I'm sure you've heard the arguments before. Quite often a PC gamer or Sony fanboy will try to put down the 360 by saying that the majority of 360 exclusives end up on the PC, and that this means the console does not really have any exclusives. The common retort from a 360 gamer would be that since the game is not available on any other consoles, it is 360 exclusive in terms of console gaming, or that since it is only available through Games for Windows, it is a Microsoft exclusive and therefore just as effect as a normal 360 exclusive. So, who is right? There's no definitive answer, as it comes down to perspective and which platforms are involved in the debate.

Before I address that issue though, I'd like to point out the fact that comparing exclusives is not a fanboy act as some people believe. Unless you own or plan on owning all three consoles, exclusive games are going to be a determining factor for which console you will buy. A typical consumer will think, "I have to choose between three products, so which is going to offer the best experience? What does each console have going for it that the others don't?" and exclusive games play a part in this decision making process.

So, a PS3 fanboy might tell you not to get a 360 based on the fact that it has no exclusives. This is not always a fair statement as the console only truly lacks exclusives if you are a PC gamer. If you are trying to decide whether you want to choose a gaming PC over a 360, then yes, the PC/360 exclusive argument would be valid. But, if you were trying to argue for the choosing of a PS3 or Wii over a 360, the 360 exclusives that end up on PC are irrelevant. The fact is, while the games may also be available on the PC, they are not available on the competitor's consoles, and therefore in terms of consoles are indeed exclusive.

My point here is that there is no reason to claim the 360 does not have any exclusives in the console realm. Yes, its games do tend to wind up on PC, but unless you play games on a PC, this does not matter as I have pointed out. Are you going to choose not to buy a 360 because it "does not have exclusives" even though you don't plan on gaming on a PC? No, you're going to choose a 360 over a PS3 because its exclusives (ie, the games available on the 360 that are not available on the PS3) are better suited to your interests.

Do yourselves a favour and do not get too caught up in exclusivity. It is not about brand loyalty, it is about choosing a system that has the games you want to play. I like Halo, Mass Effect, Gears of War, etc, and the 360 allows me to play these games where the PS3 and Wii do not, therefore I will choose the 360 over the others (if my choice is limited to one console). Yes, I could also play those games on the PC, but I'm not a PC gamer and do not wish to spend the time and money building a gaming rig, so the 360 is still the obvious choice. That should the typical, non-biased decision making process a consumer makes before purchasing a console. Don't get caught up in brand loyalty or fanboyism, it is ultimately baseless and silly.