Sony doubtful about future exclusivity with publishers

by James Ransom-Wiley { Aug 26th 2008 at 5:00PM }

PlayStation Europe boss David Reeves is on the verge of extending the long arm of Sony onto the mat and tapping out -- exclusivity is just getting too darned expensive. "I think we have to accept that exclusivity is not a thing of the past, but it is probably with publishers," Reeves told GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview. Of course, Reeves is only referring to the millions upon millions of cash money papers console manufactures might be expected to fork over to a publisher for exclusivity these days. There is still hope in striking deals with developers that haven't been scooped under a corporate umbrella. (See Quantic Dream, for example.) "[Developers] need a little bit of funding, external development," Reeves explained, "In exchange, it's exclusive -- that works."

Tags: david-reeves, exclusivity, sony

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Raikage (GOLDEN Gun Of The Patriots) @ Aug 26th 2008 5:06PM

Uh-Oh

.....

Night Elve @ Aug 26th 2008 5:26PM

That's it! MGS4 is so confirmed for 360.

WhoMe @ Aug 26th 2008 5:30PM

Uh-oh?

Good thing Sony has been cultivating their internal studios then.

Some companies do things differently and they remind me of goverments selling real estate and buildings only to hire them right back at astronomical prices, just to be in the black at the end of the year, not giving a shit about a few years later down the line.

But then some companies have deep, deep pockets.

Tiptup300 @ Aug 26th 2008 8:59PM

"You all are abuot to get f*cked by the long dick of the law."

The Doctor @ Aug 27th 2008 12:25AM

Uhoh as in Uhoh Joystiq is using the old uncanny screenshots which means 25% of the people who saw this post have gone insane by the time I type this.

*sob* I was too late.

atrimus @ Aug 26th 2008 5:14PM

go ahead and snap Quantic Dream Sony. and while you're at it, might as well snap up Level-5 and Media Molecule too.

Mr Khan @ Aug 26th 2008 5:17PM

If anyone were to snap up Level-5, it would be Square Enix, since they make the new Dragon Quests

Level-5 also did Nintendo's Professor Layton for the DS

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 26th 2008 5:19PM

I don't think Sony can snap up Level-5, because believe it or not, they have been a lot more succesful on Nintendo platforms than with Sony.

Just watch the high reviews and sales of Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Pandora's Box and Inazuma Eleven. And they are currently developing another entry in the P. Layton series...

... and of course, Dragon Quest IX. All those games for the Nintendo DS.

Noshino @ Aug 26th 2008 5:21PM

"Level-5 also did Nintendo's Professor Layton for the DS"

Professor Layton is a Level-5 IP...they have the rights, and they were the ones that published it on Japan, Nintendo is only publishing it in NA

Noshino @ Aug 26th 2008 5:26PM

Fernando,

"I don't think Sony can snap up Level-5, because believe it or not, they have been a lot more succesful on Nintendo platforms than with Sony."

Its not that they were more successful, its just that those titles themselves were already famous series (aside from Professor Layton)

Also out of all their new IPs, most of them are Sony funded ones...

White Knight Chronicles
Professor Layton Series
Rogue Galaxy
Dark Cloud series
Jeanne d'Arc

You want to note their success with Nintendo, I want to note the freedom that they have been given with Sony

Marty @ Aug 26th 2008 5:36PM

If Sony doesn't already own them, how would they have been given more freedom from Sony? As long as none of the console manufacturers own them, they are free to do whatever they want, and put games on whatever platform works for them.

atrimus @ Aug 26th 2008 5:41PM

fair enough Fernando. to be honest, Sony doesn't really need to acquire Level-5, since they have a solid enough working relationship as it is. i just don't want Microsoft getting its hands on Level-5 (kinda tired of Microsoft buying up everything); but given the animosity the two have with each other over True Fantasy Live Online, i seriously doubt we'll ever see Microsoft and Level-5 working together.

so, here's to Sony snapping up Quantic Dreams and Media Molecule ;-)

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 26th 2008 5:53PM

They have had more success on nintendo systems, but the better games were on sony systems. Now make Dark Cloud 3 please.

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 26th 2008 5:57PM

Well... Dragon Quest IX will be enough to surpass any Sony game that they have done.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 26th 2008 5:58PM

Nope, sorry.

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 26th 2008 6:00PM

Sorry, but yes.

atrimus @ Aug 26th 2008 6:03PM

are you talking sales, or quality Fernando? DQVIII still holds the crown as the highest-selling launch in Japan to date (if i'm not mistaking). DS' install base isn't quite where PS2's was when DQVIII released. now, if you're talking quality, well then, views of quality are subjective. personally i'm looking forward to WKC more than DQIX, but that's me. Dark Cloud 3 would also trump DQIX in my book...but again, that's just me. i'm sure neither of these games would sell more than DQIX, but i don't care about sales.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 26th 2008 6:08PM

Fernando, you're only excited because it's on the N6...I mean DS. You weren't nearly as excited for 8 I bet, seeing as it was on ps2 and whatnot.

It's just another mediocre handheld game, yawn. Move along.

