PS3 boss says Microsoft hampering progress with Xbox 360 exclusive DLC
Ray Maguire, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK, indicated in a recent interview that Microsoft is hampering progressing by paying for exclusive content. Last year, Microsoft paid 2K Games an amount equal to that of a small country’s GDP to prevent the PS3 from receiving downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV.
Since it is almost impossible to pay for exclusive third party games nowadays, Microsoft has gotten into the habit of paying obscene amounts of money to prevent downloadable content (DLC) from appearing on other platforms, such as the PS3. Microsoft has also announced that exclusive DLC will be out for Fallout 3 and Tomb Raider: Underworld.
In an interview with Videogamer, Maguire states:
“Obviously, what we have to do is make sure that our business plan is adhered to and we have the amount of money to invest in games rather than investing in stopping other people making games and progressing. So I would much rather that we were investing money into making sure that we’ve got great R&D and we start producing games like LittleBigPlanet, rather than paying other people a huge amount of money to stop people playing their product.”
Even though I am not a big fan of exclusive DLC, I am not quite sure what Maguire meant by “..investing in stopping other people making games and progressing.” Progressing to bring content to other platforms (PS3), or progressing the developer’s original vision and intent? Could Maguire mean that exclusive DLC is hampering progress in general in the video game industry?
However, it is a bit ironic that a Sony boss would say that after a Sony rep revealed that Mirror’s Edge will be getting PS3 exclusive DLC. Ultimately, Maguire’s point seems to indicate that the PS3 will eventually in due course, receive all of the exclusive DLC Microsoft has tied up.
He states, “One thing to remember: nothing is ever exclusive. Things get wrapped up for a period of time for a large amount of money and if it’s a strategic decision by competition to do that then we have to live with that.”
We have talked in length about the effects platform exclusive DLC could have on console sales. If you read our previous story, we came to the conclusion that platform exclusive DLC has no bearing whatsoever on the consumer’s decision to buy the game for one platform versus another.
In conclusion, it seems that the overall net result of paying millions of dollars to secure exclusive DLC for a platform is it just prevents gamers on other platforms from enjoying extra content. There are no other real benefits to the publisher or the hardware manufacturer.
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25 Responses to “PS3 boss says Microsoft hampering progress with Xbox 360 exclusive DLC”
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October 31st, 2008
Mirror’s Edge was developed from ground-up on the PS3, and the developers actually implemented to put exclusives in the game. There has not been a word of Sony writing checks to EA to prevent it from coming to the 360. Contact DICE for clarification …
October 31st, 2008
I still think Sony is making the right choice here. Instead of paying millions to get exclusive DLC for a set time, why not invest in another first party studio? A triple A exclusive title will always be worth more than an extra map/mission for a multiplatform title.
October 31st, 2008
I could care less because I have a 360 and they look after their customers and I like the fact I can get something the others won’t. It gives me bragging rights. But lets not forget that Sony was over ambitious this time around and focused on Bluray and forgot who thier customer was when the PS3 first launched. Even “Folding” came before games. I should sound like a broken record by now because I’ve said that so many times now But the truth is the truth. Microsoft is now teaching them how to play the game. As for the PS3 paying for DLC on Mirrors Edge, of course they did, but sony will never say they did just like how they never admitted they paid for Bluray to win hte format war.
October 31st, 2008
The expression is “I couldn’t care less”….think about it.
anyway
How’s this for bragging rights…The ps3 will have more 1st party games.
October 31st, 2008
Well said CAD.
October 31st, 2008
Well Said phranstoast.
October 31st, 2008
‘I have a 360 and they look after their customers’
Totally!
After they create a piece of trash that fails, they stump up the cash for extended warranties!
Sounds like MS thru and thru alright.
Bottom line for me, I don’t give a fk who pays for what, how much they pay, who they pay, what hole they take it in. Just give me the damn game.
If you really love games then DLC or game exclusivity probably doesn’t matter because you own, or are going to own all consoles anywhoos even if it means waiting a year or 2 for a price drop and then getting your games.
October 31st, 2008
I have to say, MS has looked after us. When the servers were up and down during Christmas, they gave us a game for free as compensation! This along with snatching some PS3 exclusives, i.e DMC4, FFXIII etc has made me appreciate the $$$ they’re spending on the 360.
SW, I am surprised that you of all people would say that the 360 is a piece of trash. I always thought of you as the most balanced poster here…
October 31st, 2008
Pranctoast
Of the numerious studios that Sony has under their belt you should be swimming in First Party Titles but I guess they still figuring out how to develope a game for the system.
October 31st, 2008
Pranctoast
Thanks for the grammer correction. I couldn’t care less.
October 31st, 2008
DLC isn’t exactly helping games at all, if you ask me.
