Well, here we go again.  Once again, Sony has yet another once exclusive game slipping through the cracks onto the competition.  Well, actually two, if you count Ace Combat (although it was never announced for PS3, it has always been a series that was on Sony platforms).  Believe what you may about the Devil May Cry series, but its hard to argue against the fact that is one of the most well-known and well-loved action adventure games on the planet.  The first game was a breath of fresh air.  The second one was a poor excuse for a sequel, but the 3rd one was a true return to form that should have happened in the second game.  When you talk about action game heroes, Dante, the main character of DMC, ranks right up there with the likes of Kratos, Snake, and Ryu.  So its no wonder why this is such a big deal for the Microsoft camp that the next installment in the series will be coming to the 360. 

Its been really interesting seeing the developments that have occurred across net message boards about this.  There have been a lot of "I told you so's" from 360 fans as well as some 360 fans who at one time bashed the game now instead are all of a sudden pushing the game as "the end of Sony."  On the other end of the system wars, some Sony supporters are turning their backs on the series.  "It was never that good anyway, its not a real loss to Sony."  Maybe overall, it isn't a huge loss to Sony.  However, if you look at the overall message that this sends, it could have bigger implications than some may realize.

Capcom has been on a roll lately.  Both Lost Planet and Dead Rising have sold very well on the Microsoft 360 console.  And although the Devil May Cry series has been a staple in the Sony library of games, it doesn't take rocket science to see why it was a good business decision to move this game to a console with an as of now larger installed base as well as a demographic that seems to really like their games.  Is it hard to believe that a proven franchise like Devil May Cry for the 360 will not sell as well or better than the other two games?  I'd say its a good bet that it will.  And with a side by side release with the PS3 version, you can almost guarantee better sells on the Microsoft side.

Despite what 360 fanboys may think, Devil May Cry going multiplatform does not mean the end of Sony.  It will take a lot more than that.  However, this current trend of slipping exclusives is not making anything better.  And day by day, it seems more likely that about 95% of third party releases will be multiplatform before this gen is over. 

How is this bad for Sony?  Well, let's take into account that if you look at the past 2 generations, Sony's massive sales come off of the success of big 3rd party support.  This support was massive, and is what drove the Sony brands of consoles to the top of the heep.  Microsoft nor Nintendo had anywhere close to the type of support that Sony had, and Microsoft on started to gain a tiny bit of steam towards the end of the last generation.  Because of this, Sony's success was secure.  Now however, Sony doesn't have the stranglehold on developer support that they used to.  Little by little, Microsoft is evening the field, and games that once would be only on a Sony console, or have timed exclusivity, are slipping away. 

Let's look at the games.  Assasins creed:  once labled Sony exclusive, now seeing simultaneous release on the 360 and PS3.  Virtua Fighter 5:  seeing a delayed release on the 360.  Devil May Cry 4:  PS3, 360 simultaneous release.  Ace Combat 6:  Currently 360 only.  Grand Theft Auto IV: PS3, 360 simultaneous release.  Unreal Tournament 3:  PS3, 360 simultanous release, once thought PS3 exclusive.  I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

In the meantime, while Sony is loosing exclusives, Microsoft isn't really loosing anything.  Of course you could argue that PS3 is getting Oblivion, Saints Row, and Enchanted Arms from Microsoft, who actually believed that these games weren't going to go multiplatform? Also, when Oblivion was first in development, it was already listed as coming to both consoles. 

The more things go multiplatform, the more Sony should be worried.  When it comes to games, the cheaper system will win in the end if there aren't any real separating factors.  Why spend 600 + bucks to play Madden 08, one of the top selling games amongst casual gamers, when you spend 300-400 to play the same game? No level-headed gamer would.  Exclusives are becomeing harder to come by, and the more the year rolls on, the more both sides are starting to equal out.  For every Motorstorm, God or War, Resistance, and Gran Turismo on PS3, you'll get a Halo, Forza, Gears of War, and Mass Effect (if it lives up to the hype). 

If this is showing us anything, its that No 3rd party game is safe from the juggernaut that is multiplatform.  And the more this becomes a reality, the more this gen favors Microsoft, especially if multiplatform games continue to see delays on the PS3 as they have been recently.  Don't think Metal Gear and Final Fantasy are coming to the 360?  Well, as of right now, no one can say for sure whether that will be fact or fiction.  But with the recent trend, only the blindest of the blind fanboys say with confidence that these games are safe.