6 Video Game Exclusives That Made People Buy The Console

Console exclusivity in the gaming industry is as old as the devil himself, and while that could be changing as we know it in the near future, considering how major publishers have started going multi-platform with their A-grade titles, the phenomenon has worked wonders in the past.

I personally went ahead and got the PlayStation 4 for Bloodborne back when it came out in 2015 after watching a friend play it on his console, and I’m sure I’m not alone in doing this. This piece highlights such titans of history that made folks felt obliged to make the switch to another platform or get into gaming altogether for that matter.

These Titles Are Going Down In History For Their Eminence

Back when console exclusivity was an actual thing, and people knew their favorite game wasn’t going to make landfall on another console or PC, the following games sent shockwaves across the gaming industry, and not without good reason. 

Now it bears mentioning that the forthcoming titles have been enlisted subjectively, so if you feel like more contributions could be made on this front, feel free to post a comment down below.  

1. Resident Evil 4

Kicking the party off is Resident Evil 4, irrefutably one of the greatest video games ever made. Back when it came out in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube, the game drove mesmerizing sales, eventually becoming the best-selling survival horror title in the business. This Capcom hit did get ported to other platforms, but initially, the timed exclusivity rested with GameCube. 

Kotaku has done a nice piece on Resident Evil 4’s exclusivity and why it went to Nintendo and not Microsoft, so do check that out for valuable insights.

Today, Resident Evil 4 is available to play on a variety of different platforms, and even had a remade version come out in 2023, whose sales too went extremely well thanks to Capcom recapturing the essence of what made the original so great. 

2. Bloodborne

FromSoftware makes straight masterpieces, with Bloodborne living up to the reputation of the legendary Japanese developer and then some. Coming out in 2015 exclusively for the PlayStation 4, people didn’t really anticipate the kind of cult classic Bloodborne was about to become, but little did we know at the time, it’s one of the best games you could ever play if overly hard difficulties in games aren’t a huge turn off for you.

Hitting close to a decade since its release, fans and followers of the franchise have been longing hard for a remaster of the title or a port to PC that would also push the frame rate to 60 FPS, but alas! It seems stuff like that only belongs to a Hunter’s dream.

3. The Uncharted Series 

PlayStation, doing what it does best, is home to another fantastic video game franchise in the name of Uncharted, with the last game in the series, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, pushing boundaries in the action-adventure space like never before. The first ever Uncharted title was released on the PlayStation 3, and I remember how, after pouring hundreds of hours into it, it ruined a lot of other titles for me. 

That is the case for many others, I’m confident, judging from the sheer quality of the series, and how it’s been absolutely fantastic over the years. 

4. Marvel’s Spider-Man

Those who missed out on getting the PlayStation 4 over the years definitely got sucked right in thanks to Marvel’s Spider-Man. After all, who doesn’t like Spidey? The 2018-released action-adventure open-world title by Insomniac is a superhero game done right, featuring amazing combat gameplay, a great swinging mechanic for the free-roam setting, and a meaningful storyline that keeps the player thoroughly engaged. 

Its sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, is bigger and better than ever, and one of the prime reasons why you should get the PlayStation 5, but you can’t help but praise the eminence of the first title for getting everything so perfectly accurate in terms of being a game in superhero flavor. 

5. Halo 2 

Before Halo: Infinite ruined it all, frankly speaking, Halo defined Xbox, serving as one of the most legendary first-person shooting video game franchises in the world, and when it was advertised that Halo 2 would be coming with multiplayer functionality, people went nuts. Many would say, myself included, that Halo 2 belongs to an era when gaming was at its best, and this game surely had a lot to contribute to that spirit overall. 

Halo 2 had me standing in line for the release at 12 am. No regrets at all. No other game has ever had that draw for me. It’s why I bought the Xbox,” says one u/Just_Jonnie.

The shooter was released in 2004, and it wasn’t until 2007 that Microsoft decided to port Halo 2 to PC as well. People didn’t wait that long, of course, and got their hands on the title as soon as they could, making it a commercial success by far and large. Heck, Halo 2 rolled over more than 2 million units 24 hours into its release. Great gameplay, amazing multiplayer, and a remarkable campaign, this was a surefire hit. 

6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 

Nintendo hit the nail on the head with The Legend of Zelda franchise, sequentially putting out hit after hit, until it was finally Breath of the Wild’s turn in 2017. This game obliged gamers to get a Nintendo console, and for those looking to go the extra mile, the Nintendo Switch stood out as the obvious choice. Breath of the Wild challenged the series’ previous iterations on multiple levels, becoming a skyrise success and one of the most iconic games of all time.