Sony: 'Final Fantasy XIII' Going To XBox 360 Creates 'Jump Ball'

Stephen Totilo writes:

"At E3 last week I talked to PlayStation marketing man Peter Dille about a range of topics, the first of which, naturally, had to be the announcement by Microsoft that the formerly PS3-exclusive "Final Fantasy XIII" was also going to debut on the Xbox 360.

Did the announcement hurt Sony? I asked, and he said…"

[Omega4]

He right that GTA didnt boost sales and the chances are FFXIII wont either now that its multiplatform, but the only losser here is Sony since if they had remained exclusive the PS3 would of got that boost in sales while MS would have got nothing now they both will just get nothing

[Dark vader]

Yea but if you look at it its still not as bad as people make it seem. Cause Final fantasy is bigger in japan then in any other region. Its exclusive in japan for the ps3, so it will push some ps3 out in japan. And ff13 not being available in japan for the 360, is kinda like a nail in the 360 coffin over their.

[jwatt]

People keep forgetting that FF versus is still exclusive.

[Nitrowolf2]

FF is the biggest game in japan
GTA was not, but it was big in US.
i think keeping FF13 exclusive to japan will def boost PS3 sales.

[Kleptic]

^^haha boost sales?...thats an understatement...have you ever seen what happens to japan when an FF game ships?...

if by 'boost sales' you meant 'won't be able to find a PS3 for a month'...then I agree...

[StayHigh]

Microsoft is paying everybody out..They dont want to lose to Sony again..FF13 will boost PS3 sales even if its on the 360..

World wide PS3 is just doing better..In the end Sony will still come on top due to alot of exclusive games..Also they need to do another price drop!!

[dkp23]

If FFXIII remained an exclusive, there would of been a huge boost in sales during the release. All the people that have just the Xbox who were waiting for FF(i am one of them) was holding out to get a PS3 once the game comes out. Quality or not, those xbox owners do not have to buy a ps3 to play anymore.

As far as the xbox sales, if there is going to be a boost, its going to be minimal unless the current ps2 owners that have skipped the generation so far decide to go xbox which could create a boost as well, but unlikely.

Not sure why people keep bringing up FF not being on the xbox in Japan...Everybody already knows Xbox is not going to gain the type of traction in that territory, so its really a non-issue that is undebatable, xbox is dead in Japan and releasing there serves no purpose.

[thewhoopimen]

having either platform have no sales boost from FFXIII hurts MS more than it hurts Sony. Microsoft is now the one footing development costs for FFXIII that will come out for SONY and MS (essentially paying for PS3's development). Here's another problem with MS's strategy. If FF does not sell well in the 360 (or has no noticeable numerical advantage) they will have to "pay" for FFXIV to come to the 360. Keeping in mind that MS does not have access to the Japanese market (one of if not the largest RPG market).

A true win for MS is if FFXIII came exclusively to 360. The fact that it won't affect any sales means that MS gave out free money and maybe slowed Sony's performance in the short term.

[Nitrowolf2]

@kleptic

lol
i see what you mean
but by sellign out does that not boost sales?

[Kleptic]

^^ haha yeah man...reading it again, I sounded more sarcastic than I meant to...

I was just pointing out that Japan turns inside out anytime anything FF is released...and that is FF specific, not console specific...the PSP getting that FF game a few months ago shot it to first place for several weeks...with massive sell-outs nation wide...which is in a country now dominated by Nintendo currently...

It just makes me really curious as to what exactly MS is trying to accomplish...they make hollow promises constantly about eventually penetrating Japan...which is laughable considering how poorly the thing has done there...this could have been a MAJOR device to get the 360 even considered there...while they did get a few other SE rpgs that will be exclusive to the 360 in japan, they didn't get the big one...and without the big one, very few will even consider buying another console for the other games...

with FFXIII coming to the 360 in japan, and keeping those other rpgs timed exclusive/exclusive or whatever...MS would have had a major advantage on the PS3 going into next year...for Japan at least...but they missed the most important part...which makes the entire thing seem pretty pointless...

sharing other PS3 games has not done anything to gain momemtum for the 360...its still being outsold...everywhere...weekly. ..the 360's WW lead over the PS3 has slipped from around 10 million to just over 4...in 1.5 years...Considering that there is no way that FFXIII will be bigger than GTAIV outside of Japan...and GTAIV didn't do anything to stop the PS3's momentum on the 360...it brings up the question again...what is MS trying to do?...taking the money they spent on this and investing it entirely to secure more first party exclusives for their platform probably would have been a much smarter long run decision...

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

This is more of an emotional win for MS. MS is trying to turn the Xbox 360's image from a western centric and FPS only gaming console. In order to do that, they need an overwhelming amount of games that cater to the Japanese people and more so than Sony to convince consumers otherwise.

It would have little impact on MS shifting units, but will have a huge impact on PS3's perceived image. Many Sony exclusives are now multiplatform. In many cases multiplatform games sell better on the 360 due to the higher attach rate and larger user base. This proves to business decision makers to continue support for the 360.

Overall this is a huge win for MS marketing.

[Nitrowolf2]

god it will be like the Wii for the PS3 in japan when FF13 and FFversus13 hit.
someone in japan:"excuse me do you have any PS3 ins"
worker: "sorry we are sold out, but we have Wii's in stock"
Someone in japan: "why do i want a Wii, i want to play FF13 NOW!!!!"

[okcomputer]

@2.10

How exactly is this increasing the amount of available games that "cater to the japanese people", when ffxiii will still be exclusive to the ps3 in japan? Your comment makes no sense.

[thewhoopimen]

The only win i see in all this is Square Enix getting a paid ride to market into the Western market through MS. MS isn't getting a win on this because they still won't be considered a legitimate contender in the RPG space in Japan or Asia. (if that is their goal.) For MS to have a true win, they need to reach at least parity release date if not exclusive release. You won't be seeing FFXIII until late 2009 if not 2010.

