現在のブログ
ゲーム開発ブログ (2025年～) Gamedev Blog (2025~)
レガシーブログ
テクノロジーブログ (2018～2024年) リリースノート (2023～2025年) MeatBSD (2024年)
【Game Development】Platform Exclusivity is Crucial for Third-Party Developers
Since my last post, I've purchased two new consoles: the Switch 2 and the PlayStation 5.
In the meantime, news broke that Xbox is exiting the console market.
This is exactly what myself predicted when the Xbox Series X|S was announced.
Developing games for the Switch and playing on the Switch 2 and PS5 inspired me to write this post.
This time, I'm discussing the importance of third-party developers bringing back platform exclusivity.
In particular, the Switch 2 has mouse controls, and the PlayStation 5 has haptic feedback, both of which seem underutilized so far.
Why?
When I was a kid, most games were platform-exclusive, made for the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, or PC, or they had completely different versions of the same game on other platforms.
Especially during the Super Famicom and Mega Drive era, multi-platform games had very distinct styles on each system.
This fostered a level of creativity rarely seen today.
Another reason is that multi-platform development ignores the unique features provided by console manufacturers, focusing only on the basic functions shared across all platforms.
As a result, you get laggy gameplay on the Switch, low-quality graphics on PS5 or Xbox, and poor controls on PC—everyone loses.
Console-specific features also give third-party developers a vote.
For example, when the Nintendo 64 introduced the analog stick, if third-party developers had ignored it because the Sega Saturn or PlayStation didn't have one, modern controllers might not have analog sticks at all.
Fortunately, that didn't happen, but the following did:
As for Amiibo/NFC support, the Switch and Switch 2 still support it, but almost no one uses it, so I'm unsure whether to include it as a special case.
In particular, we utilized the extra screen on the Wii U, and it's a shame it's gone.
This makes it difficult to re-release that game easily.
The broader pattern is that features missing in later systems stem from third-party developers not using them at all.
This shows how critical third-party developers are across all platforms.
Our upcoming Switch games utilize Switch-specific features (HD Rumble, software keyboard, friend list, Amiibo), and once Nintendo allows third-party developers to start making games for the Switch 2, we plan to incorporate mouse controls as well.
I'd love to support Mii, but I haven't figured out where to integrate it yet, and including it just for the sake of using the feature feels wasteful.
Why is Multi-Platform the Standard?
Currently, mainstream game engines can build for multiple platforms with a single mouse click. AAA studios, backed by investors, are permitted to make increasingly large games, with budgets and costs reaching unsustainable levels.
As a result, platform exclusivity is seen as a significant risk.
Even Sony and Microsoft now release all their first-party games across all platforms!
Indie and AA studios can afford platform exclusivity, but most AAA studios don't.
This is because engines like Unity and Unreal make it easy to build for all platforms simultaneously, reducing the incentive to use platform-specific features and encouraging a lack of optimization.
The assumption is that the engine will handle it.
Moreover, Unreal's codebase is massive and very hard to optimize, and Unity is entirely closed-source.
Xbox's Decline
Even more concerning is that Xbox has completely exited the console market, much like SEGA did in 2001.
This increases the incentive to support platform-specific features, but it also means Nintendo and Sony are the only companies left. Since they don't see each other as competitors, their motivation for innovation decreases.
Hope for SEGA's Return
SEGA recently stated they have no plans to return to the console market, but I hope they reconsider.
Monoplies are bad (Japanese-only), and Nintendo dominates the hybrid market while Sony dominates the dedicated market.
SEGA's entry could bring proper balance to the market.
Why SEGA?
SEGA has a proven track record of competing in the console market, has many first-party IPs they'd want to make exclusive to their platform, has a loyal fanbase despite making many bad games, and most importantly, SEGA is highly creative with hardware.
For example, SEGA has maimai, CHUNITHM, and Ongeki, all of which have unique controls that can't easily be replicated with a controller or keyboard and mouse.
Of course, these don't fit on a controller, but they show SEGA has plenty of innovative ideas.
Each platform also has an overarching theme.
Nintendo has family-friendly IPs, Sony has intense IPs, and SEGA has edgy IPs that sit between the two.
This could push Sony to reconsider its multi-platform strategy and make its IPs PlayStation-exclusive again.
It might also lead Sony to abandon the strict censorship policies introduced with the PlayStation 5 launch, as they may worry about losing developers to SEGA, even if they're not concerned about Nintendo.
Xbox's Replacement: Valve
Valve seems likely to fill the gap left by Microsoft.
They already have the Steam Deck, which feels very console-like but is also a full PC.
However, Steam is a PC marketplace, and like Microsoft, Valve's IPs are too similar to Sony's, so there's little point in competing with Nintendo or Sony.
Steam vs. Xbox makes more sense than Steam vs. Nintendo vs. PlayStation because Xbox is now essentially a digital PC game store like Steam.
However, this might be a losing battle.
As seen with Steam vs. GOG vs. Epic Games Store vs. EA Origin vs. Ubisoft Connect, only Steam and GOG are relevant to PC gamers.
This is because Steam and GOG are consumer-focused, while Epic Games Store, EA Origin, and Ubisoft Connect are highly corporate-oriented, and gamers will choose consumer-focused platforms when given the option.
That's all