More this year than in past years it seems that what we have started to call “exclusive confusion” has been more prevalent than in previous years. Let’s face it - Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo want exclusive titles on their consoles that you can’t play anywhere else. We spent a lot of time today trying to figure out what really is exclusive and what is not.

The biggest of the exclusive confusion came when it was announced that the Xbox 360 would finally be getting Metal Gear in the form of the new title Metal Gear Solid Rising. While it was widely believed at first that this was going to be an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 platform, but this apparently not the case. Sony stepped up and announced today that while Metal Gear Solid Rising would be coming to the Xbox 360, it is not exclusive or a timed period of exclusivity. Sony is fully expecting Metal Gear Solid Rising to be available for the PlayStation 3 on the same day it is released on the Xbox 360. So at least for the moment you can chalk this one up for Sony.

Final fantasy XIV for PlayStation 3 was also announced at the Sony press conference and we have been able to get a little more about its status as an exclusive. From what we understand it will come out on the PlayStation 3 and it will also be avilaible for the PC platform as well. Sony will, initially at least, enjoy an exclusive by the fact that the game is currently only in development for that specific console platform as well as the PC. Square Enix does not close the door on a possible conversion to the Xbox 360. From what our sources tell us, they are still looking at all of their options which does include the Xbox 360. So as for this one Sony appears to have the edge, but it could appear on another console in the future. Still, we have to suggest that it is a bit unlikely that you are going to see it anytime close to the 2010 release on any other platform beyond PlayStation 3, if it does in fact release on time.

Valve didn’t leave anything to chance with their announcement of Left for Dead 2 for the Xbox 360. It will be a Xbox 360 exclusive, but they will be releasing it on the PC as well. No mystery on this one as Valve is pretty much a Microsoft platform shop at this point. We don’t expect to see it on the PlayStation 3 anytime soon, but you never know. We have to think that Valve will stay in the Microsoft fold, but we have heard whispers that Sony has tried to get them interested in developing for the PlayStation 3. It will be a Xbox 360 exclusive.

Still the majority of the games that are going to be released in 2009 will be multiplatform in the fact that they will arrive for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and in some cases for the Wii as well. Both Microsoft and Sony have exclusives that are in house produced titles or titles with close developer ties to the company for that game or game franchise. From what we see this time around, it does look like Sony seems to have a stronger lineup of exclusives in the long term, but it the short term Microsoft is likely the winner. As for Nintendo, they have some exclusive titles for the Wii, but the majority of them are Nintendo produced titles or franchise titles with a long history on the Nintendo platforms. It isn’t an easy decision, but take stock in the fact that most of the major releases will continue to be multiplatform at least for the long term strategy of most developers that are looking to maximize their sales.