The new Dragon Age: Inquisition Jaws of Hakkon DLC proves that timed exclusivity isn’t just about the games, it’s also about DLC and other content.
Playing games with our games
With timed exclusivity, both companies found a way to get around that chance gamble.
All they have to do is buy the right to host the game on their console first, which pushes console sales and fuels the “fanboy wars” competition that’s been so good for business thus far.
These partnership deals have proven to be effective motivators for console purchases. One of the most important things to consider when buying a PS4 or Xbox One is their respective games lineup, and an exclusive can help bolster the decision.
The only problem is that these partnerships and deals sometimes come as a surprise. The Dragon Age: Inquisition DLC announcement was a shocker, and who knows what exploitative new announcements await us at this year’s E3 Expo?
Timed exclusivity is good for business and good for the companies, but it isn’t good for consumers. It’s a strange mix of unfamiliar territory that ensures the highly profitable consumer wars continue (Xbox One fans vs. PS4 gamers) at the detriment of gamers themselves, who are locked out of content as a result of business politics that they have no control over.
Games companies are playing a very real game here with timed exclusivity, and if they keep pushing their luck, they might find themselves out of 1up’s eventually.
Bloodborne represents one of Sony’s big exclusive bets, and it looks to be paying off in dividends.
Exclusives aren’t dead, just fading
It’s also important to remember that console exclusives aren’t dead and that they have a place in this new landscape.
From Software’s mega-hit Bloodborne proves that, as does The Order: 1886 and Halo 5: Guardians. But when it comes to established third-party AAA games we’ll likely see them all go multi-platform and consider some sort of partnership exclusivity deal with either console-maker.
If anything the original exclusives are just fading. It’s important to have games you can’t play anywhere else, but it isn’t always lucrative, so the execs look into better options. Remember, it’s not about serving consumers or even entertaining them–it’s about making money.
Timed exclusives create an atmosphere of unease, aggravation and fuel the dreaded fanboy wars that seem to be so good for business.
Exploiting the players
So far the timed exclusivity has done nothing but piss gamers off while lining the pockets of big-name companies, who are making a killing off of hype, game sales, and now cutting off access to content.
The big problem with the new warped exclusivity is that it fosters and enables an exploitative consumer base where gamers have no power.
No one’s ever sure when timed exclusivity will strike; the Jaws of Hakkon DLC proves that it can happen any time, anywhere. You never know when content in your favorite game will be locked off because you don’t have a specific console.
Even if you own both an Xbox One and PlayStation 4, you can’t get past timed exclusivity without buying the same games across both platforms. And really, that’s what Sony, Microsoft and all of the publishers want you to do, don’t they?
Also imagine buying a Season Pass for a game, then being denied instant access because the DLC is timed exclusive? Could that even happen? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprise at this point.
In any case, hopefully publishers, developers and console-makers will improve transparency over timed exclusivity.
Holding back details like this is extremely shady, and gamers hate every second of it. It’s important to tell gamers beforehand if content will be locked or exclusive, so they can make informed decisions before they buy.
This new age of gaming is quite exploitative, and really does strip all power away from consumers. Pre-orders are opened up for games that get delayed twice over, exploitative micro-transactions run rampant, and now we don’t even know if we’ll be locked out of content when we buy a game.
For more on how timed exclusivity is changing the landscape of the gaming industry, check out our coverage of why console exclusivity is fading.
