More PlayStation Advantage Marketing Aims For More PS5-Exclusive Content

As if having Spider-Man as a PlayStation exclusive character wasn’t enough, Sony is apparently looking to have more timed-exclusivity PlayStation Advantage marketing deals with high-profile third-party games for the PlayStation 5.

This was shared by an industry insider with ScreenRant even as Sony prepares for a throwdown with Microsoft and its Xbox Series X over the holidays. Industry insiders are already predicting that Sony will have a major advantage when it comes to sales, with some analysts suggesting it will "significantly outsell" its competitor.

With the PlayStation 4, franchises such as “Call of Duty” offered players extra maps and cosmetic items only on the Sony console that were not available elsewhere. This seems to be the pattern that was copied when it was recently revealed that Spider-Man will only appear on the PlayStation versions of “Marvel’s Avengers.”

This caused a minor uproar online when the news broke as many Xbox One owners and those who planned on buying an Xbox Series X were disappointed that they wouldn’t have their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man around when they play “Marvel’s Avengers.”

As a company, Sony is already focusing much of its marketing effort on promoting the fact that the PlayStation has advantages such as timed exclusivity. Timed exclusives are a popular way for console manufacturers to try and gain an advantage over competitors. In many instances, publishers will release new maps or DLC on certain platforms weeks or even months before others.

The thinking behind it is that it will influence players to choose a particular console over another if they know that it will allow them to get access to exclusive content first.

The news that Sony is seeking more timed exclusivity deals for the PlayStation 5 came from former “Game Informer” editor Imran Khan in a recent episode of the "Kinda Funny" podcast while discussing the fact that Spider-Man will be exclusive to PlayStation versions of “Marvel's Avengers.”

Speaking to Tim Gettys, Khan explained that Sony is pushing publishers for special content for multi-platform titles when they release on the next-generation console.

There are plenty of surprises for gamers that will be announced over the coming months, Khan said. "There are things you will be shocked to find out that Sony is moneyhatting, that they are locking up for timed exclusivity," he said.

Although this is just a rumor, ScreenRant notes that Khan’s consistent track record when it comes to unconfirmed news is very good since his “Game Informer” days.

If Sony really is trying to get more timed exclusives, it will most assuredly cause even more controversy. Many gamers don't want to see multiplatform games have content locked away only for other consoles and yet it seems like this practice will be continuing for at least the foreseeable future.