This doesn't open new markets for MS either because new users can still go both ways with the PS3 or the Xbox 360 depending on their preference. All this strategy does is it stems the interest from existing 360 users from buying PS3s. Which is a profitless coup.

[Megatron08]

Well if you assume that you have the same kind of figures that you got from GTA4. Which he seem to think is what will happen the 360 out sold the ps3 version almost 2 to 1. Software sells are where Sony and MS make their real money. Cease they actually lose money on hardware sells till fairly late in the system life. MS is making money off their hardware right now tho cause they havent drop the price in ages. As for FF13 it might be big in japan but FF games are almost as big in american as they are japan and if you look at the total sells japan make up less them half the sells. So MS can still steal a large part of the market from them outside of japan.

BTW the ps3 out selling the 360 in Europe is a lie sony just happen to count places like africa as part of Europe to make their numbers look better

[Bonsai1214]

actually, Dragon quest is bigger than FF in japan. and nintendo has that tied up on the DS... so neither Sony nor m$ win

[The Lazy One]

See, what you see is that neither console is going to get a boost. You neglect to see the fact that at the same time neither console gets a huge boost over the other, the PS3 will LOSE the boost normally received from FF.

That's an opportunity cost regardless of how you look at it. It's all relative. A huge guaranteed boost in sales was just negated essentially. with a better box being released for even cheaper this holiday, and probably another drop by the time FFXIII drops, it's hard to see people buying a PS3 for FFXII now. Sony's going to have to rely on it's other exclusives more than ever.

To say it didn't hurt sony is either ignorant or close minded.

[klashawnd]

If you look at total installed bases, the 360 is still on top of the PS3 by millions. So any developer with a game coming out in the next year or so will see the 360 as a more favorable device for selling software and making a profit.

Once the PS3 overtakes the 360 or shows definitive and drastic trends towards doing so, then it will be looked upon more favorably by developers and they will shift their focus accordingly.

They will "follow the money" whereever it can be made.

This isn't a knock on the PS3 (I absolutely love mine), but this is the reality at the moment.

[Dark vader]

Yea you are right! The 360 has about a 5 to 4 million lead over the ps3. If sony wants third party to look at their platform, they are going to have to continue gaining ground on microsoft. They already overtook them in two regions, now what is left is NA.

[Omega4]

Even if the PS3 does surpass the 360 and thats a big IF developers still wont shift focus from the 360 since it has a record breaking attach rate.

And while PS3 does outsell the 360 many poeple are buying it for a bluray player not a game machine unlike the 360, as even with a great title like MGS4 the game still didnt manage to break the 1m in the US

[JVIDICAN]

actually, if you add the bundles to the mgs4 numbers it did sell over a million ;)

[StayHigh]

They are only like 4-5 millions ahead of the PS3..Microsoft better step it up if they dont want the PS3 to catch up..

[thewhoopimen]

Thats 4~5 million gap from 10 million a year and a half ago.

[Dark vader]

Yes metal gear solid broke a million in the NA, NPD didn't count the game that were bundled with the ps3. Blueray player is a selling point for the ps3, you have to understand that if people buy it for blueray that still opens the door, for them to consider buying games in the future,thus expanding the market. Either way is a win win for Sony. People though that adding blueray to the ps3 was a big mistake, now one year later can you say it was a big mistake for sony to add blueray to the ps3? Paying 50 dollars more for the ps3 is well justify. If Sony lowers the price in the future that would just be a plus. But yes ill give you that the 360 does sell more software then the ps3, but ps3 version of gta is not far off to its 360 counterpart.

[Omega4]

GTA4 PS3 only came close to the 360 numbers because its a playstation game the fact that the 360 sold more is a clear sign sony have lost a lot of ps2 owners.

Not to mention this generation is only a stepping stone for MS, all they're doing is establihing thier brand and getting every major franchise on their console, because next gen Sony wont have GOW,Grand turismo (rumoured to be last in series) or MGS and will lack any real system sellers while MS can continue with thier fables,halo and gears

[SUP3R]

Omega4 said: "because next gen Sony wont have GOW,Grand turismo (rumoured to be last in series) or MGS"

-----

LMFAO!!!!!!!!
Dude I couldn't stop laughing at that statement. You have absolutely NO idea how the system works. Please don't say anything else that will more you look even less intelligent than you already do through that statement.
Don't mean to be disrespectful, but it's the truth. Thanks for the laughs though.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

It is true that PS3 is catching up, but that is due to 1 additional market that is next to impossible for the 360 to compete in, namely Japan. To give a fair comparison I think we should remove Japan, as it is such an odd market with extreme national product loyalty.

Another factor is, PS3 momentum is in part due to the blu-ray player. Currently prices for stand-alone and PS3 is similar. A wise consumer would choose the PS3 due to the potential for firmware updates. I would almost never buy a stand-alone player since the likelyhood of long term support isn't there.

From a game developer studio, you want to see number of consoles as well as a more important figure. The attach rate. A console can sell gazillions, but if it isn't shifting games it doesn't matter.

Let take a look at the current state of consoles:

Wii: Highest user base, in the middle attach rate, cheap development cost and immense momentum that keeps going
360: Middle amount of user base, high attach rate, somewhat high development cost and strong momentum
PS3: Lowest user base, lowest attach rate, most expensive development cost and strong momentum (catching up with MS temporarily since this swings in both camps and is impossible to predict)

Ask yourself, who are you going to develop for as business decision maker? The 360 is here to stay! It is too late for Sony and they did too many mistakes. Sony might come in at second, but MS has already had a huge victory. MS achieved much larger install base at Sony's cost and received much better brand recognition among gamers especially in the US.

[Dark vader]

You sound ridiculous, are you saying that grant turismo 5, (Which let me remind you is sony biggest first party exclusive and its a 1 billion dollar franchise) is going to be sony last grant turismo? Grant turismo was the highest selling game for the ps2, it even beat out the all mighty grant theft auto. And so your still making an assumption that sony wound have another AAA franchise in the works, that will replace those that they lost.

