Rumours have been flying around for a while with regards to Sony tying down significant deals with third party publishers. Whispers say that the Japanese giant has secured a number of major franchises for the PlayStation 5 -- the most standout rumour being that Final Fantasy XVI will be a timed PS5 exclusive.
But as is usually the case with these things, there's no real evidence to back any of this up. It's very much a case of "insiders" and various websites capitalising on guesswork and shaky forum posts. And as you may have noticed, these rumours really start to fire off when there's not much else to talk about. After all, it's been more than a month since Sony revealed the PS5, and the company's been pretty much silent on its next-gen plans since.
Anyway, it's all kicking off again. Windows Central writer Jez Corden has said that, according to what he's heard, Sony has "major" exclusivity deals in place on PS5. Naturally, just about everyone on the web has pushed ahead with these comments, and all of the old rumours have been brought up once more.
Okay, so, do we actually know anything for sure? Well, we know that PlayStation and Square Enix clearly have a pretty good relationship right now. Final Fantasy VII Remake launched earlier this year as a timed PS4 exclusive, and Project Athia is a PS5 console exclusive. Beyond that, we can only guess at what Sony has up its sleeve.
This year's Call of Duty still hasn't been officially announced but it's assumed that the series will continue to align itself with PlayStation through marketing. We seriously doubt that a new Call of Duty would ever end up being exclusive to one console, however.
But as Microsoft concentrates more and more on services such as Xbox Game Pass, it does make sense for Sony to throw money at big budget blockbusters. The bottom line, though, is that people tend to get carried away with rumours and speculation like this. Until we have something more concrete to go off, we'd advise against getting too excited.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 44
There’s always third-party exclusives even if I just don’t like the concept. I wonder if the ones worried about Microsoft buying WB Games will be just as annoyed by Sony’s third party exclusives.
but what if project aithia IS final fantasy XVI?
jk.
Going to need a better source than Xbox fanboy Jez Corden. That said I have zero doubt there will be more. Sony already got 2 Bethesda games and a Square Enix title. Microsoft just had like 20 timed exclusives in their show too even if most of them were indie games.
@PSfan4Life22 pretty "crazy" that sony got such deals with bethesda. they always seemed more swayed towards the pc and MS route.
@Medic_Alert Doesn't sound like its coming to X Box, but i suppose you can never totally rule it out. It has only been confirmed for PS5 and PC, which is all we have to go on at the moment. And according to the blurb on the Square Enix website it was 'created specifically for PlayStation 5 and PC'.
What is the possibility of Project Athia being Final Fantasy 7 Remake p2, d'yareckon? Just wonderin' like, because if you squint and kinda look sideways and then spin around and do a double take, the charatcer in the screenshot released could possibly look a little like Vincent Valentine maybe... 🤔
@jdv95 bethesda probably a little angry at Microsoft for buying obsidian and making avowed a Elder Scrolls style game.
I wonder if triple A 3rd party exclusives can exist any more in 2020 with rising development costs? At least not timed ones. Atlas seemed tempted to put Persona 5 elsewhere and Capcom have been pretty cagey with their comments about SF5 exclusiveness after a limited success. Even 1st party games have had to to find different platforms to make back production costs.
@clobbasaurus maybe it’s final fantasy 16.
@MrGawain sf5 sold 4.5 million copies and still the most played fighting game competitively I wouldn’t call that limited success. Persona 5 will probably go to pc when person 6 release I don’t see Atlas releasing it on pc until than.
Whoop Dee Doo, I have not been a fan of Final Fantasy since it came on to Ps3............ Not even played Final Fantasy 7 remake
Parasites eve 4.make it happen.max payne 4 like the late great macho man randy savage.oh yeahhhh.word up son
I'm gonna be taking names.of all you supporters and calling out your hypocrisy when you complain about Microsoft does it.
