When you've got a gaming platform, getting third party publishers and developers to support it is a key priority for you. You've got to listen to what they want out of a specific hardware to make it easy to develop for, make deals with them to get games to come to your platform, and make sure software and hardware sales are big enough that even more publishers will come and support you over time. But as has been increasingly obvious over the years, you can't really do any of that, unless you produce your own games for the system as well. If third party games were a car, then first party games would be the driver. It's up to the platform holder to make their box appealing by publishing/developing quality, innovative titles to boost sales or draw publicity, that'll increase the userbase, and thus, boost the chances of big games coming to your system.
Yet lately, the newcomers that are throwing their hat into the ring either don't get this, or wait too long to do so. Google is the biggest example of this with Stadia. During the pre-launch, they promised all these third party games and support coming to Stadia over the years. Yet the one thing Google hasn't shown, was any games they're making themselves. That's because Google waited far to long to get first party titles in development. After its first party division, Stadia Games & Entertainment was formed, they only built their first Studio After Stadia launched. What the hell? You wait until the launch of your new platform to start making games? That's pathetic. You should've had first party games ready, the minute you revealed your platform. The lack of first party games, on top of streaming's uncertain viability, means Stadia at the moment, is a complete joke. What good is third party support if you can already play all of it on other, better systems?
Now Apple is taking an arguably better approach with Apple Arcade. It's Netflix style platform for Macs and iPhones/iPads. Rather than try to get the same games on other consoles, Apple is instead approaching developers for exclusive or timed exclusive content to be available on the service, which gives it more of its own need compared to the warmed leftovers that Stadia has at the moment. That said, the fact that the company at the moment, has no plans for any kind of in-house game publishing branch of their own for AA means this could eventually backfire. If I were Apple, I'd start investing in producing your own content soon if Apple Arcade is to have a future.
On the opposite side, two now-industry veterans understood this very fact when they launched their gaming platforms. Sony Computer Entertainment (Now Sony Interactive Entertainment) knew that the PlayStation wouldn't have a chance in the market if Sony didn't also make their own games for it. So they contracted a bunch of independent developers to make games that SCE would publish for the system, and signed a deal with Universal Interactive to publish Crash Bandicoot as a PlayStation exclusive. Eventually, Sony managed to scrounge enough to build its own in-house studios worldwide to develop games, and make key acquisitions of developers they deemed vital to PlayStation. Fast forward to today, and the PlayStation 4 has established itself not only as a home for third party titles, but also some of the finest first party content on any platform.
Microsoft had the advantage of having gaming experience thanks to the popularity of Windows PCs for gaming. The company already had a few series and developers under its wing, so it was easy for them to sign a few games ready in time for the launch of the Xbox, including a little known game called Halo, which single handedly justified the Xbox as a platform. And Microsoft would eventually learn that First party matters the hard-way, when the Xbox One suffered from constant software droughts of quality first party titles compared to the steady stream that Sony was releasing for the PS4. Basically, Sony had Horizon... Microsoft had Sea of Thieves. Hell, I could just bring up Nintendo and call it a day.
Yet lately, the newcomers that are throwing their hat into the ring either don't get this, or wait too long to do so. Google is the biggest example of this with Stadia. During the pre-launch, they promised all these third party games and support coming to Stadia over the years. Yet the one thing Google hasn't shown, was any games they're making themselves. That's because Google waited far to long to get first party titles in development. After its first party division, Stadia Games & Entertainment was formed, they only built their first Studio After Stadia launched. What the hell? You wait until the launch of your new platform to start making games? That's pathetic. You should've had first party games ready, the minute you revealed your platform. The lack of first party games, on top of streaming's uncertain viability, means Stadia at the moment, is a complete joke. What good is third party support if you can already play all of it on other, better systems?
Now Apple is taking an arguably better approach with Apple Arcade. It's Netflix style platform for Macs and iPhones/iPads. Rather than try to get the same games on other consoles, Apple is instead approaching developers for exclusive or timed exclusive content to be available on the service, which gives it more of its own need compared to the warmed leftovers that Stadia has at the moment. That said, the fact that the company at the moment, has no plans for any kind of in-house game publishing branch of their own for AA means this could eventually backfire. If I were Apple, I'd start investing in producing your own content soon if Apple Arcade is to have a future.
On the opposite side, two now-industry veterans understood this very fact when they launched their gaming platforms. Sony Computer Entertainment (Now Sony Interactive Entertainment) knew that the PlayStation wouldn't have a chance in the market if Sony didn't also make their own games for it. So they contracted a bunch of independent developers to make games that SCE would publish for the system, and signed a deal with Universal Interactive to publish Crash Bandicoot as a PlayStation exclusive. Eventually, Sony managed to scrounge enough to build its own in-house studios worldwide to develop games, and make key acquisitions of developers they deemed vital to PlayStation. Fast forward to today, and the PlayStation 4 has established itself not only as a home for third party titles, but also some of the finest first party content on any platform.
Microsoft had the advantage of having gaming experience thanks to the popularity of Windows PCs for gaming. The company already had a few series and developers under its wing, so it was easy for them to sign a few games ready in time for the launch of the Xbox, including a little known game called Halo, which single handedly justified the Xbox as a platform. And Microsoft would eventually learn that First party matters the hard-way, when the Xbox One suffered from constant software droughts of quality first party titles compared to the steady stream that Sony was releasing for the PS4. Basically, Sony had Horizon... Microsoft had Sea of Thieves. Hell, I could just bring up Nintendo and call it a day.