[Dark vader]

First microsoft has not yet gain any market share, because they have not surpassed the original xbox install base AS OF YET.

second the only brand recognition that microsoft received was RROD.

third japan is not what you say they are, if you have forgotten apple is also an american company that sell million and nillion of ipod over there, and nike sell million and million of jordan brand sneaker over their.

fourth microsoft had an even bigger install base of 10 million only to see it cut in half.

Like i said before i do give you that microsoft does sell more software then Sony.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

@dark_vader:

1)I said what I said and you can twist and turn it any way you want. It doesn't change the current affairs. There are always exception to the rule, and you can point out those exceptions, but it doesn't change the Japanese culture. I suggest you do a little research on Japanese culture and mindset in business.

2) MS might not have exactly gained it yet, but they surely will over it's lifetime. Unless you are so naive to think they aren't going to sell 2-3 million more consoles in the near future.

3) MS has certainly received a much better brand recognition this generation than previous. RROD certainly had its effect and MS would probably be in a more advantageous position over Sony if they didn't f* up so much. That is an opportunity for Sony, but if sales speaks the brand didn't get hurt that badly considering what it could have done. The sales keep moving on and the 360 has had one (two if you count the temporary reduction) price cut in its life time. PS3 has seen two (and three if you count the temporary) price cut and it has been on the market for a much shorter time.

[hfaze]

"Not to mention this generation is only a stepping stone for MS, all they're doing is establihing thier brand and getting every major franchise on their console, because next gen Sony wont have GOW,Grand turismo (rumoured to be last in series) or MGS and will lack any real system sellers while MS can continue with thier fables,halo and gears"

Back when the original XBox ended up in last place, I would whole-heartedly agree with you.

If Microsoft is truly looking at this gen in this light, then it has been one H3LL of an expensive trip to get there. How much do you think Microsoft's stockholders will be willing to gamble? If trends continue the way they have been since December of last year, then the 360 is headed for 3'rd place (just like the original XBox).

We're not talking about the Microsoft of the 1990's here (where from 1995 to 1998 I saw their stock shoot up to over $120/share and split FOUR times), we're talking about Microsoft in the 2000's (where the stock has not gone over $60/share since 1999, and is currently trading at $25.69/share). Investor confidence in Microsoft since the antitrust lawsuits has shown in their stock prices.

Microsoft will have to do better than a last-place finish this generation in order to make the XBox division look like a worthwhile investment...

[thewhoopimen]

That's the most ridiculous assertion if I've heard one. If Japan is the odd man out why is MS trying to get in? Where does 20-30% Sony's profit come from? Doesn't it mean something if McDonald's, Dennys, Wendys, Apple, Nike, and Adidas (all smaller companies than MS) have great success penetrating the market? All that means is that MS's marketing/sales strategy in Japan is critically flawed or underwhelming to the japanese public.

Yes attach rates are important but not if your market isn't growing at the rate your competitor's are. Let's take a quick look at how insignificant attach rate is over the life of a console. Ask yourself this... would you want 14% attach rate for 100 million users or 70% of 20 million. The numbers are the same at 14 million titles sold. But which one has room to grow? The obvious 100 million. With 70% you are looking at a saturated market with no more room for 20 million. With 14%, the problem is about how you failed to deliver interest in 86% of your respective console consumer and to figure how best to grow that number by at least another 5%-10%. Granted 70% is a beautiful number to reach... but why do you think Nintendo could care less about that number? B/c they will be the ones hitting 100 mill (at least in their minds and as current trend shows.)

Finally as numbers have shown and current trends prevailing, we will see the Wii at #1, PS3 at #2 and 360 at #3. The Us market is a large market but the European market is already bigger and Japan is definitely in Nintendo and Sony hands.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

@thewhoopimen:

MS is going in because Japan is a huge market that is important not only from a sales stand point, but also support from Japanese developers. That is at least how I would see it, if I was running the ship.

I'm not saying attach rate is more imprtant than user base or vice versa. Obviously, the only number that matter is the number of units sold. However, Sony at the moment is dead last with the least number of units sold and lowest attach rate.

Trends change really quick, just last Christmas nothing seemed to stop MS and now the PS3 is gaining momentum. Will this continue remains to be seen. What is certain is attach rate and units sold.

I think the ranking will be #1 Wii and the 360 and PS3 on even ground, due to Sony's strong brand recognition and 360's non-existant userbase in Japan.

[Gamefan79]

Personally, I see it never coming out on the 360.I see ms putting it out on the new 720 ,or whatever it will be called, It will be a lanch title for the new system in japan and America.2010,you know ms will have a new console.The whole announcement now is just a smoke screen to let people know it's coming to a ms system.Mark my words,This will be ms's twilight princess enough to finally penetrate japan at launch!

[You bought an Xbox]

Berfore you read the article
You thought Jump Ball was a New Game

Ha Ha

The Xbots are all Thick as Sh!t

Ha Ha

Your Gonna get the Inferior Version of FF13

Ha Ha

[Stryfeno1]

You have one bubble.

Ha Ha

You about to be thrown in the pit with all the droid losers.

Haahahaa

[Xheratuul]

Stryfeno, You bought an XboX

[Pain]

we would have Many bubbles but u bots own this site with Pro-Xbox Crap.. so yea.... and As long as he use's his 1 bubble right its like a bullet...you just need 1 and with your lame response .. he didnt miss.

have fun swapping disc's and getting the Low-Rez Xbox 2 DVD9 based inferior version.

FF on teh~Xbox 2 !!!!~ It's Kool Againz!!!! yaa!! JPrpg's!!!........

[PimpHandHappy]

has the most 1st party devs in the BIZ

a couple 3rd party devs making the move to go multi-platform is not a big deal...its not like PS3 owners dont get to play these games!

