), they initially forgot two of the biggest exclusives.
I've owned every Sony console since the PlayStation (including the PSP), and Nintendo since the NES, but looking at the lists of exclusives the 360's is (I believe) the most robust for 2007, and thats not counting Gears, Lost Planet, and Dead Rising, which are already out. The PS3 and Wii lineups for 2007 look pretty thin, considering a lot of those games (especially the PS3 ones) will probably slip into 2008.
Adam Beck @ Feb 7th 2007 3:52PM
I think in the future right now, the 360 has SLIGHTLY better exclusives, but a major majority of them are games that are being published by Microsoft (which is pretty good as they know what good games are =D). Third party titles I can think of right now that are in my interest and that are exclusive are:
Eternal Sonata - Namco
Bioshock - 2k Games
Huxley(?) - Webzen
Splinter Cell 5 - Ubisoft
Kane & Lynch - Eidos
Crossfire - Eidos
Cry On - AQ (NA unknown)
and
PS3
Devil May Cry 4 - Capcom
Final Fantasy XIII - Square
Ninja Gaiden Sigma* - Tecmo
Metal Gear Solid 4 - Konami
Tekken 6 - Namco
(*Sigma kinda exclusive as it is a remake)
In my standpoint, the PS3 has more of the sequels, titles that have been around for awhile and have a good rep, while newer 3rd party IPs are coming to the 360. Not to mention all the great content the first party Microsoft team is providing (Mass Effect, Crackdown, Halo 3, Alan Wake, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Forza, PGR, Marvel Online, Infinite Undiscovery, Fable 2, blah blah blah, so many) and Sony is only dishing out a bit with only 1/2 that interests me, White Knight Story, Heavenly Sword, MotorStorm, Rachet, Killzone, Lair, Eight Days and Africa coming out soonish.
Tell you the truth, I don't know what Gamepro is talking about, the 360 has a ton of great exclusives coming out, mostly first party but hey, they picked lots of interesting games. Sony does have quite a few titles that look good in the future but things change you know? for all we know Square will build Final Fantasy XIII-2 (exclusion of Verses cuz thats not a sequel) for the 360 and force gamers to buy a 360 in order to finish the quest or continue it.
Vasco @ Feb 7th 2007 4:02PM
Gears of War
Halo 3
Dead Rising
Crackdown
Blue Dragon
Viva Pinata
PGR
Forza
Oblivion
Lost Planet
Thanks Gamepro for reminding us why we don't read your magazine anymore.
Dead or Alive 4
MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Feb 7th 2007 3:20PM
Who cares really, the DS will have the best lineup of 2007. They are not only getting like 4-6 Square Enix games (DQ9 being one), they are getting a shitload of other RPGs, Adventure, and other types of genre games. Hell, the PSP's lineup is starting to look good.
Striderhayasa @ Feb 7th 2007 3:20PM
oh...hmm...okay
It's anyone's guess as to how good Fable and Too Human are going to be.
Crackdown is not a game that I would call a A+ exclusive. In all fairness, what PS3/FFXIII fan is going to care about Blue Dragon. Blue Dragon looks interesting but I wouldn't call it the second coming of RPGs. But let's say we include Crackdown, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey and others as A+ exclusives for 360...
Then you have to count White Knight, MGS4, Devil May Cry 4, Tekken 6, Gran Turismo, FFXIII and FFXIII Versus and Killzone2. Who has the better lineup within the mentioned titles? MS has no answer for FFXIII. If Konami doesn't port MGS4 to 360 then MS has no answer for that either.
Again...in fairness...Sony DOES have MGS4 and that game has the potential to be as good as the hype machine suggests. Or have we forgotten about MGS3 so soon? FFXIII is the same or do we ignore FFXII like it wasn't a defining RPG? The FF series is popular because it's one of the best RPG series ever made, period. Personally, I'm not looking forward to DMC4 but if it plays like the original Devil May Cry, then I'm there. I like Forza Motorsport, but let's keep it real, it's trying hard to be Gran Turismo.
I've listened to fanboys at my local EB rip Gran Turismo for being realistic to the point of being boring but they praise Forza. Fanboys...all you can do is laugh. 360 does have good games coming out, don't get me wrong, but A+ exclusives...well...not so many.
As far as Nintendo is concerned, I have to give it to them. They've successfully supported their own hardware since 1986. Sega couldn't do it, Sony can't do it, MS can't do it. Even when the collective industry dissed Nintendo in the 64 era for the cartridge fiasco, Nintendo still gave us 1080, Zelda, Goldeneye, Mario 64 and a few other defining games. Sega couldn't do that with the Dreamcast. When the industry was ready to shit can the DS in favor of the PSP...how'd that turn out?
Nintendo wins.
