2K explains what’s up with BioShock’s Xbox 360 ‘exclusivity’
When BioShock was first announced, people thought it would be released on both the PlayStation 3 and then the Xbox 360. Then the bomb dropped and we found out it was an Xbox 360 exclusive, even though rumors of a PS3 version kept popping up. Then we finally find out, there is a PS3 version coming this year. So what’s the story behind all this? Find out in the full article.
There is much to be said about exclusivity deals, as they have their own brand of politics. BioShock may be a prime example. When it was first announced, we thought it would be released for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 – then we found out it was a 360 exclusive.
Rumors of a PS3 version kept popping up, but hope for this weren’t rewarded. Then, just months ago, we finally find out there is a PS3 version coming out after all. So what’s the deal here?
According to 2K studio’s International PR director, Markus Wilding, the answer is simple: they couldn’t talk about other versions once the exclusivity deal was in place. Microsoft had approached them right after the official announcement when no specific platforms had been announced yet, so talks of a PlayStation 3 version were naturally silenced.
This little technicality of contract also explains the PlayStation 3-specific code that popped up on the PC version of the game. So why didn’t they announce the PS3 version as soon as the 360 version was out? Wilding explains:
Basically we chose the right time and we had the opportunity after a while, and we said all right, we’ll go for it. Obviously we couldn’t announce it for a while. Had we announced it at the time we launched the 360 version, basically we’d nullify that deal, so we had to work it so both parties would be pleased.
That’s the basic story. There’s no big surprise in there. As long as you have an exclusivity, you cannot talk about other platforms.
Wilding further clarifies that development for the PlayStation 3 version didn’t start until some time after the Xbox 360 version was shipped. The code found in the PC version indicates, though, that they might have at least planned to release it on the PS3 alongside the 360 version had Microsoft not approached them.
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Via videogamer.com
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