[Kleptic]

sadly that is a very hard point for many to digest...

look at this generation so far...how many 'exclusives' has the PS3 loss to multiplat releases with the 360 this generation?...FFXIII will not be as big of a deal outside of Japan as GTAIV...and GTAIV did nothing...that is what this article is about...the game may sell better, so good for SE...

but some keep saying how this is crushing to Sony...no it isn't...these games helped Sony so much in the past because they were ONLY available on their system...MS isn't securing them for the 360 only...so it does little to either system in terms of sales...

the PS3 is still outselling the 360 everywhere...its cut the 360's lead at launch by nearly 60% in just over 1.5 years...and thats with several of these multiplat announcements...I think MS likes these because they get so much attention more than anything...and like it or not...they are 100% defensive moves...this isn't MS 'attacking' Sony...this is MS attempting to prevent getting crushed by Sony again...how much they get crushed is not known yet...but decisions like this does not give the 360 momentum on the PS3...at all...

[thewhoopimen]

That was well put. That is exactly how I view it as well. Breaking exclusivity is a defensive move, completely stealing it and featuring it exclusively is an offensive move. MS is very much on the defensive and the momentum Sony is building shows this. The US sales gap has widened between Sony and MS this month due to sustained interest from MGS4's release in June. If Sony can deliver another great game (LBP is definitely a system seller) within the next month or so, that gap will sustain and grow itself. The best move that MS could make right now to stump Sony would be to steal LBP or break exclusivity for Sept.

I think FFXIII is too far away in the future to hurt Sony, considering the ball is already rolling in Sony's court this fall/winter.

[Kleptic]

totally agreed man...the 360 has been consistantly outsold for the 2008 in its biggest supporting territory so far...and what did MS announce at the, at least at one point, biggest industry event?...

they announce a sku-drop with price cut leading into it...and announce to 360 owners that they get to play another PS3 game outside of Japan eventually...now what did Sony do?...they announced and showed exclusive game after exclusive game...that were without doubt the most impressive games of the entire show (LBP and Killzone 2 went entirely unmatched)...I own a PS3, and Sony pretty much gave owners of the system something to be excited about...Ms geared the show towards future buyers, or at least attempted to get more people interested...that is ALWAYS a sign that some execs are less than thrilled with the platforms current position...

its funny that many comment on how 'aggressive' MS is...this is not aggression if you think about...its clearly last ditch efforts to keep attention on your brand...sadly attention on your brand in the areas that its doing the best...

Xbox is still a territory specific name...Japan is a lost cause for the system obviously...and Europe isn't too far off for this generation...it is still very strong in the United States though...if I was a 360 owner though, I would be more frustrated than anything that they keep getting so excited about a shared release...and not investing in some first party game that would be guaranteed to not jump ship...

[Zulwarn]

damage control

[Lord Shuhei Yoshida]

Which kind of damage control?
The kind where you send the fire department to save a house from another 360 related fire? OR

The kind of damage control where you try to say that a 15 disc game is "not a big deal"?

[Xheratuul]

you bought an XBOX

[Kleptic]

damage control?...these once PS3 exclusives going to the 360 only do one thing...they keep the 360 even competing...not winning...still selling less than the PS3 and Wii...but at least its competing...

not one of these announcements did anything other than simply kept the 360 around...had the 360 not had GTAIV this year...you think anyone would even be talking about it?...

and this article clearly points that out...if you look back on all the things MS 'stole' from the PS3...you would think the 360 would actually be doing better than the PS3...the reality is the opposite...I know fans like you on this site don't really think the way normal people do...but how excited do you think people really are that the 360 gets to play another PS3 game?...that was the big announcement...the 360 is getting a PS3 game...awesome...no wonder its going no where, with its one year head start quickly being squandered...

[Thoas]

Final Fantasy 13 will sale the most in japan and everyone knows that. Xbox 360 is a flop over there.

[juuken]

Didn't sound like damage control to me.

He's actually right.

[SoIid Snake]

Lol, you bought an Xbox 360.

[Phil Collins]

15 disc? Or 15 installs.

It amazes me ol jackie still touts bluray and MGS4 only due to bluray tech. That game could easily be done on multiple discs.

Switching a disc? 10 seconds.

Install? 2 minutes.

Bluray? = pwned.

[Raptors]

Well this generation is all about the death of exclusivity. Get used to it folks. I'd love to see a fight between shane kim and peter rille. I find them both highly annoying

[thewhoopimen]

You are only partially correct. Death of exclusivity from 3rd parties. Sony's 16 first party developers says exclusive advantage.

[Tidus11]

Ps3 is gonna get hell of a boost out of japan... and if Ps3 version comes out a year earlier in us/Europe People will buy it for that console because now days people don't want to wait for anything.

[DarkBlade]

People are talking about this so much it not even interesting anymore. It like it lost it's hype. Beside the game isn't due til next year for US and Eu.

[Kleptic]

2010 is more than next year...its very likely that the game is all of 2 years away for everywhere but Japan...late 2009 release for the PS3 in Japan only, if they are lucky...but the game is still very very far off...

it is very likely that the 360's replacement will be set for launch that same year...

[Naked Snake]

It may only make it in Europe and America in 2010.

[LiquifiedArt]

Nothing to disagree with. IT really does become a "Jump ball" effect. It only helps microsoft by hindering Sony. Because now Microsoft has "paid" so that it is nothign Substantial for either. (Although Japan Does come to mind)

[Naked Snake]

The only devs you can trust for exclusives these days are first party published games.

[ash_divine]

Amen.

[NathanGra]

MS already paid for DMC4 and now it's FFXIII. I wonder what will be bought out next. I really do think it's the end of 3rd party exclusives as we know it, at least for Sony and Nintendo. I'm just going to be watching the headlines; I won't be TOO surprised if Capcom and Square ENIX start becoming exclusive to MS.

It's all about money, it feels like. And MS has limitless amounts.

