Exclusives exist solely because console manufacturers can get away with them. It's as easy as that. As lots of people have pointed it out, it's just good business. It's capitalism at its most disgustingly cynical form; locking the creative product of a developer behind a hardware architecture. To illustrate how absurd this practice it, imagine a world where you can only watch Game of Thrones on HBO brand televisions, or you can only listen to Kanye West's music on his brand of mp3 players (which he would call the Kanye ex machina). No other form of media gets away with bullshit like this, because it is objectively crazy and no consumer would fall for it.

I believe it works with video games, because too many people still use gaming as the basis for their entire identity; they're not just people enjoying video games, they're "Xbots", or "the PC Master Race", or whatever the PS players call themselves ("Sony-ponies"?). As gaming is such a fundamental part of their identity, they need validation that “their tribe” is better than the others, just how a die-hard Republican / Democrat needs to be reminded they are the only “smart” voters, or an extremely religious person needs to be convinced that their god is the true god. Having great games locked to their platform of choice gives the gamers the self-affirmation they crave, all the while the manufacturer makes a killing with the easiest market monopoly since the De Beers convinced the world that diamonds are rare.

In an ideal world, consoles would sell based on their merit and quality of service they offer, not based on how many developers the manufacturer has in its pockets. Anyone outside of Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo shareholders who actively defend exclusive video games has the petulant mentality of a spoiled child who would rather have no one play, lest he/she is forced to share his/her favourite toy with the other children.

@Lulu_Lulu: Oh, the solution is simple! Petition Congress to bring a bill that outlaws exclusive content on video game consoles, because they are a monopoly. If nothing else we'll get a good laugh at Congressmen trying to pronounce "Wii U".

Historically when big business put up bullshit obstacles between consumers and content, you could rely on the consumers to become creative and eliminate the annoying middleman. In the dark ages of the 1970s and 1980s music producers' favorite way of making money was putting one good track on a cassette / CD and then filling the rest with lazy fillers. The consumer had no choice, but to pay for the entire CD just to be able to listen to that one track he liked. Consumers responded to this practice by a hearty "**** you" and opted for digital piracy. The market responded to this new trend and birthed iTunes, one of the most successful businesses right now.

Same goes for the movie / TV industry. Consumers wanted more control in acquiring content and now Netflix is putting Blockbuster out of business.

So, who knows? Maybe this trend will be killed by one of those Xbox One / PS4 emulators on PC people talked about back in 2013 (which is essentially your idea of all of gamingkind gathering under the banner of the "glorious PC master race"). Or maybe the technology behind Cloud Gaming will evolve to the point of the consumer benefiting from it, rather than Sony. Maybe one day we'll have gamer pirate ships travel the seven seas with massive PS4 and Xbox One server farms streaming console content to people and we can play anytime, anywhere we want with our Onlive boxes. (sorry, I've been playing AC4 too much)

If change is to come, it will have to come from the consumers' side. Manufacturers would be stupid to do anything to upset the status quo, as it showers them in money and they have to barely do anything for it.

On the other hand, maybe change will never come, because people are happy with the current situation. Certainly, if you look around the internet, or even these forums, you'll see people praising Sony for being able to secure such awesome exclusives for their system, while blaming Microsoft for not doing the same. Maybe the majority of gamers prefer the sense of superiority they feel when they plug in the Last of Us, secure in the knowledge that its only them who can play it.

I for one want to live in a world where every game is available on every platform and consoles are judged not by the color of their software, but the content of their hardware (and also world peace and pills that replace exercise).

Imagine a world where Spider-Man movies could only be watched in select Sony theatres, where Games of Thrones would only air through HBO television sets, or where bored housewives could only read Fifty Shades of Grey on Vintage Books trademarked paper™. Restricting creative content (the software) based on its carrier (the hardware) is the most ludicrous idea in any industry… that is, with the exception of video games.

It’s a good idea from a business point of view. What better way to incite customers than saying “Hey, you want this awesome game? Come and play it on my console and no one else’s.” It’s the kind of low-input, high-output scheme that gives shareholders wet dreams. And shareholders, corporate bigwigs and CEOs should be the only people to be aroused by something like this.

