Baldur's Gate 3 Devs 'Aren't Playing The Exclusivity Game' With PlayStation

So either a) they are lying or b) MS didn’t give them money. You can’t tell me the platform that owns most of the WRPGs devs is a bad place to put your games. But it is what it is.

Aren't Xbox games supposed to be just a few lines of code difference from PC games? If so an Xbox version would take less resources than a PS5 version so I doubt it's anything to do with that.

@BrilliantBill sure but supposedly the dev says there is no exclusivity they just aren’t publishing on Xbox. Which if they aren’t lying then they wanted money from MS and Ms didn’t pay.

Not faulting Sony here at all. It’s the dev I question.

@mousieone

MS didn’t give them money

Platform holders are not the ones that give money to game devs or publishers, unless it's for a marketing or exclusivity deal.

I can see a developer with limited resources focusing on fewer platforms, however I am baffled this game is coming to Mac but not for XBox... if resources are limited, that's a baffling choice.

@Tharsman it will come. They most likely want to sell what they can. Then boost with games pass revenue. similar to what Mount and Blade 2 have just done.

@Tharsman I mean I don’t disagree with you but I know they pay for some ports of Japanese games through stuff lol GP deals etc. I can’t help but that’s what they are doing here.

Translation - playstation did not pay them for exclusivity. It was their choice to prioritize releasing ps5, pc versions before doing an xbox version. It pays to have the playstation user base advantage. They get free exclusives and money hatting costs them less than it does Microsoft because devs know they are selling to way more people there.

Sony apparently not paying for exclusivity yet this isn’t releasing day 1 on Xbox is even worse news when you consider it.

I think with the fact games tend to sell better on playstation, it makes sense to release there first. Heck, was it like 80% of Hogwarts sales was on the PS5.. I think that speaks volumes. It will come to the Xbox though, I'm confident that it will.

Sony isn't paying them for exclusivity, they just don't see any value in putting the game on Xbox. That's even worse.

@BrilliantBill RPGs or WRPGs? If it's just regular RPGs, then Xbox doesn't come close to having the amount Playstation or Nintendo has. WRPGs though is a different story.

Didn't Microsoft say the ratio is 70-30 for Sony? From a business standpoint, releasing it first to the biggest potential customerbase is realistic. That being said, I do believe a Xbox release will be there at launch.

Do not forget: they are still an indie studio, who have a big contract to fulfill. This is not a big company like EA or Bethesda we're talking about with unlimited funding.

Maybe they believe it’s just not worth putting on Xbox as it won’t do good numbers and PlayStation have a much bigger base to take advantage of first. It’s a sign of Sonys dominance in the market and kind of proves what Xbox have been arguing about with regulators.

@awp69 I think bleached is well aware of that, but then the question becomes why? It’s not a good look from an Xbox perspective.

@Fenbops Likely just can’t announce it yet but everyone is freaking out so he’s telling people to relax. People here clearly aren’t taking his advice.

@themightyant look I’m not saying I don’t get your points, but Saints Row did far better on Xbox than PlayStation .You can be the market leader but that doesn’t automatically mean better sales. If Madden launched on Switch the same time as Xbox, which version do you think would sell better? The Switch has a larger install base. Right? Ah yeah.

So playing the “maximize one platform” game doesn’t work with larger games like it does with indie games.

Didn't know PlayStation has a player base that plays hard-core RPGs. They only play light rpgs or jrpgs. I highly doubt Baldur's Gate 3 will sell well there. Despite I'm waiting for full release on PC to play it as their prior game was a masterpiece.

@Tharsman yo wth that's baffling 😂
Just shoving it in xbox users faces at that point.

I supported the dev by buying the game before it is finished. Its great, alot of fun. But I want to play it on my xbox. I think they are forgetting the gamers who supported their full cost beta release on pc, also own XBOX consoles.

@mousieone Saints Row sold better on Xbox than PS? That's bizarre, and maybe another reason why some devs will go for PS first.

@Thrussted then you have folks like me, with every platform and could purchase it.