[ash_divine]

regardless of whether the 360's ahead or not they would still want that other 13 million. and using your "money" logic, wouldn't they be exclusive to Nintendo? not Microsoft.

[NathanGra]

Yes, Nintendo had the most sales in terms of consoles. But Microsoft trumps Nintendo financially as a company. As we've seen from E3, as well, Nintendo has a far more casual fanbase than does either MS or Sony. This does have a relevelant impact: game licensing, peripherals, xbl, etc. So I think that MS is still the giant in that respect.

On topic: As for Square-Enix: we know that they were originally Nintendo and started to create games for the PS exclusively for hardware reasons.
Over the past years we've seen crystal chornicals and a slew of other titles for Nintendo. Now it's microsoft. In retrospect, this multiplat move shouldn't be all that surprising. If the Wii was more technologically advanced, we'd probably see it on the Wii as well.

[InMyOpinion]

"Dille: Well obviously Microsoft seems to be opening the checkbook a fair amount."

I thought you guys said Sony were the humble ones? Instead we see them acting more petty than ever, trying to blame the competition for their own shortcomings. Everyone pays for exclusives, both Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft.

SquareEnix said themselves that the decision to make FFXIII multiplatform was their own, in order to make as much profit as possible.

[Xheratuul]

you should buy a Macbook pro

[InMyOpinion]

Why? You think I'm queer?

[PirateThom]

Don't be so naive, Jenzo.

[themyk]

SquareEnix said themselves that the decision to make FFXIII multiplatform was their own, in order to make as much profit as possible.

i wonder if the couple hundred million they got from ms is going to help with that profit.

sony doesn't pay for 3rd party exclusives

[InMyOpinion]

You are naive if you think that MS are the only ones who pay for exclusives.

@TheMyk - "sony doesn't pay for 3rd party exclusives". Show me some proof.

Take a look at install base + attach rate. The 360 is leading in both areas. Developers make games for a living, they want as much profit as possible from their work. Why the hell would they develop games on the platform where they are more likely to lose profit? And above that do it for free even if Microsoft or Nintendo are willing to pay them to develop for the 360?

How fu[king naive can you get?

[PirateThom]

I never said they were, I'm saying you're naive if you think they didn't pay for FFXIII.

[InMyOpinion]

Well, who should I believe?

SquareEnix who say it was their own decision, or Sony who are saying Microsoft paid for it? Sony, cause they would never try to badmouth Microsoft about something as big and important as this. I'm sure they would just congratulate MS for stealing one of their biggest exclusives ;)

[themyk]

why would a company with that many first party developers worry about spending money on a third party exclusive. they leave that up to the developer.

it pretty much goes like this. if you want to make your game the best it can be. release it only on the ps3. if you want to dumb down your idea for the most sales make it on both consoles.

see thats why mgs3 was exclusive

[InMyOpinion]

Yeah, that's probably it...

That must be why Bungie developed Halo 3 exclusively for the 360 and sold over 8 million copies. Must be why 360 exclusives sell more copies than Ps3 exclusives. Because the games are better on the PS3...

[ash_divine]

I read some where that PS3 Exclusives sell the most, don't remember the article but it was on this site.

and about the Sony not being humble thing, you do realize that this is ONE time compare the sh!t Microsoft continually try to sling on Sony. I mean, have you heard anything that comes out of Shane K and Aaron G's mouth?

Besides Microsoft couldn't even steal FF XIII maturely(thinks back to the white board of Exclusives to poach they said they had.) compared to that Sony are humble.

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Here jenzo,you b!tchy you little prick.
you wanna talk about humble company's?

http://forums.gametrailers....

[Mr Fancy Pants]

Lol, jenzo bought an Xbox

[PhantomMD]

What difference does it make if a game is multiplat or exclusive if it is on your console just play the game and be glad you got it... geeeze!

[FantasyStar]

While the massive drones may think Loyalty is a part of this equation, it's not. We all know that Multi-platform games never take advantage of the true potential of either system, so crying foul because Microsoft bribed Square-Enix enough to value the end total more than the quality of their game is very valid. Because of what happened now, we'll always be wondering "what if FFXIII stayed exclusive?, Would the graphics and experience be that much better?" Alot of gamers (Mainly MGS fans) were worried that MGS4 going multi-platform would hurt the overall quality of the game. Hell even Kojima used the analogy of a 'theatre' and 'tv' to emphasize the importance of exclusives and their ability to harness a console's potential.

There's the argument of "as long as it plays well", however remember back in E3 '06 when the White Engine (now called Crystal Tools) promised near-CG quality gameplay and graphics. This was announced back when the world thought FFXIII was still PS3 Exclusive. But now that Crystal Tools is mainly designed as a Multi-platform Engine; is that promise still valid? Or does every RPG gamer suffer because Microsoft and Square-Enix made a deal for 360, just to take a bite out of PS3's sales. It's foul play in the end for this game.

While it's great my friends can play FFXIII now, we'll always be wondering if that promise was ever kept, or just swept under the rug like every other game Microsoft bought out. We all know that GTA4 could've been much more, but now we'll never know because it's multi-platform. I believe that exclusives will push the consoles to their limits, and along the way will breed new kinds of technological advances that will benefit gamers everywhere.

Remember Killzone 2 & Mass Effect.

[Infernus]

There's nothing to worry about. The PS3 version will be made first, the 360 development will only start once localisation for the US and EU version starts for the PS3 so the PS3 version will, imo, be the better version and more optimised. The 360 version could very well end up being a multi-disc port...

[devilhunterx]

Dont worry folks. SE will remake this game 30 times in Japan and SONY will keep selling PS3.

And then remake on PS4, PSP2 etc.

Oh btw, if the game dont sell as well, doubt there will be FF14 on the XB2

[eagle21]

And one disc. :)

[GUNS N SWORDS]

and i don't think sony likes to grease anyone's palms.....if they did they would have definitely done it for the exclusive rights to ff13 and DMC4, and they did not.

