Well Microsoft is an idiot then.
 
This reminds me of how Nintendo used to run things during the 8-bit days. Why there were so few games available for the Sega Master System? It's because Nintendo had a deal very similar to this; "if you make games for competitors consoles, you  can't make 'em for the NES". Eventually, publishers starting working around this draconian law by creating phantom labels - remember how we all knew Konami made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, but they were published by this "Ultra" nonsense? Or like Tecmo making Ninja Gaiden games the Master System, and then giving them to Sega to publish as original titles? 
 
These rules are stupid. Games should all be multiplatform, except those from first parties. But if you can't accept games later on, you're an enormous dick denying your audience great games. 
 
Ah well; the shooter nuts glued to their Xbox Live Headsets worrying too much  about getting XP in the latest derivative military games wouldn't care for amazing stuff like Journey or Sideways anyway.

That's pretty lame. Then again though, I'd ideally like to see the Xbox Live Marketplace have as much regulation as the Wild West. That approach probably isn't best for the average consumer either.

Let's look on the positive side. MS is simply encouraging consumers to buy a PS3 in order to play games that are released there first because it probably won't ever come to 360.

Love that the armchair economists immediately start falling all over each other to explain why this is totally okay. I never would have known that businesses like to make money if not for you guys! Thanks.

What I do have to wonder, though - grossness and dumb justifications for grossness aside - is exactly which games (if any) this policy has actually led to Microsoft refusing to allow on their platform.

Now that this thing is out in the open, someone should probably ask them.

Interesting and unfortunate

"If these conditions are not met, Microsoft reserves the right to not allow the content to be released on Xbox 360"

Looking at this above statement, isn't this true about any game that is released on the 360 in that Microsoft can prevent any game from being released on the 360 if they want since after all it's their platform (i.e. third parties can't publish a game on the 360 unless they have Microsoft's permission). I don't see what's so controversial about this. Even Sony isn't too keen on re-releasing games on the PS3 that have already been released elsewhere unless those releases have extra content.

Besides, I doubt very much that Microsoft would pass on releasing a game on the 360 if they felt it could rake in a big profit for them. The game business is a profit deal after all.

@Stubee said:

Ahhhhh so thats what happened to Trine.

Yeah this was my first thought. I was kind of still hoping for it to release on XBLA, but this article was the bane of that.

we seek to maximise our own advantage to ensure the playing field is even

The funniest thing is he even believes this with some kind of crazy logic inside his head.

Well, do what you want if you want games to stay away from XBL so they stay PSN/Steam/Whatever exclusives then do that. Because unlike XBL these services are at least free.

MS stuff is usually just an timed exclusives, everything else is an exclusive for MS competition by MS choice... rock on.

As a console neutral consumer, I can say that a few of my favorite downloadable games of this generation are PSN exclusives.  PixelJunk Eden, Flower, & Echochrome come to mind.  However, there really aren't THAT many great ones that XBox owners are missing out on.  I would be more upset about missing out on an HD version of Bit.Trip.Runner from the Wii.  With that said, I still think this policy is crap.

@Canteu said:

Alex cannot have written this. It was actually readable and not filled with childish metaphors.

Agreed. Someone probably signed the article with the wrong name by mistake.

I like how he tries to cop out because they want to keep "raising the bar of quality"... What a fucking joke. 
 
It is nothing less than strong arming publishers, and really fucking indie devs. In some cases forcing people to buy from them if they want something at all.  
 
How many more screwed up articles are we going to get this week? Ubisoft, Gamestop, Blizzard, Now MS.. Fuck corporations.

This is why I hate MS. If it wasn't for them owning the pc gaming market and my school using nothing but Office, I wouldn't buy any of their software.

Microsoft is just doing business.. Sony is just doing business. They just have slightly different philosophies. 
My curiosity lies with why Alex decided to write a story like this. Is it pure curiosity over how MS works and Sony works with regards to digital exclusive? Did the Alex want a PSN game on his 360 because he plays his 3660 more? Did he want a PSN game and found out he had to wait for an exclusivity period to expire? Was it just to educate the public?  It's not just Alex, it's any article period.
 
Anyway, good read. Thanks Alex!

Swing and roundabouts. What you lose in PSN games you make up for in temporary exclusives. It's all business on both platforms and to be fair their strategy seems to work fairly well from a money making standpoint. They always seem to get the most popular DLC before PSN so I guess whether we like it or not there's something in it usually.

Harsh but this is Microsoft and Sony just doing business.

That Chris Lewis can eat a dick!

