Which System Still Has the Best Exclusive Lineup?

[MechDeus]

I think we should make a list about what makes this list thread special.

[Will]

I don't want to get into some of the reaches beyond the non-exclusives. Are you arguing that the PS3 or 360 is the answer to the question the thread poses?

Why would they not be though?

Granted some of this kind of just boils down to preference but they're just as legitimate.

[Yoshi]

They might be, which is why I asked the question, but as soon as you decided to include a bunch of non-exclusives, the debate became a lot more difficult. Personally, I think the timing aspect makes them less interesting as choices, because obviously there has been no opportunity for re-releases, but that doesn't mean they may not be valid if evaluated on an apples-to-apples basis.

[Will]

This topic was crazily defined anyway. "Best console with all sorts of rules for what counts as exclusive". The thread was saved because it turned into 'what good exclusives existed on each system', I actually learned about a bunch.

I thought Will's post was fine. Don't really agree with some groupings, but it compared what was on both current gen systems.

Unless you think it was more on topic when discussing personal preference for castlevania games.

Yeah I mean some comparisons just aren't going to be exactly 1:1 between the two systems and admittedly some of the groupings don't even have the same play styles but I tried my best to match them as current gen games that are closest to each other either in draw (AAA system sellers), gameplay style, or thematic content.

For example, the PS3 had a stronger presence of current gen platformers with the Ratchet & Clank Future Trilogy/Sly Cooper games compared to the 360's library of exclusive platformers which are a lot more quirky in nature and are less in number so I had to find a way to equalize them and used some XBLA games which I think is still perfectly valid given that they're really good titles and it shouldn't necessarily matter that they're Live Arcade titles.

They might be, which is why I asked the question, but as soon as you decided to include a bunch of non-exclusives, the debate became a lot more difficult. Personally, I think the timing aspect makes them less interesting as choices, because obviously there has been no opportunity for re-releases, but that doesn't mean they may not be valid if evaluated on an apples-to-apples basis.

Well since your qualifier of the PC not counting as a system is in effect I figured that wouldn't really affect the "non-exclusives" a.k.a console exclusives being listed on the 360 side which really only help the system more because outside of PC that's the only way you'll be able to play them and are complementary to the 360's platform exclusives.

I get what you're saying in that the current systems are still too fresh to compare libraries and we don't know what games will be getting re-releases down the line but going forward backwards compatibility isn't really going to factor in as much as it has in the past and I don't have lot of faith in say PS4's promises to stream games on Gaikai given that I think we're still too far away from that being well implemented for at least 5-10 years.

There's also the PSN/XBLA area to consider which has a lot of classic titles to choose from like PSN's Castlevania Chronicles/SoTN/Metal Gear Solid and XBLA's HD versions of Treasure's Guardian Heroes/Radiant Silvergun/Ikaruga.

[Yoshi]

Well since your qualifier of the PC not counting as a system is in effect I figured that wouldn't really affect the "non-exclusives" a.k.a console exclusives being listed on the 360 side which really only help the system more because outside of PC that's the only way you'll be able to play them and are complementary to the 360's platform exclusives.

The PC couldn't count as a unique system, because it would have killed the thread. It has 30 years of exclusives to draw from. It absolutely still counts for whether something is exclusive or not.

I get what you're saying in that the current systems are still too fresh to compare libraries and we don't know what games will be getting re-releases down the line but going forward backwards compatibility isn't really going to factor in as much as it has in the past and I don't have lot of faith in say PS4's promises to stream games on Gaikai given that I think we're still too far away from that being well implemented for at least 5-10 years.

There's also the PSN/XBLA area to consider which has a lot of classic titles to choose from like PSN's Castlevania Chronicles/SoTN/Metal Gear Solid and XBLA's HD versions of Treasure's Guardian Heroes/Radiant Silvergun/Ikaruga.

All of the PSN/XBLA stuff you mentioned just reduces the pool of exclusives, mostly on the PS1 and Saturn. There are a handful of games that are exclusive to PSN/XBLA though and some that fall under the only home version provision, I think.

[Will]

The PC couldn't count as a unique system, because it would have killed the thread. It has 30 years of exclusives to draw from. It absolutely still counts for whether something is exclusive or not.

Well it's your thread so if you're going to discount the console exclusives that have PC versions then that's fine, I think there's a general consensus that sees it that way anyway. But when in comes to this area in general I would argue that not everyone has PC's that can run these games well and if it's not available on the other competing main console then it's not a complete non-exclusive either.

Nevermind some of the caveats some of the PC releases have like Splinter Cell Conviction having DRM attatched to it in order to play.

All of the PSN/XBLA stuff you mentioned just reduces the pool of exclusives, mostly on the PS1 and Saturn. There are a handful of games that are exclusive to PSN/XBLA though and some that fall under the only home version provision, I think.

Which I think helps the case for the current systems being included at least a bit more.

[Yoshi]

Well it's your thread so if you're going to discount the console exclusives that have PC versions then that's fine, I think there's a general consensus that sees it that way anyway. But when in comes to this area in general I would argue that not everyone has PC's that can run these games well and if it's not available on the other competing main console then it's not a complete non-exclusive either.

Nevermind some of the caveats some of the PC releases have like Splinter Cell Conviction having DRM attatched to it in order to play.

I don't have a 360, so every PS3 game is now exclusive by that logic. What people own has zero impact on what is exclusive and what isn't. In fact, one of the points of the thread is to give a list of the critical few systems to own with limited space, budget, etc.

Which I think helps the case for the current systems being included at least a bit more.

Totally agree.

[Will]

I don't have a 360, so every PS3 game is now exclusive by that logic. What people own has zero impact on what is exclusive and what isn't. In fact, one of the points of the thread is to give a list of the critical few systems to own with limited space, budget, etc.

Okay so if you want a list of a few critical systems with limited space, budget, etc. that's still all highly dependent on either what you already own or how many eggs you want in one basket.

Keep in mind that I'm not arguing that 360 games that have PC versions are equal to say PS3 exclusives because obviously that's not the case if it's on another platform people can potentially buy. However my argument for these middle of the road exclusives is that for a system like the 360 it's more of an additive thing.

[Yoshi]

I understand, but that's a different topic, something like "which system has the best overall library" or something along those lines. And that one's been done 1,000 times across the internet.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

Someone needs to package this thread and sell it as a cure for insomnia.