[ash_divine]

maybe FFXIII and maybe even GTA4, but I doubt they cared about DMC4

[juuken]

That was a good interview. A lot of good points were brought up.

[Voiceofreason]

I have to laugh at this clown.. Had GTA4 been exclusive to Sony it would have meant higher console sales for the month, letting them close the gap between 360 and PS3 that much easier. MS being able to grab it slowed Sony's approach. Same thing will happen with FF13 now. NO its not going to boost the 360 ahead of the PS3, it was never intended to either. It was done to keep Sony from advancing further ahead of the 360. If MGS4 was not exclusive we wouldnt be seeing those high numbers for Sony last month. Keep acting like what MS did was no big deal. Thats why you are still in 3rd place and will remain there for some time. This line might fly for the ones that believed in 4D graphics but the rest of us can tell a line of BS when we see it.

[Dark vader]

Your right all that Microsoft did was slow down the inevitable. That is why you see them buying time exclusive and what not. Microsoft strategy this gen is, buy time exclusive and dlc from third party developers. right now microsoft only has a 5-4 million lead over the ps3.

[ash_divine]

yeah, if Sony would still had all the exclusives it began with, they would have already passed Microsoft. and been working their way up to Nintendo as we speak.

That's Sony's biggest weakness this gen, they should of kept hold to all their exclusives. I know they are counting on first party games now(which do look great) but what they forget is that any exclusive is a good exclusive and worth keeping. If I were the corporate head of Sony, we'd have a monopoly cause I wouldn't have let a single game slip(not even something like Lego Batman).

[tudors]

I never looked at it that way but it makes perfect sense to me, more exclusives for MS means less chance of everyone jumping ship and visa versa.

[SpenserTracy]

Xbox fans say Sony lost face. Actually Microsoft lost face and are now seen as desperate by the press and to be buyers of a new console.
Sony had more interesting things for the future than Microsoft. If you're interested to know, there was more written about Sony than about Microsoft. Sony actually won this round on free advertising. Microsoft made Sony seem as the underdog and Sony will profit from that.
This christmas Sony will sell about 6-7 million PS3 consoles because everyone now wants HD, and better graphics to watch on their HD tv. Microsoft will sell but mostly games and about 2 million consoles. The drop will be all to Sony ripping throug with top quality. Not mediocre hardware and no versitility like the 360. People will also tend to buy the more expensive hardware if they know it will give them that extra ease of use. Sony will bring them that. It is already proven that Sony is selling more than the 360 even with a higher price. Mark my words.

This is not about being a Sony fanboy, it is about seeing trends. If you want to look that is.

[Dragnipur]

Irrespective of what might have been, paying for the exclusive rights of a genre that doesn't interest the majority of Xbox 360 users, is down right stupid and irresponsible, just for the sake of bragging rights.
MS have set a precedent here with FFXIII, and this will come to strikeback at their checkbook EVERY single time, as third party devs can now rely on MS opening the cheque book at the thought of any AAA game being exclusive on the PS3.

Just imagine a big publisher like Acti-Blizzard dropping a bombshell that CALL OF DUTY 6 will be PS3 exclusive... MS would sell the family jewels just to make it multi-platform...therefore placing themselves in a weakened position for the rest of this generation of consoles.

[Figboy]

FFXIII probably won't see the light of day in the US and UK until 2010 at the earliest. the Japanese version could either hit in late late 2009 (ie, Christmas season), or in early 2010.

in the interim of FFXIII hitting the PS3 in Japan, and the PS3 and 360 in the US,

the Playstation 3 will have released:

Resistance 2
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Little Big Planet
SOCOM: Confrontation
Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
Siren: Blood Curse
DC Universe Online
MAG
Killzone 2
God of War 3
White Knight Story
Heavy Rain
possibly Team Ico's first PS3 game (they are working on two)
Insomniac's 2009 release (remember, they release a game a year, i'm assuming the "real" Ratchet and Clank Future 2 will release next year, or maybe another PSN title, but this time from the North Carolina Studio they opened)
Uncharted 2 (i'm sure it'll release in late 2009)
inFamous

and THEN Final Fantasy XIII will come out.

in short, Final Fantasy XIII is a BONUS for the Playstation 3, while it's a boon for the 360. there are a LOT of anticipated Playstation 3 titles that we know of that will be hitting from now until 2009. MONTHS before FFXIII finally sees release. maybe not just ONE of the titles i listed alone will sell a system, but the COMBINATION of all of them? hard to resist

my question is this:

WHAT, exactly, will make the 360 so appealing during the months UNTIL Final Fantasy XIII hits the US and UK markets that will make the 360 more appealing than the Playstation 3?

i'm not saying the 360 doesn't have any good games coming (i'm personally looking forward to Fable 2, Alan Wake, and Too Human), but there's no denying that Sony has a LOT of first and second party studios working on PS3 titles that will see release before FFXIII is released.

i understand Gears 2 is coming out. i understand Infinite Undiscovery is coming out, and Alan Wake, Banjo and Kazooie, Halo Wars, etc, but what other exclusive offerings does MS have in the works for next year? unfortunately, at E3 they didn't say, and therefore this FFXIII announcement doesn't have as much weight for the company as it SHOULD have.

Sony's library of first and second party exclusives, as well as the insanely surprising quality of the PSN games (Fat Princess, anyone?) makes the Playstation 3 a very, VERY tantalizing proposition for a gamer, even moreso if that gamer happens to be a movie buff (Blu Ray, the new video store, divx support, etc).

the 360 is genuinely a good console, but in my opinion, i feel like it's been outclassed by the Playstation 3, and now that the games are on a steady stream of releases (exclusives AND multi-platforms), i have to say the PS3 is getting it's groove back, like most fans who have followed the Playstation since 1995 knew would happen.

