I’d say 9 times out of 10 a timed exclusive has been bought in some fashion.

Sometimes, though, it’s down to cost/time – a smaller developer if they are up and running and able to deliver on PC/360 on time (which is the normal way these things work) may genuinely find supporting PS3 outside their capability without getting more money or taking longer. In those cases I can see why they decide to drop PS3.

Mind you, mostly such titles turn out to be weak, such as Velvet Assassin, which is one such example where PS3 version was clearly cut due to lack of funds/time and the need to quickly get the game out on PC and 360 which they could just about manage.

I think in general seeing Bioshock 2 release day / date for 360/PS3 confirms this all the more. Unless you’re getting paid to loose the sales – as most timed exclusives sell less on the delayed platform so far as I can see – you’re not going to do it.

You may have a point, but that’s hasn’t stopped Lost Planet, Bioshock, GTA4 DLC, Section 8 (recently it was announced), Fallout 3 Expansions to come out some time later on PS3. So my point is there MUST be a reason, or profit, that the publishers gain in risking to re-release a product on the PS3 6 months to a year later.

I think you missed my point so I’ll explain. For a publisher, I don’t see how it’s successful. GTA games on the XBox didn’t sell very well, however you have the investment of developing and marketing the titles and you’re unlikely to recoup. Fanboys wont agree but timed exclusivity works for Microsoft but not quite the same way it worked for Sony last generation. This generation you have parity. The hardcore gamer will buy the console for a game he wants. If he’s a multiplatform owner he’ll get the game when it’s released rather than wait for it to come out on his preferred platform so it influences consumer purchasing power. The flipside is that, when that game comes to the PS3, the publisher has invest money in development and marketing and sales are pedestrian. Casual gamers don’t care, exclusivity means litte to them as they’re more likely influenced by advertising and word of mouth when purchasing a game. In chosing a console they don’t look at the software so much as they look at price, advertising and again, word of mouth; it’s what their friends have and their personal recommendations that sway a casual gamer. The early part of this generation has been a battle to reach the core gamer because they spend money on games.

GTA games on PS2 say hi

I’d laugh if it ended up being rubbish. Highly plausible.

It’s first person anyway, so not something that I will miss.