I’m with you on that one, under Microsoft there’s a legitimate opportunity for new and interesting things to come out of these acquisitions and for these studios to grow or improve under Microsoft, and fail or succeed they are indeed ultimately taking financially responsibility for them at the end of the day. While exclusivity contracts may arguably help fund smaller games productions - when you’re talking about Final Fantasy or exclusive content in Call of Duty that isn’t the case. Final Fantasy would keep coming out and Call of Duty would keep getting new content. There is no advantage to it, they’re only paying to ensure a portion of the market does not get that content.
It’s funny, because I saw someone once argue that if Microsoft continues down the path they’re going they’ll dominate the market and start using their position to raise prices and cut out their competitors. Isn’t that already what Playstation is doing? Microsoft cannot compete in exclusivity deals when they are the smaller platform. Take Final Fantasy, the console split was 79%-21% in Playstations favour on the last mainline entry to launch on both platforms. I don’t know how much Sony is paying Square to cut out 21% of their market for Final Fantasy VII Remake, but it’s going to be a LOT less than it’d cost Microsoft to cut out 79% of it. And raising prices? Yup. They’re doing that too.
If exclusives are doing 10-20 million, excluding how many people that also play it on the second hand market then I would say it’s still a sizeable chunk!
Especially when way more Switch have been sold and some of the Nintendo exclusives struggle to reach 10-15m too, for example:
Luigi’s Mansion 3 did 11.4 million
Mario Party Superstars did 6.8 million.
Mario Strikers Battle League did 2 million.
Kirby and the Forgotten Lands did 4.5 million
Pokémon Legends Arceus did 12 million.
If anything you could make the counter argument that the attach ratio for exclusives on Switch is smaller.
Yes Mario Kart and Animal Crossings have done 30m+ but they are normally bundled with the console (e.g. MK was bundled with my Switch).
you are ignoring the fact a lot those games are bundled with the PS4/5 (like spiderman was bundelled with the PS4 for 3 years). I am not saying that they have no affect, that would be stupid, but its definitely not the leading reason (look at the install bases as a clear sign of that). Most people buying either are doing it for multiplats lol
Nintendo is an isolated situation in my opinion (granted it proves it is possible regardless) but it is Sony’s probably. They are the outlayer here when it comes to negatively affecting them strongly
Nintendo’s record when their offering was “exclusives”:
N64 – 33m units
GameCube – 22m units
Wii U – 14m units
I will say out of the three, they are the ones who most sell plenty of their consoles on the back of their exclusive IP but there is enough evidence to suggest they alwas had to offer more, much more than exclusives to hugely succeed with their offerings.
to an extent yes but the N64 and gamecube were just around when they began losing 3rd party support so for at least the N64 I think it is an unfair comparision (granted I could see the gamecube) and the wii u had piss poor marketing but my point was more, do you think anyone is buying a switch for fifa or bioshock or something like that
No but it’s also not just or mainly the exclusives. Nintendo are brilliant at coming up with a gimmick hook, the hybrid portable/console with the Switch, the motion controls with the Wii, the multiple portables they had. Those things did more for the consoles success than the exclusives they had.
I want to push back on your point here about it being extreme to call it a “Sony cult”. They will literally call for your doxing, threaten you with violence. I’ve experienced it.
My address wasn’t posted thankfully. But multiple posts were made asking for it. Then those posts all had likes. Not to mention that funny Sony “humor” of posting guns over and over. Then dozens of people telling me to hit my 5 year old kid for not liking the PS5. Such funny guys.
to an extent I guess but it was also the reason for the wii u’s failure and sometimes it just felt tagged on cos we need a gimmick like the 3DS which aside from 3D land I can’t think of any games that meaningfully used the 3D but fair argument, it is a part of Nintendo’s success 100% (like the wii wouldn’t of been the monster hit it was without the motion controls)
I think the number of Switches bought because there are young kids in the household is pretty significant. Doesn’t mean mom, dad and older siblings won’t use it also to some extent. This is purely based on what I see around me, but I would be surprised to find it’s unique to my circles.
There is also people like me who are curious enough about the exclusives to buy one, but it’s mostly my nephews who plays on it.
This of course doesn’t mean that is the majority or anything but it’s a very good niche for Nintendo.
