BioShock headed to the PlayStation 3--is exclusivity dying?

Big Daddy on your PS3

After countless rumors, it appears that last year's underwater dystopian masterpiece, BioShock, will see the light of day on the PlayStation 3 after all. The critically acclaimed title had recently been in the news regarding its big-budget Hollywood adaptation.

Now, Computers and Videogames is reporting that the latest issue of the UK magazine PSM3 is showcasing a preview of the PS3 version of the game along with a handful of screenshots. While there's been no word from 2K Games officially, once the magazine hits newsstands on June 5 we'd imagine a press release will follow shortly after.

This is great news for the Sony console, as BioShock was originally an exclusive for the Xbox 360 and PC. This is not the first game to lose exclusivity with the 360, as Lost Planet found its way on the PS3 last January--albeit over an entire year after its initial release. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shared a similar fate, showing up on the PS3 about a year after its Xbox 360 debut. Rumors have also been tossed around about the sci-fi RPG Mass Effect appearing on the PS3 as well.

In an industry where software exclusivity traditionally dictates console sales, factors like online services and additional hardware features may begin to take supremacy as top selling points.

Is console exclusivity long for this world? Tell us what you think.

[sleavestherabbit]

Now that the costs of developing these games have gone sky high, developers can't afford not to distribute their titles on as many platforms as possible.

[Waam]

By the looks of it, it looks like the 360 is losing all it's exclusives and the PS3 still has it's monster games all to itself. Hardly fair, but I think thats the reason why the PS3 is taking over right now.

[C433Z]

ps3 taking over? umm, why haven't i heard of this?

[TheGearbox]

To Waam, so I guess Haze is a good example?

The pay off for Exclusive rights just doesn't pay off anymore. Devs can get much more money releasing games on multiple consoles.

[make_or_break]

To have games migrate across platforms, the games FIRST have to be WORTH moving over. The PS3 still doesn't have many (or any, some would argue) exclusive game titles that are worth the effort of cross-platforming, either to the 360 or PC...or even to the Wii, if it came down to that.

As for the 360 losing its exclusive rights to games...the key aspect is that games like Bioshock and Elder Scrolls still had a long head start on the 360, and that for many gamers (at least those who don't hate on Microsoft), any import of wanting the game will have already passed. If you've played the game already, what incentive do you have to buy it again for the PS3, or for that matter, wait a year before you even get the chance to buy it for the Sony?

Sony needs to do a better job of developing its own exclusive library, or at the very least get quality publishers to commit all of those must-have releases to launch on both platforms at the same.

[Macajuel]

In response to make_or_break,

One of the main reasons I have not bought an Xbox 360 (apart from epic failure rates) is the fact that many of the 360 exclusives that I'd want to play either launch simultaneously on the PC or show up anyway a year or two later. When games launch a year later on PC, etc, gamers usually benefit from improvements and additional content that 360 users would never get.

I held out on purchasing Bioshock for the PC because of the SecuRom problem and came very close to pre-ordering Mass Effect for the PC until word got out that it was going to come with SecuRom as well. So what's my only other alternative? The PS3 of course........I for one am excited that both Mass Effect and Bioshock are coming out for the PS3. And unlike the 360, it's unlikely that many PS3 exclusives (like Final Fantasy etc) will go the way of multiplatform release.

[C433Z]

yup, none of the ps3 exclusive go away. just like GTA4 and Devil May Cry 4.

[Mikeybabes]

Macajuel has hit the nail right on the head. Who on this forum doesn't have a decent spec PC? I am not a fanboy unlike some others who would like to knock the PS3 for it's so called lack of games, but why get a console who's so called exclusives all come out on the PC, which I can typically play on a better graphics card with additional features. And I am only talking games, not other features like Blu-ray etc.

[ding2112]

It will be sheer stupidity on the part of the developer to put his eggs in one basket. Why limit the profit in a single platform? Gamers demand a lot and they will try, if possible, the same game in another platform to enjoy additional features that other platforms do not offer.
And hey, if I see other platforms are doing well, I better be there as well.

[mr_gouda]

The handheld market is still loaded with exclusive titles. Looking at the libraries for the DS and PSP, there are tons of games that will never appear on both consoles. Perhaps it's because many DS games utilize the touch screen and PSPs don't have one. And PSPs have an analog stick where DS doesn't. Many games can't be ported to both systems because of the vast hardware differences of both machines.

Also, the cost of developing a simple portable game is only a fraction of what it costs to develop for the PS3 or 360. So, companies don't have to sell as many copies of a game to make money.