On topic: I won't be fooled again. FF7R taught me to wait, no matter the game. That was probably the #1 "cannot wait" timed exclusive. And it burned me bad.
@BNAG_Gamer For me the remake scratched an itch nostalgia wise and was fun to play, but utimately it could never satisfy me fully until it's the finished article. I am interested in seeing what they do with the story too.
I didn't dislike the PS3 final fantasies, but I agree that they weren't a patch on the earlier ones (all the way up to XII). That being said XIV is outstanding, but I can no longer dedicate the time required to enjoy it. I was white mage all the way. A lot of pressure, and you can get a lot of hate on a bad day but when things are going well everyone loves you.
@Medic_Alert It's not a true exclusive. It was later confirmed to be coming to PC alongside PS5 like other games at the presentation like GhostWire Tokyo and Deathloop
People have been saying this for a while. Apparently Sony's gone nuts with its chequebook, but outside of the Bethesda stuff we're yet to really see the receipts.
@clobbasaurus Props for being a white mage, you guys are indispensable and get a lot of unnecessary crap. Not the sexiest of roles, in any game, but I always loved to play healer in Overwatch too, it’s nice to feel helpful.
Even though it doesn't involve an exclusivity deal whatsover I'm willing to wager the next numbered Persona game is going to end up being either a PS5 exclusive or a cross gen between PS4 and PS5 like how all the other main entries were released super late into their respective PlayStation consoles' lifecycles. That's definitely going to be a major third party exclusive, although I wouldn't rule out a PC release now that P4G has clearly established a playerbase for the series
@Medic_Alert The Bethesda stuff was confirmed as timed I believe but I think Project Athia is meant to be a proper console exclusive because SE definitely would've confirmed a Series X version after the Future of Gaming event if that wasn't the case like what happened with Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Resident Evil Village
@Medic_Alert Considering they touted in the trailer that the game was "designed for PS5" I personally think that's confirmation enough because it seems like it was developed specifically with such hardware in mind. Even on the official Square YT channel they don't list any other platforms outside PC which would've been a no-brainer because it's a third party game.
I could be wrong but I think Jez is just copying what Imran Khan revealed on the Kinda Funny Games podcast. It just looks like a parroting if this information from Jez. Imran happens to be a pretty reliable source and he said on the podcast that there are third-party deals from Sony that he is surprised haven’t been announced yet.
Looks like it could possibly be some really big multiplatform deals aside from the obvious Call of Duty.
@Medic_Alert Honestly it's really hard to say. If it was a title in an established franchise like FF or Dragon Quest it'd be a lot easier to gauge those as multiplatform games but the fact that it's specifically an original IP for Square is sending other signals for sure.
@get2sammyb Sony still write cheques? Gotta be about time they got a crypto wallet!
Hate this practice, no matter who does it...
@nessisonett haha yeah you do get a lot of flack. You really have to be in the zone on some of the more difficult boss fights, and those who only play dps don't appreciate that. The tank is tough to get just right too. Without a good tank the white mage is toast.
I find it very satisfying just helping out too, look for some new guy struggling with mobs and follow them about for a while just healing. Like a stalker, more helpful but possibly equally as intimidating. Same philosophy goes for smiling at people on trains and saying that the seat next to you is for them. You're being ultra helpful but in the end you end up with a free seat next to you all the way to Cannon Street.
I only want to know what upcoming AAA third party games will be available on the PS5. Don't care if it's timed exclusives or console exclusive as long as I can play it.
Time exclusives are absolute garbage and a complete waste of money, I hate it when any company does it. Pay lots of money just to have the game held hostage from another console for a certain period is scummy.
Now if Sony throws money to have that game be funded and exclusive till the end of time then that's something else, that I do like. Like how Nintendo help fund Bayonetta 2 and that's now their game.
@jdv95 True but these Bethesda games aren't Todd Howard games. Todd is the big Xbox fan so I doubt Sony would ever get one of his games to be timed exclusive.
