Circana (North American game market research agency) analyst Matt Piscatella made a heavy point in the latest industry podcast: the driving force of game console exclusive strategy on player migration is zeroing out. In the "Game Business Show" program, he cited the successful cases of "Forza Horizon 5" landing on PS5 and "Sword Star" landing on PC, revealing that cross-platform distribution has become the new normal in the industry.
"Data over the past 12 months shows that every month, a 'dated' game suddenly becomes popular due to its launch on a new platform," Piscatella pointed out. Take "Forza Horizon 5" as an example. Its all-platform distribution strategy has achieved unprecedented success. “When contemporary players choose hardware, they value social circles and ecosystems more than exclusive content—the era of relying on exclusive games to attract users is long over.”
The analyst particularly emphasized the phenomenon of user loyalty solidification: "Players are deeply bound to the existing platform, and only content that actively reaches users can win. All manufacturers are currently doing this - except Nintendo." Although he believes that Nintendo can also benefit from this, the Kyoto giant is obviously more insistent on its unique business model.
Faced with the cruel current situation in the U.S. market where "the top ten service-oriented games eat up 50% of player time," Piscatella asserted: "Under the current environment, the only way to survive is to allow the game to penetrate all platforms where players are." He predicted that if the new "Forza Motorsport" adopts a simultaneous launch strategy for all platforms, it will continue its current strong performance. "Multiple stores, multi-ecological coverage - this is the winning formula for future games."