It makes me so sad to hear this from Microsoft. PSN has some really great niche downloadable titles, that I would pay money for if Microsoft would offer them on Live. What a shame.

@Eujin said:

Edit: The whole point of above was that yes, MS does bully devs a bit, but Devs should realize that MS doesn't actually hold the digital market anymore, unless a 6% bigger userbase is considered an iron grip nowadays.

6% more total systems is completely irrelevant. It's 360 xbox live arcade game sales vs. ps3 live game service sales. If you consider the fact that... ps3 is just now starting their copycat "Summer of arcade" ( with no exclusive titles ) AND they had that press release indicating they were going to focus more on investing in their arcade games, it's a clear indication that even without having any solid numbers... PS3 is behind and it's probably a lot more than 6%.

@radion_null: I wrote it because I found the bluntness of the policy fascinating, and I thought readers might dig knowing a little more insight into how Microsoft chooses which games to/not to publish.

For once i am happy my 360 has bricked.  sucks for the independent plublishers

Everyone loves analogies...

Lets say you have a restaurant and you purchase steak/beef from a local farm because it is the freshest. You know another steakhouse also purchases steak from the same farm and there's not always enough steak for your restaurant and the competition... Your restaurant is twice the size of you competition so you buy twice as much meat. You tell the cattle farmer, if there isn't enough meat for both of us...if you don't come to me first since I purchase more meat then i'm not going to buy meat from you.

And it's as simple as that. It's competition between two businesss where one has an advantage in total sales. No legit business would not take advantage of this situation.

From a developer standpoint, if you are so small that you can only release on 1 platform...why wouldn't you go where you have the chance at making the most sales? If what everyone is complaining about is valid, then why isn't Windows Phone 7 apps/games selection as broad as Apple's? Screw apple for being smart and having an advantage in the apps/game vs WP7!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /endsarcasm

it's their loss 

                    I honestly think this would be a good time for consumers to start boycotting Microsoft's products. I have nothing against the 360 itself, mind you, it's just that Microsoft clearly has no respect for both players and/or game developers, especially indie developers who more than often rely on digital distribution to survive...Microsoft... Paving the way to an ever-growing dictatorial future by means of petty childish threats and again, an absolute disregard for consumers and developers.

                   

               

Everyone loves analogies...

Lets say you have a restaurant and you purchase steak/beef from a local farm because it is the freshest. You know another steakhouse also purchases steak from the same farm and there's not always enough steak for your restaurant and the competition... Your restaurant is twice the size of you competition so you buy twice as much meat. You tell the cattle farmer, if there isn't enough meat for both of us...if you don't come to me first since I purchase more meat then i'm not going to buy meat from you.

And it's as simple as that. It's competition between two businesss where one has an advantage in total sales. No legit business would not take advantage of this situation.

From a developer standpoint, if you are so small that you can only release on 1 platform...why wouldn't you go where you have the chance at making the most sales? If what everyone is complaining about is valid, then why isn't Windows Phone 7 apps/games selection as broad as Apple's? Screw apple for being smart and having an advantage in the apps/game vs WP7!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /endsarcasm

Fucking Microsoft, have a sook...

@Katkillad said:

Everyone loves analogies...

Lets say you have a restaurant and you purchase steak/beef from a local farm because it is the freshest. You know another steakhouse also purchases steak from the same farm and there's not always enough steak for your restaurant and the competition... Your restaurant is twice the size of you competition so you buy twice as much meat. You tell the cattle farmer, if there isn't enough meat for both of us...if you don't come to me first since I purchase more meat then i'm not going to buy meat from you.

And it's as simple as that. It's competition between two businesss where one has an advantage in total sales. No legit business would not take advantage of this situation.

From a developer standpoint, if you are so small that you can only release on 1 platform...why wouldn't you go where you have the chance at making the most sales? If what everyone is complaining about is valid, then why isn't Windows Phone 7 apps/games selection as broad as Apple's? Screw apple for being smart and having an advantage in the apps/game vs WP7!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /endsarcasm

This is a good post. Most of the ones in this thread are not.

@YukoAsho: The PS3 is $250 now

For once i am happy my 360 has bricked.  sucks for the independent plublishers

Xbox owners are denied to play some great games because of...ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL FUCKING BULLSHIT. To think that he expects gamers to swallow that tripe is goddamn insulting. Does he seriously believe that all xbox owners are as stupid and simple minded as the players you hear yelling and throwing tantrums in online lobbies?

seems they would at least want the psn titles that have proven successful

I'm siding with Microsoft on this one. I don't want any PSN leftovers.

Senior VP of PR for Sony comments on the situation