Jez Window Central doesnt know anything about PlayStation. Every PS gamer knows there are times exclusive deals.
Just listen to that guy once and he doesnt sound like a genius 🤷♂️
@nessisonett
Why on Earth would a PS gamer be annoyed by a PS exclusive deal? Virtue signalling or something? Why would that be as annoying as WB being exclusive to xbox for a PS gamer? 🤯
@JJ2 Because not all PS gamers are spiteful fanboys? How the hell would a game being on Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo hurt you? These are third party games, not funded by Sony therefore there’s absolutely nothing stopping them from allowing more players to experience the game.
@nessisonett
1 stop calling people you dont know 'fanboy'
2 you are comparing with WB being bought by Ms as if you dont understand why it's annoying for a ps gamer. Dont you really understand???
I'd be surprised if we got FFXVI before the end of 2023 at the earliest, but that is huge for Sony if they scored this.
In the meantime, I just want the XIII Trilogy (ideally 60fps for the first game at least) on modern Playstation hardware.
@JJ2 Well surely it’s just as annoying for Nintendo or Xbox gamers if companies like Square Enix release their games exclusively on Playstation? It’s complete and utter hypocrisy to suggest otherwise.
@nessisonett Hell Atlus has it both ways now between Sony and Nintendo lol. I feel bad for those Xbox dudes waiting for their Persona 4 port after playing Arena
I don't believe in exclusives anymore. Both Sony and Microsoft see there's money to be made on Steam and Epic Games Store so in my view PS5 and XBox Series X are going to see a new record of lost exclusives. Don't even get me started on timed exclusives, they're just lame. Before anyone says I'm a b***hurt fanboy: I don't care about exclusives going to the PC. I'm a Playstation main and it's going to stay that way no matter what.
Anything to get the Pure Xbox lot frothing at the mouth I suppose, the comments over there seem to spend most of their time having a go at Push Square as it is.
@nessisonett
And you are the only one suggesting that.
Look , I think you mean well but its difficult to follow what you are trying to say. First you were talking about WB acquisition. Like you admitted now, its hypocritical to suggest PS gamers would not be annoyed.
Personally, for instance I wasnt annoyed when Ms bought Obsidian because that's not the type of games I'm interested in, but I totally understand why ps gamers can be annoyed. I also understand xbox gamers being happy about it. No hypocrisy here..
Now you are talking about a different thing which is a deal or certain games being exclusive to one platform. That the article topic..
So actually you must be aware some games would simply not happen without one company s money. You are aware of that right? There can be all sort of reasons for exclusivity. There can also be limited deals like COD dlc etc and I personally dont like that sort of deal. Point is, you seem to generalise and call people out in a derogatory way for strange reasons.
Then there can be a discussion, the same one again that's been going on for decades, about exclusivity being a good thing or a bad thing. Well there is no straight answer to that
@get2sammyb
Timestamp?
@nessisonett ooof Xbox's Batman vs PS' Spiderman
"Times exclusives" in other words, if you want the definitive edition, with all dlc, etc, cheaper. Wait to get it on the other console.
@nessisonett depends on the titles, but yeah, I probably will be. But I had no problem with Microsoft funding Dead Rising 3, because if they didn't the game wasn't being made. So on that score I was fine with it. If the rumours about Titan Fall 3 and Splinter Cell turn out to be true I think I will be upset, because there's clearly a market for both games.
@nessisonett Makes 100% sense for customers, but 0% sense for business.
Whilst we are all here for the sake of entertainment, and rightfully that is our priority, we need to remember that Sony, MS, Nintendo etc are big conglomerate businesses, that literally rely on exclusivity to edge them out again competition. Exclusives make total sense from a business perspective, and for that reason it needs to be respected.
Games like COD are stupid for console timed exclusives because it's MP is what sell those games. Yes it will sell your console but sell your console in 1st party games not 3rd party it's stupid practice
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