Business only works well when they offer a product or service that their customer wants and at a price their consumer considers fair. And in their case works in record breaking levels.
It's stupid to think people massively buy an entertainment product they don't want.
PS1, PS2, almost PS3, PS4 achieved 100M and now PS5 is on track. By their own merits, MS has nothing to do here. PS3 wasn't as successful as the other ones and almost got outsold by MS mostly due to its own flaws: bizarre alien hardware too difficult to develop for, too expensive launch price, being almost 2 years late to the next gen. Outside PS3 Sony always clearly dominated MS the overall home console market.
GOTY means most people agree that they are the best game of the year. Sony exclusives dominated the GOTY awards during the last decade, which means they have a lot of top quality excluives. MS can't say the same.
They aren't equally shit. A company like Sony that has industry record breaking console or game sales numbers and collect hundreds of awards every year means they are doing what these consumers want, they are doing a great job as company. A company like MS that sells like less of the half, their exclusives aren't reviewed that good and don't win all these awards means they are offering something that is less attractive to their consumers than the other guys.
I never said they cared about me. They are companies, and as companies they offer products and services that may or may not appeal to me. If I like them and I have money, I buy them. If not, I don't buy them. Same goes for the rest of the consumers.
Regarding timed exclusives, Sony, MS and Nintendo have plenty of timed exclusives. As an example, recently The Medium or Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection were announced for PlayStation after a timed exclusivity. Or the Xbox CFO, the guy in charge of the finances of Xbox, said when they announced the Zenimax/Bethesda purchase that their plan will be to focus on 'first or better on Xbox' for their future Zenimax/Bethesda games, which means will see some of them becoming Xbox timed console exclusives. PC (and Xbox) players will get FFVIIR but later, because in this case is Sony who paid for it.
1: Business is business. Sega, atari were dominating before sony, and they gone of the earth with hardware consoles. Both of these 2 companies, were unable to adapt with changing time, so they dropped out. It doesnt matter if you sell billions, if you cant adapt with the market change, your past means nothing (Sony own tv department should tell you this).
2: People buy because of hype, and they dont want to be left out. PlayStation wouldn't have sold that much, if people weren't pressured by their friends, and desire to be with other people. Fortnite logo had a bundle for ps4. So hype sells the consoles, and popular games.
3: Majority of people who owns ps4 didnt buy it, because of past legacy consoles. They bought, because people were talking about it.
4: GOTY means shit. Its a bunch of celebrity choosing the game, due to the narrative it has. Most great games dont have the narrative these games have. Look at ori and the will of wisp. It didnt have any leg against tlou2, because it doesnt fit their view of goty. Hell doom eternal didnt even get a chance. GOT which better atmosphere than tlou2 lost to that game. So tell me, when do these games get a chance for goty?
4: Again, sales means shit, when you are the talk of the town, and your competition are the laughing stock. Xbox had the stigma of no games, despite it having games. If xbox didnt have that stigma, i doubt sony would have cracked that 100m console. XBox has 2 juggernaut games. Minecraft and Roblox. If they didnt shoot themself at that e3, they would have been much more popular with kids today.
and as for sony exclusive, only 1-2/10 of ps4 buy it. and most of their games are single player, which ment to be played alone. While on xbox, are group game. Halo has the Mp, Gears same, Forza same, Sea of thieves same. These games are social. Both companies target different groups. just because you love SP games, doesnt mean everyone does. Hell, sony exclusive are talked by media and you guys. My brother who owns his ps4, doesnt even know about it. and i bough his ps4 in 2018. he only has Spiderman.
5: I agree with you on that. They are only there for their business. they dont care whether we argue or not. all it benefits them, is the free at advertisements we do for them.
6: Bethesda/Zenimax will never have their games as timed exclusive. they are first party xbox period. Xbox/Pc is where those games will be.
as for times exclusive, I have no issue with it. Cyberpunk 2077 is the example of what happens when a company does their games independent. Timed makes sure those things never happen. People dont understand how valuable those times are. Yes it sucks that one platform gets to enjoy it, but it makes sure those games are polished, due to the contract. Once ff7r gets out of time exclusive, other devices will get it as full experience.
The only time timed exclusive is bad, is when its has online multiplayer. It makes the experience less good when others get it. The prime of that game is done after a month or 2 (outrider is prime example if its becomes times exclusive).
At the end of the day, there are new generation of gamers than the ps4/x1 era. This makes past sales useless. Roblox has 199m active users, While Minecraft sold 240m, and has 140m active users. This is your prime example that the industry is facing a new change. new gamers are joining the game. the old fart technique are useless now. You cant tout with best exclusive now. people want new fresh experience. Fortnite become sensational. 350m registered account (50-100m are multiple accounts, so take that with grain salt). These will be adults, like how ps1 were adult on ps2/ps3 time. you need to attract those people. that is the main goal now.