An article on Reuters suggest that Metal Gear Solid 4 will be the "last of the great exclusives" and talks about the death of third party exclusivity as well the high costs that factor into their demise. Of note was a comment from MGS4 assistant producer Ryan Payton who stated that Guns of the Patriots would need to sell one million copies in the first day alone if the high development costs are to be justified.

In the first day, on the PlayStation 3, is a lofty goal, and proof positive that third party exclusivity just isn't worth it anymore. Will MGS4 manage such a feat? Well, without saying it's impossible, let us just say that it's about as likely as Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's father and the creator of C3-PO while discovering that The Force is actually made up of hundreds of tiny germ people.

G4's Adam Sessler agrees that Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't going to be a modern day miracle. "No, Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't the killer app," Sessler states in the article.  "People who already own a PS3 will likely get it. But it doesn't have that kind of broad-based appeal." I adore Metal Gear Solid, and I'm inclined to nod along with him. Metal Gear is not a system-shifter. Never has been, never will be. A sales spike is possible, but Solid Snake will never be as mainstream as Mario.

Now, what were we saying about MGS4 on the 360?