As Xbox announces that pretty much all of its games are now coming to multiple platforms, either at launch or soon following it, and we've seen Master Chief stand boldly beside the PS5 logo, it does seem like the age of console exclusivity may be at an end. However, there are still plenty of industry veterans who believe we should keep certain games on certain machines. Former Sony exec and PlayStation boss Shawn Layden is one such thinker.
Speaking on the Pause for Thought podcast (via GamesRadar+), Layden spoke about how the industry is changing, but some things need to remain the same. "I don't think every game should be console-exclusive," he said. "But I do accept the fact that if you're going to have platform companies, like Sony and Nintendo...there is huge value to the brand in having strong exclusives."
<social>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwH_otOCDmQ</social>
"If Mario starts appearing on PlayStation, that's the apocalypse, right? Cats and dogs living together. And the same goes for Nathan Drake and Uncharted. They make the platforms sing," Layden continued.
It's a solid argument, and one a lot of fans have made since it appeared as if Xbox had abandoned the idea of exclusives over the past year or so. It seems Sony and Nintendo still care a lot about having certain games playable only on their platforms, so it's likely they'll follow Layden's way of thinking for the foreseeable future.