“If Mario Begins To Present Up On PlayStation, That is The Apocalypse, Proper?” – Ex-PlayStation Boss Thinks Console Exclusives Are Nonetheless Necessary

We discover ourselves in an uncommon place relating to console exclusives nowadays.

As soon as upon a time, titles like Halo, Forza, Demise Stranding, and God of Warfare would have been playable solely on {hardware} produced by their respective house owners. Nonetheless, in the present day, Microsoft is releasing its video games on PS5, whereas Sony is comfortable for its main lights to hit PC.

Nintendo stays steadfast in its dedication to true exclusives, nonetheless, and ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden thinks that is the correct strategy, regardless of the market seemingly heading within the different course.

Talking on the Pause for Thought podcast, Layden addressed the subject of platform exclusives and says he feels they’re nonetheless essential (thanks, Genki):

“I don’t assume each recreation needs to be console unique. I don’t assume each recreation ought to be console unique, however I do settle for the truth that should you’re going to have platform corporations like Sony and Nintendo largely. Microsoft is extra of the Xbox in every single place, wherever. There’s a big worth to the model of getting sturdy exclusives.

If Mario begins to indicate up on PlayStation, that’s the apocalypse, proper? Cats and canines residing collectively. And the identical goes for Nathan Drake and Uncharted. I feel they make the platform sing.”

Layden makes one other good level in relation to exclusives – they push the host platform to its restrict:

“And naturally the opposite factor with multiplatform, that I’m positive most individuals notice, is that once you do code throughout a number of platforms you do should code to the bottom widespread denominator. However should you do exclusives you’ll be able to push each lever to 11 in that platform.”