Microsoft is going to have to offer something more compelling than Lips and Avatars to convince the gaming community at large (hardcore AND casual), that they should pick up a 360. FFXIII just can't be all there is. it's not for Sony.

[GUNS N SWORDS]

360 IS getting games in the future ,have you noticed the path that ms has created in the past few years at E3, they never talk to much about the far future, there only concerned about the present, unveiling games one at a time year after year, slowly unveiling there line up each year, and for that i think that's why a lot of ps3 gamers say 360 has no games in the future, because there not being represented at E3.

ff13 wasn't in any of the past E3's, and yet it's coming to 360, so anything is possible.

(and yes it's possible that MS can keep secrets even during an E3)

[NeoBasch]

Alan Wake (if we're lucky; 2009)
Banjo Kazooie: Knuts and Bolts
Bungie's next game (2009)
Cry On (2009)
Gears of War 2
Infinite Undiscovery
Ninja Gaiden II
Too Human
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

Just a question... did Microsoft really keep their promise? Last year, their sole focus was 2007 and their amazing lineup. They said 2008 will be their most impressive yet. *Looks up* I don't think it is. Matter of fact, I think it sucks. Sure, any one of those could become quality games, but the list is very limited. 2009 will add a few more, but it is still rather bare compared to PS3's. Fallout 3, Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Soul Calibur 4, Prince of Persia, and Silent Hill: Homecoming will likely generate some thunder for each system, but will not provide any further distinction. It still comes down to what is being offered.

Microsoft has a couple first and second party studios, but to even suggest that they will even come close to Sony's monstrous house is lunacy. Their promise of more to come has raised such games as Lips, 1 Vs. 100, that B Movie... thing, and Live upgrades. X08 will likely focus on these games even more with few new announcements, just like X07 the year before. I think it's safe to say, Microsoft has announced everything that will release this year, save one or two small titles. Sony still has 12 game announcements to make at Leipzig. And possibly 8 more at TGS. What will Microsoft show?

Personally, they could ramp up production and reveal dozens of titles for 2009, but I doubt it. Rather than focus on internal production they've bought exclusivity and multiplatform agreements for BioShock, Tales of Vesperia, Star Ocean 4, The Last Remnant, Final Fantasy XIII, Devil May Cry 4, and Grand Theft Auto IV. Wow, that makes me feel great. To know that instead of building new studios to work for your system specifically, we'll be getting more of the same. Microsoft's lead will continue to wear thin because of this. I guarantee it. Unless, they start changing their attitude and strategies.

By the way, Figboy, you missed a few...

Afrika
Disgaea 3
Incognito's next game
NIS's next game
Tekken 6
Valkyria Chronicles
Wardevil
Wipeout HD

Plus, some former PSP developers will have likely released their first PS3 games by then: Ready at Dawn (Jak and Daxter... betcha anything :D) and Sony Bend (Syphon Filter PS3?).

[Figboy]

it's kind of hard to keep secrets when you only have 10 first and second party studios working on games for your system.

i posted it in another thread, so i won't post it here, but Sony has over 30 studios working on exclusive titles for the PS3. many working on more than one title (10 2nd party, 20 first party).

the PS3 will simply have more exclusives in the end.

to Basch: thanks. i completely forgot about those exclusives, but i was primarily trying to limit it to first and second party titles. even so, that's still a lot of games hitting the PS3 on TOP of FFXIII.

people act as if Final Fantasy XIII is the only PS3 title worth taking a look at in the future.

[GUNS N SWORDS]

HOME(if we're lucky; 2009)
GOD OF WAR 3 (2009)
KILL ZONE 2 (2009)
LAST REMNANT (2009)
Infamous (2009)
Tekken 6(2009)
Heavy Rain (2009)
Disgaea 3 (2009)........does it even mater, just look at it, http://media.ps3.ign.com/me...

for 360 you missed A.S.H, blue dragon 2, Tales of Vesperia, mass effect2, forza3, killer instinct, STAR OCEAN 4.

-edit, got the balls to disagree but don't have the balls say why, lol.

[NeoBasch]

Not really...

Tekken 6 is slated to come out December of this year. Disgaea 3 comes out in two months. :p Around that time, the HOME Beta will have been launched. And because well, you know, it's f#cking free, I don't think any complaint deserves to be leveled at it. The rest, as you say, is correct. Take away all of Sony's 2009 titles, and 2008 still looks a hellava lot more impressive. I own all three systems, and, right now, Sony is pleasing me the most. Just because I feel they are capitalizing on the promise they made with former staples PSOne and PS2. Not just that, I think they are doing better. Brand new IPs are coming out left and right. As well as tried and true franchises.

I'm not saying Microsoft's 2008/2009 lineup is dreadful... just dreadful compared to Sony's. :D On its own, it's fairly decent. It's just that Sony's is just that much more. We were comparing 2008/2009 lineups because of the future titles between FFXIII's release. The 2008 comment was off topic. Sorry. Plus, its neither the PS3 nor the 360 we should be worried about, as gamers, it should be the Wii. What an abomination!

EDIT: Oh yeah, some other things you should be aware of. A.S.H. or Archaic Sealed Heat is actually a DS game that game out quite a while ago in Japan. Tales of Vesperia will come to the PS3 eventually, as well as Star Ocean 4 (Microsoft didn't brand the splash page with exclusive during the E3 showing). I'll give you Mass Effect 2 and Forza 3, however. I did forget to mention those. Still doesn't add much. And if you are willing to put Blue Dragon 2 up there, you might as well take down Cry On. It's either one or the other. There is no way Mistwalker will release both in under a year. Especially since two other DS games have stolen their attention: Blue Dragon Plus+ and ~Away~.

[thewhoopimen]

You guys forgot LA Noire for PS3. Second party exclusive from Rockstar.

[Infernus]

Microsoft appear to be very dependant on 3rd party titles now, Sony have a whole host of 1st party developers working for them so I can see where their confidence comes from whenever an exclusive title goes multiplatform.