Right now, for the privilege of being able to pay for most of the best games this console cycle, I need to fork out at least $2,000 on separate devices. How is that good for me, the consumer? What other emotion should I feel in this situation other than impotent rage? Well, according to the internet I should be fucking ecstatic that even though I don’t get to play Quantum Break, at least those “Xboners” won’t get to play Uncharted 4. Try as I might, that does not give me much joy. I would very gladly share Uncharted or the Last of Us with Xbox owners if they give me Halo.

Exclusive games are still the most important factor when choosing a console for the majority of people. I get that. You don’t want to miss out on the great content. But the thing us, unless you have enough disposable cash to buy a used car (or a PS4 in Brazil) you are going to miss out, no matter what you choose.

From a gamer’s point of view there is no reason whatsoever to be excited about console exclusivity. The fanboyism it has created translates to “The multinational mega-corporation I’m giving all my money to is better than your multinational mega-corporation!” and sound exactly as ridiculous. I don’t know if its brilliant PR, or that humans inherently want to belong to one group and hate another, but I don’t believe that console exclusivity should be anything to be happy about as a gamer.

I see console exclusivity as the laziest way possible to keep people interested in your product. After all, why bother putting effort and money into improving a console if you can just pay developers to make games accessible only to your hardware. Hell, if you open them up the Xbox One and Playstation 4 are essentially the same. People don’t buy consoles anymore because of their comfortableness, ease of use, durability, customer service, etc. They just buy based on which of the companies managed to lock down more content exclusively to their platform.

By using their money, influence and corporate bullshit, manufacturers are rigging the system, creating an arbitrary monopoly on games for their systems only. It’s such a blatant abuse of the free market principle, Adam Smith came back from the dead to hang himself. And we cheer them on, because damn those Xboners, they’ll never get our The Last of Us!

I guess what I’m trying to say: buy your exclusives used, kids… don’t encourage this unhealthy practice.

Imagine a world where Spider-Man movies could only be watched in select Sony theatres, where Games of Thrones would only air through HBO television sets, or where bored housewives could only read Fifty Shades of Grey on Vintage Books trademarked paper™. Restricting creative content (the software) based on its carrier (the hardware) is the most ludicrous idea in any industry… that is, with the exception of video games.

It’s a good idea from a business point of view. What better way to incite customers than saying “Hey, you want this awesome game? Come and play it on my console and no one else’s.” It’s the kind of low-input, high-output scheme that gives shareholders wet dreams. And shareholders, corporate bigwigs and CEOs should be the only people to be aroused by something like this.

Right now, for the privilege of being able to pay for most of the best games this console cycle, I need to fork out at least $2,000 on separate devices. How is that good for me, the consumer? What other emotion should I feel in this situation other than impotent rage? Well, according to the internet I should be fucking ecstatic that even though I don’t get to play Quantum Break, at least those “Xboners” won’t get to play Uncharted 4. Try as I might, that does not give me much joy. I would very gladly share Uncharted or the Last of Us with Xbox owners if they give me Halo.

Exclusive games are still the most important factor when choosing a console for the majority of people. I get that. You don’t want to miss out on the great content. But the thing us, unless you have enough disposable cash to buy a used car (or a PS4 in Brazil) you are going to miss out, no matter what you choose.

From a gamer’s point of view there is no reason whatsoever to be excited about console exclusivity. The fanboyism it has created translates to “The multinational mega-corporation I’m giving all my money to is better than your multinational mega-corporation!” and sound exactly as ridiculous. I don’t know if its brilliant PR, or that humans inherently want to belong to one group and hate another, but I don’t believe that console exclusivity should be anything to be happy about as a gamer.

I see console exclusivity as the laziest way possible to keep people interested in your product. After all, why bother putting effort and money into improving a console if you can just pay developers to make games accessible only to your hardware. Hell, if you open them up the Xbox One and Playstation 4 are essentially the same. People don’t buy consoles anymore because of their comfortableness, ease of use, durability, customer service, etc. They just buy based on which of the companies managed to lock down more content exclusively to their platform.

By using their money, influence and corporate bullshit, manufacturers are rigging the system, creating an arbitrary monopoly on games for their systems only. It’s such a blatant abuse of the free market principle, Adam Smith came back from the dead to hang himself. And we cheer them on, because damn those Xboners, they’ll never get our The Last of Us!

I guess what I’m trying to say: buy your exclusives used, kids… don’t encourage this unhealthy practice.