However, due to this choice I'll just wait until there's a used copy in the bargain bin resulting in them getting nothing from me.

There's plenty of other games to play while I wait.

They don't want my money ? They will not have a penny from me.

After the callisto protocol, hogwart legacy and many more before, how long will we accept to be considered as 2nd class players ? No more money for these studios, i can live without their games. It's just vg after all...

Stadia was going to have day 1 access … who wants to compete with Starfield anyways this year on Xbox.

@Kaloudz at this point i just wont play SE games. Except for hd-2d games on switch lol

from their reddit.

"A note on Baldur's Gate 3 for Xbox

Hey all,

Thanks for all the hype and enthusiasm following yesterday’s announcement that Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 day and date with PC on August 31st!

Xbox players, we’ve seen your questions about if/when you can expect Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox. We’ve had an Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 in the works for some time, but we have run into some technical issues – particularly with split-screen co-op. We are still working on an Xbox version of BG3, but we’re not yet confident enough to announce it. We don’t like announcing anything until we’re ready, because we don’t want to get peoples hopes up until we’re sure we can deliver.

There’s no platform exclusivity preventing us from releasing BG3 on Xbox day and date, should that be a technical possibility. If and when we do announce further platforms, we want to make sure each version lives up to our standards & expectations. Thanks for understanding!"

@Kaloudz 🤣

I completely agree with you, @Williampreston1980. I also bought the game Day One on the PC in Early Access, and then experienced the longest download in history! Man, it took an eternity!

I have bought the Collector's Edition for the PC too (and for the PS5!), but my much preferred platform is for the Xbox. I cannot wait to play it on my console, using my favourite controller. Both the Divinity Original Sin games were superb (DoS 2 was in fact a masterpiece!), and Baldur's Gate 3 is a step up again. August the 31st cannot come soon enough...!

That's awesome, @s0u1z. Thanks for posting this.

@themightyant To be fair, even before the updated information I was leaning towards option B not A of my initial post. which I guess from your last response wasn’t made 100% clear. Hence why I said what I did to Tharsman.

https://www.purexbox.com/news/2023/02/baldurs-gate-3-devs-arent-playing-the-exclusivity-game-with-playstation#comment7454998

I’m glad they’ve updated the situation but again a dev launching a game like that not on Xbox at this point doesn’t make sense to me unless they want a GP deal or something. I understand it does to you and we can have differing views. I appreciate different views.

@mousieone and you wonder why Microsoft is buying as much as they can and owning the IP/studios. Then we don't have to worry about that stuff. Not that i care about this series or this game (not gonna play it regardless). Square Enix is usually the biggest culprit.

Glad all those bashing Xbox for not getting this have some egg on their face with the dev clarifying that it IS in the works. Hopefully they get past the technical issues so that it can be day one.

@s0u1z Considering the specs, I have to assume they are talking about the Series S running it in splitscreen.

@abe_hikura @s0u1z The version they gave IGN is largely the same except

"Specifically, we’ve been unable to get split-screen co-op to work to the same standard on both Xbox Series X and S, which is a requirement for us to ship."

This has to be the first time we've heard "the S version is actively stopping launch of the X version"

But some people here says that if there is a pc version then it is a Xbox version.
Guess they was lying about that.

@awp69 As well as those baselessly claiming Playstation moneyhatted this.

Still puzzled about how they got a Mac version to work and not an Xbox. Considering both Xbox and Playstation are very similar, architecture wise.

Everyone saying playstation paid to keep this off Xbox , they've confirmed there's been an Xbox version in development for a while but they've run into to technical problems particularly with split screen co-op so they aren't confident enough to announce it yet looks like you guys were wrong again lol

We can all now jump to conclusions that it's the series S fault right ? Lol

@Would_you_kindly came here to say the same thing. The Series S is holding back the X.