Noshino @ Aug 26th 2008 6:28PM

Ah, I apologize Marty, I should have been more specific, what I meant by freedom is the fact that Sony has been funding their projects yet has not put any sort of restriction over their content or tried to impose anything.

That is something hard to come by, but lately many companies have been following that trend such as EA, but previously to me it seemed only 2 companies did, Capcom and after some time, Sony.

Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Aug 26th 2008 5:15PM

not surprising, especially since developers make more money on multiconsoles than sony could pay.

Vcize @ Aug 26th 2008 5:15PM

I thought Sony didn't pay for exclusives anyway, and hasn't been all along?

Or has it just been like it was with the first few big studios in the blu-ray/hd dvd war, and although they're not literally cutting them a check with their name on it they're still giving them extra development tools, marketing, and funding the development of the game behind the scenes instead?

Marty @ Aug 26th 2008 5:22PM

Giving devs who make exclusive games preferential treatment is the same thing as straight-up paying for exclusives themselves.

Vcize @ Aug 26th 2008 6:37PM

Indeed. It's just kind of hilarious to see "we don't pay for 3rd party exclusives" followed by "we're going to have less 3rd party exclusives because it's getting too expensive to keep them exclusive".

What they really should have said from the get-go, instead of "we don't pay for 3rd party exclusives" is "we do a sly job of hiding the way we pay for 3rd party exclusives".

Mr Khan @ Aug 26th 2008 5:16PM

This being the fault of the big gfx arms race that took place in the lead-in to this generation. The quantum jump in development costs made it so that publishers pretty much have to port to maximize their gains

TheAzureKnight @ Aug 26th 2008 5:19PM

So what exactly is sony saying here...are they throwing in the towel and just saying "fuck it" whoever wants a ps3 will buy a ps3 and we won't do anything to make our system stand out in terms of library and title games?

If so that says a lot about just how wrong this generation of gaming has gone for sony.

Yeah they won the HD format war but it's becoming more and more clear that their credibility in the gaming world has dropped considerably.

As for the MGS4 post...lol. That just screams that a port is coming to the 360. Personally I don't care about the series but it would be another blow to the arrogant sony fanboys so I'm all for it...

AlterEgo @ Aug 26th 2008 5:23PM

Wait...

How did you spin what he said into what you spun it into?

Marty @ Aug 26th 2008 5:34PM

Personally, I don't see how you go from the lead designer completely denying it to a virtual confirmation, but... I guess I've seen stranger things.

TheAzureKnight @ Aug 26th 2008 5:34PM

I'm not spinning anything. It's straight from the man's mouth.

He's saying that exclusivity from publishers is a thing of the past right?

Well my question is why does he think that? Furthermore I disagree with him.

There are plenty of companies who are willing to make 360 exclusives because MS has a system that the masses enjoy unlike sony.

Bottom line is that if the ps3 were doing as good as it should be doing given the ridiculous success of the ps2 then sony wouldn't be bitching about exclusive this and exclusive that.

I think FFXIII was pretty much the nail in the coffin for sony this generation. sony fanboys can scream all they want to about Uncharted, preach to the high heavens how LBP is the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ but the truth of the matter is that there are some core sony franchises that people associate with sony that have steadily defected to the 360 (and in some cases the Wii as well) over the last few years.

Games like R&C, MGS4, FFXIII, and God of War are the main staples of the playstation brand.

Now of course God of War isn't going anywhere and ultimately I might get a ps3 just for that game depending of it ps2 backwards compatibility is magically worked back into the system. And FFXIII is already CONFIRMED for the 360 so that's not a compelling reason to get a ps3 anymore for me.

In short what I'm trying to say is that when people say the ps3 has "no games" it's nto really that big a stretch. Yeah there a few decent titles on the system but nothing that screams, "DO WANT"

That's just my opinion on the whole thing though. I've got a Wii and Brawl is in itself worthy of the money I put down for it but even up to this VERY MOMENT I haven't found a single game on ps3 that makes me want to go out and spend money for it.

Lionbacker @ Aug 26th 2008 5:47PM

"There are plenty of companies who are willing to make 360 exclusives because MS has a system that the masses enjoy unlike sony."
What the hell? Plenty of people enjoy PS3's, myself included. I also enjoy my xbox 360 and my wii, but I play my PS3 the most. If you want to be taken seriously, it helps not to say dumb stuff like that.

"Now of course God of War isn't going anywhere"
God of War 3 was announced at E3. For more information, Wikipedia is your friend:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_War_III

"I think FFXIII was pretty much the nail in the coffin for sony this generation."

Only time will tell, but I doubt it. I wasn't planning on buying FFXIII, and I still won't. I'm just not that into JRPGs. I know a lot of people who have XBOX 360s, and they don't even know anything about FFXIII, and they won't buy it. I don't think that the announcement of FFXIII going multiplatform will have too much lasting effects on anything but the hardcore crowd.

