Kotaku: Exclusives

Iron Man Unlockable Outfits

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:40:00 MDT

I doubt many superheroes have had nearly as many costume changes as Iron Man has over the years, and Sega recognizes this fact by including several unlockable classic armors in the game. You've got your classic red and gold, the dull metal prototype version Stark crafted while in captivity, Hulkbuster armor, and even the Extremis suit, which a techno-virus infected Tony could keep inside the hollows of his bones. The extra armors are both a gift and a curse, however, to someone owning both an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3, as each platform is getting an exclusive. The 360 gets the Silver Centurion suit worn during the first Armor Wars, while PS3 buyers get the high-maintenance Ultimate Iron Man outfit. Right now I am leaning towards the 360 version, though I am sure once I hit the store I will break down into a tiny puddle of indecisiveness.

Iron Man Game to Feature New + Classic Suits [Comic Book Resource - Thanks Dana!]

MGS4 Needs To Sell Over A Million On Day One

Mike Fahey — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:40:29 MST

Could Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (it's been a long day) be the last of the great exclusives? A Reuters article explores this possibility, explaining that game development is becoming far too costly for third-party developers to concentrate on any one console. Take MGS4, for instance. Assistant Producer Ryan Payton claims that the game will have to sell over a million copies on the first day of release to recoup the enormous development costs the game has accrued. A tall order, especially considering that only two PS3 games have reached the million mark since the system was released, much less on the first day, so it is easy to see how unattractive exclusives have become. At least Sony is prepared for the end of exclusivity.

"We understand publishers are needing to recoup their investment," said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing for Sony. "From our perspective, as long as the games aren't going exclusive to other platforms, PS3 gamers are not actually losing anything."

You see that? As long as other consoles aren't getting exclusives, the gamers aren't losing anything. Just repeat that over and over in your head the next time something like Devil May Cry suddenly shows up on the Xbox 360.

"Metal Gear Solid 4" last of the great exclusives? [Reuters via GameDaily.biz]

Namco Bandai Pulls PS3 Listings For Xbox 360 Titles

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:40:46 MDT

Some of our more eagle-eyed web surfing readers spotted on the official Namco Bandai Games web site "TBD" release dates for PLAYSTATION 3 versions of both Eternal Sonata and Beautiful Katamari. The latter also included hints about the rumored Wii SKU. Both titles are currently only confirmed for the Xbox 360. Not long after the stories on each title were posted, Namco Bandai hive workers pulled the listings for the non-Microsoft consoles, leaving only the Xbox 360 release dates up.

Clerical error or something far more sinister?! It's hard to think "sinister" when one is discussing an RPG occuring in the mind of a dying Polish composer or rolling things up with a katamari, so we'll remain simply skeptical of the listings. Maybe we will know more after our trip to Tokyo next week.

Thanks to our tipsters for the heads up.

GoW Definitely Not Coming to PS3

Kim Phu — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:40:00 MDT

The best way to get into a full-blown fist-to-cuffs fight these days to go around speculating which games are going to be exclusives and which ones are not. For those who still believe in the Tooth Fairy, just thinking about having of one of big three games rumored to get ported onto a foreign console will have you collecting enough teeth off the ground to pay next month's rent.

Well, one game can be removed from that list. On a forum called Sony Protection Group, an unlucky PS3 fan posted that Epic had planneed to port Gears of War over to PS3, and went as far as saying that Cliff Bleszinski was quoted as wanting to threaten Microsoft in order to leverage developer rights over the content of the game as well as the DLC.

Although it's a forum, and most people take each piece of information with will a little grain of salt, let's just say Mark Rein at Epic wasn't thrilled when a link to the above post made it onto a thread called "Gears of War coming to the PS3?!" on the Gears Forums on Epic, to which he replied, "This story is complete bull****. I emailed the site and asked them to take it down. We're very happy with our relationship with Microsoft. If it weren't for them Gears wouldn't be the huge hit it has become."

He also happen to write the PS3 forum a message:

Please remove that complete b******* story about Gears going to PS3. Cliff Bleszinski has NEVER been quoted as "threatening Microsoft to port over Gears to the PS3". We're very happy with our relationship with Microsoft and are extremely grateful of everything they've done to help make Gears the huge success it has become. Part of that success came from being an Xbox 360 exclusive FIRST PARTY title and Microsoft getting behind it in a huge way. They're the publisher of Gears of War and, unless they say otherwise, there is no chance Gears is coming to PS3. For PS3 we have Unreal Tournament 3 and it's going to be fantastic.

That's a solid enough answer for me to believe that Gears won't be on a PS3 anytime soon. Anything to keep my pearly whites. Kim Phu

Epic: Gears to PS3 is complete BS [Deeko News]

Microsoft Ignition Program

Kim Phu — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:40:00 MDT

Looks like Microsoft isn't just in the business of getting software and video game exclusives. Starting today, they will begin their "Ignition" program that will promote music on all of Microsoft's platforms including MSN, the Zune (and Zune Marketplace), and even Xbox Live. This isn't all that different from some of the offerings already on XBL (for example, free music video downloads or interviews with music artists), except for the fact that the Ignition program will only promote Microsoft-exclusive content:

Microsoft is demanding exclusive content and hands-on participation from the artists involved. "We don't want the same thing that is going out on MTV," Microsoft director of music marketing Christina Calio said.

The first band up on the chopping block is a band called Maximo Park (aren't they adorable? I just love a group of men who have such a clear defiance of shampoo) and their first single will be available for free on Xbox Live. I've listened to it. It's. Well. It's definitely music. Kim Phu

Microsoft Starts Ignition for Music Promotion [Reuters]

Resident Evil 5 Not 360 Exclusive, Says Capcom

kotaku.com — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:40:03 MDT

So are Mr. Inafune, producer of the Resident Evil games, and Microsoft Bee Effs Effs forever and ever and ever forever? Japanese Xbox boss Takashi Sensui says yes. What does Capcom say? Get your hand of my shoulder, you weirdo!

Specifically, extrapolations from Takashi Sensui's claims of friendship with Capcom should not be taken to mean Resident Evil 5 will be a 360 exclusive like Dead Rising and Lost Planet:

"Resident Evil 5 will release on PS3 and Xbox 360 as announced. There a no plans for an exclusive with the game", a spokesperson from the company told us.

Wishful thinking on Microsoft's part, apparently. Florian Eckhardt

Resi 5 exclusive denied [Computer and Video Games]