Matt @ Feb 7th 2007 3:54PM
"So many of these games are surefire blockbusters such as MGS4, Killzone 2, SOCOM 4, Gran Turisimo 5, Final Fantasy XIII, Ratchet & Clank...and the list goes on."
Or does it? haha out of that list I want to play 3 and one of them is poised to go multiplatform (mgs4). Also they forgot to list Fable 2, Bioshock, and Mass Effect. That article is dumb. Sony is probably slipping them a check under the table haha.
KrazyKoala @ Feb 7th 2007 3:21PM
There's a reason why a lot of games are on PC as well as 360...Microsoft. Stop looking at true exclusives (one platform and one platform only) and look at consoles overall. If you had to buy one platform and all your games would be on it...I'd choose 360. Its cheaper than PC, it will still graphically contend with high end PCs for at least another year, and it overall has more good games than PS3. I say it also has better ones than the Wii, but that's mostly due to a different demographic in my opinion (I've moved past Mario). PS3 has a few amazing games but they are games that only justify renting the console (MGS4, probably like 16 hours of single player only) and I don't care for JRPGs, so forget Final Fantasy.
Matt @ Feb 7th 2007 3:23PM
OH and I forgot the already released exclusives like Dead Rising, Viva Pinata, and I forgot Dead Rising 2 on the horizon. Plus lets mention all the cross platform games at a cheaper cost of a system and better online for them.
NintendoFanbot @ Feb 7th 2007 3:22PM
I like MS, but it's true. A ton of their "exclusives" are also on PC and probably the "least exclusive" of "exclusive games".
-Call of Duty 2/3
-Splinter Cells
-Fable series
-Jade Empire
-KOTOR
-Halo series
-Morrowind/Oblivion
Understandable since MS wants to pimp Windows as a gaming platform, but it's true. Many of their best games are on another platform.
Matt @ Feb 7th 2007 3:22PM
Matthew makes a good point. This isn't (or at least shouldn't be) about which console is better. It's about Gamepro writing a shitty article. A game console is a serious chunk of change and a lot of people research gaming magazines before deciding which one to put their money on. Gamepro seriously misrepresents the 360 by saying that Halo 3 is the only exclusive worth mentioning. There are a lot of people who could be very disappointed if they made a choice based on the information in this article.
Lorben @ Feb 7th 2007 3:25PM
#27
Well, yes. I have the PC version of FF7. I didn't buy a Playstation 1 because I was able to play the game I wanted without one.
Striderhayasa @ Feb 7th 2007 3:24PM
@ Nate
Virtual Fighter 5...February 20th
Armored Core...March
Oblivion ...March and better than the 360 version
Motorstorm with online support....March?
Now....what were you saying about reading?
Between Resistance which I love online, Virtual Fighter 5 which I have preordered and Armored Core which I have preordered, I'm covered for a good while. Motorstorm and Oblivion are gravy.
batman @ Feb 12th 2007 5:36PM
All right here we go:
Mass Effect
Bioshock
Halo Wars
Wingnut's (Peter Jackson's) Halo Game
GRAW 2
Blue Dragon
Lost Odyssey
Cry On
PGR 4
Project Sylpheed
Army of Two
Fable 2
Banjo-Kazooie 3
Dead or Alive's Sequels/Spinoffs
Ninja Gaiden 360 (it's coming, u know it is)
Several other Japanese RPGS:
Infinite Undiscovery
Eternal Avalon
Far East of Eden Ziria - Tales from Distant Jipang
MAgna Carta 2
PC 2, no other console:
Postal 3
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Alan Wake
Command & Conquer 3
Portal
Huxley
Shadowrun
Marvel Universe Online
AND I'M SURE I MISSED SOME!
Grunge @ Feb 7th 2007 3:28PM
Man, you guys sure have some huge dicks! I mean lists of exclusives!
PaulMorel @ Feb 7th 2007 4:19PM
@26, Phil:
"Wii:
Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime
What other A titles does Nintendo have coming out in 2007?"
Off the top of my head:
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
No More Heroes
Project HAMMER
Pokemon Battle Revolution
Disaster: Day of Crisis
Sonic and the Secret Rings (ok, this could suck, but so far it looks decent)
Mr Khan @ Feb 7th 2007 3:31PM
Say what you will (360, from a hardcore point of view, has a strong outlook for this year), but 360 does, like the Xbox suffer from genre disparity
How many AAA titles for 360 AREN'T realistic gorefests of some kind or other? 1, 2?
While 360 has a very strong lineup this year (I won't say best, because this is the year of Super Smash Bros Brawl and MGS4), it still suffers from genre disparity, which is its greatest weakness (2nd greatest weakness is Accessorizing, seriously, you get much more out of the Wii out of the box than you do the 360 Core model)
X @ Feb 7th 2007 3:34PM
Batman - Thank you! Now that is a list :)