LaughingTarget @ Aug 26th 2008 6:00PM

For a second there, I thought you said "defecated over to the 360."

pkpk523 @ Aug 26th 2008 6:05PM

@Azure
I'm going to start this by saying that this is a gaming site. The purpose is to give your opinions. So you are entitled to yours. And any opinion, if you can back it up is, to me, valid. But you have to do the same. You say there is nothing on PS3 that makes it really worth you going out and getting the system. But, for you, Smash Bros makes a Wii worth the price of admission. And that's fine. But me and others would disagree. Smash never was for me. And while the idea of innovation was enough to get me into the Wii craze at first, I've since sold it and the 10 games I had for it, as none of them were worth keeping the system, and my family got tired of it pretty fast. But for me, some of the games you mentioned-R&C, Uncharted, MGS4, and Mass Effect, Lost Odyssey for 360 make those systems worthwhile--again, for me. But to say that publishers make games for 360 because it appeals to the masses is not entirely true. In the end, these are businesses. They go where the money is at, and Microsoft is more willing to compensate for exclusives than Sony. Sony took the route of trying to develop more in house to maintain exlusives in that aspect rather than pay. Time will tell if that was a good move, but it makes some amount of sense to me. Nintendo doesn't really have to pay for the exclusives because the Wii is so popular and the specs are so much lower than the other 2 systems that developers still have to really seperate development for Wii games. What's the point of this rambling post? Only that all the consoles have different things to offer for different people depending on tastes, and it's foolish of you to say Sony bitches about exclusivity because it has a bad system.

Noshino @ Aug 26th 2008 6:12PM

You don't know when to give up huh? How many times have you been banned already?

"There are plenty of companies who are willing to make 360 exclusives because MS has a system that the masses enjoy unlike sony"

Unlike? so you mean that over 10 million customers is nothing?...ok

There are 2 reasons why I would see a company willing to make a 360 exclusive

a) they want money and MS has deep pockets...
b) the company wants to focus on just one game and their concept is with the 360 in mind

"Christ but the truth of the matter is that there are some core sony franchises that people associate with sony that have steadily defected to the 360 (and in some cases the Wii as well) over the last few years."

Most of the franchises that people associate to PS still with PS...yes, I know that some have gone exclusively to other systems, but you also make it seem as that those that are multiplatform are not available for the PS3, which isn't true (e.g. FFXIII, GTA4, etc)

Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Aug 26th 2008 10:01PM

its just premature asshat ... move along nothing to see here ... you can always tell by his anti ps3 tirades and the fact his screen names never have spaces ... idiot

el serpiente @ Aug 27th 2008 1:51AM

You can't polish a turd!

Maverick Saturn @ Aug 26th 2008 5:24PM

Not suprising, games are waaaaaayyy more expensive then they ever used to be, getting a million to stay exclusive was great back then considering your game cost hundreds or thousands to make, but when your game already costs millions or darn well close to it, that kind of pay cheque means nothing without a damn good reason why you should remain exclusive and the reassurance your game will sell like hotcakes and breakeven within less then a few months.

The only thing Sony can do is build relationships with developers now, cos we all know Microsoft will easily trump them in the cash department.

Phantom @ Aug 26th 2008 6:48PM

actually , sony would trump MS ..... easily , if every other department helped .

Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 26th 2008 8:16PM

@Phantom

Afraid not. MS has a lot more cash on hand than Sony. The electronics market often has thin profit margins whereas MS and their OS and office software business has fat profit margins with all the ridulously priced software and bank breaking licensing.

Arnon @ Aug 26th 2008 8:34PM

Microsoft by far.. has more money than SONY.. hell, the whole thing where they went to court was funny as hell.. They have more money than the Government, and were going to outlast them until the Govt. went broke.

Titanium_Orchid @ Aug 26th 2008 5:25PM

selective reading perhaps

Titanium_Orchid @ Aug 26th 2008 5:27PM

hmm, this was meant as a reply to AlterEgo's comment.

AlterEgo @ Aug 26th 2008 6:23PM

Caught it, and I believe that may have been the case.

Slayer @ Aug 26th 2008 5:37PM

Well this proves my earlier point. Like I said, do not be surprised when supposed exclusives go multi platform.

Jonah Falcon @ Aug 26th 2008 5:43PM

Microsoft doesn't feel exclusivity is a thing of a past - at least, they want limited time exclusivity, content exclusivity, and same day multiplatform.

j.howlett @ Aug 26th 2008 5:47PM

as long as the games i like keep coming

Kizzle @ Aug 26th 2008 5:59PM

This, coming from the company who just flushed all their PS2 profits down the drain with the PS3.

MS has no problems keeping up with buying exclusives, especially with the 360 now turning a profit for them.

Sounds like Sony knows they can't compete in this area. Good thing Blu-Ray wound up surviving the format war or they'd REALLY be in deep now.

Kodros @ Aug 26th 2008 6:25PM

"This, coming from the company who just flushed all their PS2 profits down the drain with the PS3."

You mean a company reinvested it's profits...wow.

Also, how about you go back and read that article again because your statement is incorrect. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/the-sony-reciprocal-ps3-losses-surpass-ps2-profits/

LaughingTarget @ Aug 26th 2008 8:16PM

Reinvesting - converting profits into a new product line for additional future profits. Doesn't involve generating negative company value.

Losses - Selling what you just reinvested into for less than what it costs to make.

Big difference in reinvesting and what Sony does.