ALL DLC comes about for 1 of 2 reasons. Either to tack something on for extra money or to make money by charging for a part of the game the developer thought should be included in the game anyway (so its not tacked on, but its gimping the game on purpose).
October 31st, 2008
Bah hahahaha….. listen to you xbots “Microsoft has looked after us” YES, microsoft has looked after you and has put you gamers first on their priority list. Take you blinkers off boyz.
Are you guys really that naive and blind….. pffft.
October 31st, 2008
@harry, how else am i supposed to respond to an over the top statement? Such as one that implies MS takes care of its customers and sony some how says ‘fk those guys, hahah losers’……
All they want is our money and for us to be REPEAT customers (all of them), they don’t give a fuck about us.
And yes the 360 has an overly loud drive and a higher than industry average failure rate, like I said in one of the other posts, mine hasn’t broken yet altho its one of the newer models.
As for DLC, what annoys me is that it seems like devs hold back on purpose now to make extra $$$
Take SC3, darth vader and yoda. Once platform excluive, now available for DLC for a few dollars WOW!!!!!
:D:D…..right so you couldn’t have given them us both from the start eh…
November 1st, 2008
Hi guys reading this forum for a while.
I was ps2 through and through but got 360 for the games and believe it or not the rumble back in the day when ps3 didn’t have it. Still holding off for ps3 if it ever steams ahead. It def has the potential but have to say 360 is good to the hardcore gamer. I love my games.
As for as this article goes sony would never have came out with these statements in the ps2 days. I’m glad to see they held on to MGS4 and Killzone though. Reminds me of the old SEGA and Nintendo days
November 1st, 2008
I say LET MS spend their money on exclusive DLC. Go ahead MS, don’t invest in games I might actually want to play (sorry, FPS’s bore me) and might get me to buy your console.
November 1st, 2008
I say Let MS spend their money too, it’s all good for 360 fans at the minute.
Sony needs to get the check book out if they want their key gamers back
November 1st, 2008
@ SW,
You mean a business wants money are repeat customers?? Damn them and their dodgy practices!
By providing exclusive 360 DLC among everything else, they are looking after their customers by giving them a better multiplatform experience over the PS3. By my books, that’s looking after their customers. And if the result of that is repeat business, then that goes to show that their initial investment was well worth the money.
November 1st, 2008
Exactly right CON.
November 1st, 2008
hahaa @ CAD “Of the numerious studios that Sony has under their belt you should be swimming in First Party Titles but I guess they still figuring out how to develop a game for the system.”
Spot on!
November 2nd, 2008
Harry we’re talking about two sides of the same coin here.
You can call it taking care of your customer, I call it a means to get your to give them more money. The corporation doesn’t care about you, only that you continue to purchasing thier product. There is no ‘love’ there.
November 2nd, 2008
Exactly SW. But they will spin it to be “Mother m$ looking after us”
Harry it is called m$ trying to dominate the business, as they try to do with all their ventures. They do it by throwing money at whoever they have to.
But you can call it “looking after us” if you really want to. The rest of us in the real world know better.
November 2nd, 2008
Boys boys, calm down, all I care about is that I am getting more bang for my buck with Microsoft than I would have if I had a PS3.
We’re not talking about companies loving their customers, we’re talking about a company giving their customers something that the competition doesn’t have.
There is no need to spin anything here. Microsoft did a legal business practice by securing exclusive stuff for their system. They are a business after all, and any advantage over the competition is paramount.
Anyway, at least they’re honest about buying DLC, unlike Sony. Sony went on and on about how they will never pay for DLC, but then announce that the PS3 version of Mirrors Edge will have it. Oops…. another lie from Sony? Seriously guys, how long is it going to take before you stop gobbling their bullshit and rebel against them?
November 2nd, 2008
Harry I will always try to be fair and keep an open mind on all the systems. There are people here that will spew mindless one-eyed crap when they have no knowledge to back it up.
It looks like I will have a 360 at Christmas (for my young bloke) the only games I will get (for me) on it will be the C&C games, Halo series and Gears. I WILL NOT BE SUBSCRIBING TO LIVE……I shouldn’t have to pay to play online with mates, you don’t have to do it with PC or PS3 ??
So, I’m not afraid to own both systems and/or at least have an open mind about both…..how bout some of you guys ??
November 2nd, 2008
Spideydog,
I’ve always maintained that Resistance 2 is my type of game. I’m not as one eyed as some, I just have a cataract in one of my eyes.
You can still subscribe to Live for free, it’s just a Silver account where you can’t play online (except for special occasions, i.e when Halo 3 launched) and have to wait for demos longer than Gold subscribers, but yeah.
November 3rd, 2008
Waiting for demos is the most annoying thing ever… At least I can usually grab the x-platform stuff from the PSN.
I really hate the online thing too. I get it, they have to pay for thier servers and stuff, but its just annoying.