Sony has been known for its attempts to secure exclusivity deals for high-profile games. And from recent reports, it would seem that Crimson Desert nearly became the latest title in that lineup. The situation almost seems familiar to Black Myth: Wukong‘s delayed release on Xbox.
The South Korean developer Pearl Abyss revealed that they had received an enticing offer from Sony to delay the game’s launch on Xbox. While the studio declined Sony’s offer in favor of self-publishing, the similarities to Game Science’s AAA hit are hard to ignore. The industry may be better off anyway since more reach is always welcome.
Crimson Desert‘s Devs Refused To Make The Game a Timed Exclusive
As reported by HPNS, it was revealed during a September 2023 investor meeting that Sony had offered a lucrative deal to Pearl Abyss, the developers of Crimson Desert, to make the game a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 5 (PS5). This would have kept the game off Xbox platforms for a long time, much like the delays seen with Black Myth: Wukong.
UPDATE: Crimson Desert was reportedly offered an exclusivity deal from Sony, which would’ve prevented them from launching on Xbox🚀
Pearl Abyss refused the deal, and decided to self-publish as they thoughts it would be more profitable.
W or L?😎 pic.twitter.com/jFV6EOObVl
— Rino (@RinoTheBouncer) October 21, 2024
But the studio ultimately rejected the offer, deciding instead to self-publish. The studio’s confidence in the game’s potential has led them to choose market availability, and it will be released on PS5, Xbox, and PC.
What makes this situation eerily similar to Game Science’s hit is the timeline and the nature of the exclusivity discussions. Wukong was initially delayed on Xbox, leading to rumors of technical issues, but later reports revealed that Sony had a possible exclusivity agreement in place.
Regardless of whether that was true, PlayStation users accessed the game earlier, while Xbox users were left waiting. Situations like this are just examples of Sony’s strategy of locking Xbox out of major titles through exclusivity deals.
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Pearl Abyss’ decision to reject Sony’s offer demonstrates a growing awareness among developers of the potential drawbacks of such deals. The decision to self-publish allows the developer to reach a wider audience.
Exclusivity Has Been One Of The Most Hated Things For Gamers
This continued tug-of-war between Sony and Xbox over exclusivity deals reflects how tired fans are of it. Games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Silent Hill 2 have already shown how frustrating it can be for Xbox and PC users to wait for PlayStation exclusives to become cross-platform. And vice versa.
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Pearl Abyss’ refusal to sign onto such a deal for its game brings a bit of relief for Xbox fans. Despite its delay to 2025, Crimson Desert is shaping up to be a hit. Inspired by The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed, and Red Dead Redemption, early looks of the game have only made fans more excited.
Black Myth: Wukong though, has recently been rated by the ESRB for Xbox, so we might finally see the game launch on Microsoft’s platform. While the PlayStation and PC versions have been available for some time, Xbox players now have some semblance of official confirmation.
Looking at the timeline of both of these games, it’s evident that Sony’s exclusivity efforts are not new. The competition between the two gaming giants continues to shape the release schedules and availability of major titles for players on both platforms.
What do you think of this attempted move by Sony? Let us know in the comments!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