@PeteyPiranha just seen digital foundry's done an analysis of that atomic heart aswell & apparently the ps5 version runs better despite Xbox paying them to put it on gamepass day one I'm sure Sony must have paid them to do that too lol

@Would_you_kindly Did you get PSVR2 yet? lol dont worry you can play Spiderman 2 next year? or wait Wolverine in 3 years? Dont worry you have tons of remakes coming!

You do know CoD is coming home to xbox. And Sony crying about it wont matter. LOL They even said CoD matters more than there own games!

@PsBoxSwitchOwner yup, its kind of fun! trashtalking is a large part of the console wars.

@PeteyPiranha @Would_you_kindly Barely 2 years into the generation and Series S is already causing big problems. That's a shame, I do feel a discless Series X would've been a better option than Series S.

This is what makes the Activision blizzard acquisition investigation such a joke. Sony are that far ahead of Microsoft that as well as paying for exclusives, they have that much of an install base that some developers will actually favour them and improve their offering.
They are looking to see if the deal could create a monopoly and an anticompetitive environment and it's already here, and worse the regulators are trying to stop anyone else joining the party

By the way did anybody else see the tweet from someone in larian telling people they need preorders. Sounds to me like they may be struggling financially which is a shame. Explains why it's been in early access development for pc for years and then suddenly is coming out the same day on playstation

@mousieone Ummm no madden would still sell better on Xbox than switch, hardware limitations alone make the choice obvious.

@Dannyxtra yup, sounds like they are struggling with money. I'm fairly certain it will come to xbox, but likely pushed back from the PC/PS5 release with Series S issues .

I'm kind of surprised MS didnt make any offers to support this game, they got High On Life on the release from Stadia... BG3 must have been there for the taking. something else must have blocked it from being a priority. maybe budget.. who knows. MS seems to work slowly, like a lumbering bureaucratic behemoth.

@Would_you_kindly Game is crap anyway.

@mousieone My bet is they're trying to play the Game Pass game. I agree there's no way they'd entirely skip the console who's identity is WRPGs at this point with the most classic CRPG franchise this side of Elder Scrolls and Wizardry.

They have the clout to try to get a strong deal, but OTOH MS doesn't need to buy their game because they're already have most of that genre locked on GP already, so maybe a stalemate, or just a delay.

I'd be stunned if it doesn't end up on XB at all though, just doesn't make sense.

@Dannyxtra interesting. I wonder if charging £60 for early access 2 years ago actually harmed them financially in the long term. Less people bought in maybe?

@fenbops. Makes me wonder if they tried to self publish that way but didn't realise that when the game was done the majority of people who wanted it had already bought it leaving them in a situation where they needed money quick, hence why ps5 is coming out the same time.

@Doublecell I said that. I was being sarcastic, the point was larger Installbase doesn’t always equal better sales.

@NEStalgia now it supposedly a technical issue but if that was the case why not mention that before they weee asked the security question? The “well we don’t like to announce a version until we’re ready” response just lends itself to people getting angry.

Who knows I’ll assume the best and assume it’s a technical issue 100% and just a big oops.

@uptownsoul it will be the series S it's a double edged sword with that console on the one hand it's very affordable on the other it's holds back their 'most powerful console in the world' 12 tflops beast it seems likely to me that the series S has vastly outsold the series X aswell

@mousieone I'm sure it's a very technical issue of squeezing out the best gp terms possible between now and launch (only 50/50 it's on the service but 100/100 they're trying. Who wouldn't try to get an ms check when you have a crpg with a niche following? )

Maybe the terms are "obsidian needs to optimize our game like they did as black Isle for bg2" 😂

@Kevw2006 Yup, that's the same understanding that I had. This whole "problems with xbox development" seem like BS to me. Something else is going on.

@Microbius Yeah I always find it odd how many Pushsquare Sony fanboys show up here to defend their precious Playstation branded products on a site that has nothing to do with Sony or Playstation. Then again that fanbase is notorious for invading everyone else's spaces just to push general toxicity and fanboy system wars. There is something seriously wrong with them. They have made gaming sites incredibly toxic, that's for sure. It's no wonder most people have checked out and just stick to youtubers.