Guns, I see that Home is the one thing Sony have that people never really know the facts about (Especially those solely restricted to the 360) even though they did announce a good few weeks ago that it will definitely be released in 2008, is coming in the Autumn and will be released free of charge.

Anyway, Home isn't a game, it's a social interaction tool and a 3D XMB. It's much more than a game, it tends to scare 360 fanboys to the extent of insulting it (Even though it'll be free) and constantly saying it'll be delayed to 09 in the hope that it will be.

Sony have more exclusive games coming out in the future, they announce games ahead of time because they know what's coming and want their customers to know. Microsoft keep their future titles hidden because they're more focused on trying to pip Sony and Nintendo at every opportunity in the present, it's a sign of their gameplan this gen, they have a short lifespan set up for the 360 and are showing it.

As soon as the exclusives drop to about 3 or 4 a year they'll release the next console to get all the fanboys spending money on them again, Microsoft is very close to dropping to 3rd place and this gen doesn't end when MS say so. They'll release the next Xbox as soon as possible to give them bragging rights to finish 2nd place, but in the end that won't be the case, Sony overlap consoles for good reason. I would love to see what MS do to 360 owners when the next Xbox hits.

[djcosta]

i'll make a bit for those so that i can break them by myself!!!!hahahah

[Rob0g0rilla]

It's still coming to Playstation 3, it'll be on one disc, and you'll still get to play it.

[GUNS N SWORDS]

it's funny, graphic, full of hate, and it's EXACTLY WHAT PS3 gamers thought on that day, to me (a 360 gamer) this made me laugh.

http://www.gametrailers.com...

-keep in mind on what this guy says about the ps3 version suffering, in reality FF XIII was being developed on pc first anyway said by "Tetsuya Nomura", so both the ps3 and 360 versions won't suffer at all, it will be up to the results of how good these devs are on both platforms.

[Infernus]

To be honest, I could see this coming. It was a mistake by Square but it's their company and they can do what they like really, but the reason they went multiplatform was because of the install base of the PS3 lacking, don't they realise people would buy a PS3 to play FFXIII!? Rather odd business decision if you ask me, they could have then later moved to 360 and reaped even greater rewards, a big mistake by Square to accept Microsoft's cash so early.

As for the game, as I'm sure you're aware FF13 won't even start development on 360 until after the PS3 version is finished and localisation for EU and US has begun. I doubt both PS3 and 360 versions will be released in the same week, of course it'll be out on PS3 first in Japan only and it'll drive those not in the know of what's going on behind closed doors (Those not into reading gaming news) to believe it's for PS3 only.

You have to be able to see all this from the point of view of someone that thinks reading gaming news makes you a total nerd, someone that could care less what Square do or whether EA is going to get Take Two or who Infinity Ward are, if MS stay too hushed up about this people are going to buy a PS3 totally unaware that it's also on 360. It happened to a degree with GTA4 even though MS advertised the 360 version exclusively it still sold remarkably well on PS3 due to it being known as a PS game in the past.

I just want to play FF13 tbh, so although it was a shock at E3 (To most people), you won't find me crying about it or wanting to jump off a building. It's just a game guys, but I'm far more interested in Killzone 2 right now, the E3 vids blew my mind and I want to see more. I want Guerrilla to release that beta!

[hunter21]

well exclusivity of FF13 is gone and it will be same content with the ps3 and 360, yeah the guy is right i forgot the name, that people grew up playing FF in playstation, and for me i own a 360 and ps3, but i rather play it on ps3... why?? cause the game will be in BD and i know ps3 can deliver a great graphics and SE started it on the ps3 it just recently they made it go in 360 so sony have the advantage on that. i just hope the quality of game will be outstanding since it will go multi-platform im getting skeptical about it now, like what happen to GTA4 if the developer only focus on one console either ps3 or 360 it will deliver an outstanding game graphics. GTA4 is good but not that great in graphics

[hfaze]

Did anyone else notice that Microsoft has been letting first-party developers go independent (Bungie, BioWare, Bizarre, etc.), and now they pull off making FF XIII cross-platform...

It seems like they're gunning after any 3'rd party PS3 exclusive and getting them to go cross-platform, while their list of heavy-hitter first-party development teams is dwindling... Not good...

The 360's advantage on cross-platform games has dwindled down to near zilch as developers become more and more familiar with the PS3's hardware. I can personally attest from downloading demos for cross-platform games on both my 360 (20GB Falcon, connected via HDMI), and my PS3 (80GB Motorstorm bundle, connected via HDMI).

With QUALITY 3'rd party developers, there is NO difference (Infinity Ward comes to mind), with some of the crappy 3'rd party developers the 360 still has an edge (cough, EA, cough...)

So they pretty much needed a huge announcement like FF XIII... Although I'm not sure if that money spent to make this happen will turn out to be worth it... The 360 didn't see much of a sales increase off of GTA IV, and the GTA series is a much more wide-reaching franchise than Final Fantasy is... (except in Japan, but it's still PS3 exclusive there...)

[tako2000]

Quit good interview I must say...

The crossing decision definitely hurt Sony since PS3 lost one big push force for US/EU market. Though I agree with the "jump ball" effect but I doubt FF13 can reach GTA4 sell number even with multi-platform.

Beside it is funny to see that Sony admit MS is throwing out money to get exclusive and yet didn't come out with proper counter-plan. Guess SCE didn't receive much love from its major organization.

[Infernus]

Sony feel they don't need a counter-punch following the news. They have enough exclusives and see that the PS3 is still getting the game.

They have a lot of faith in the PS3. Microsoft appear to be losing faith rapidly in the 360, they're buying exclusives to dampen the damage the PS3 is doing to their console and they're taking cheap shots at the oppostition in a desperate attempt to make the 360 look better.

Sony don't need a counter-plan, they have enough 1st party studios making games to keep the PS3 on the straight and narrow and to keep pushing up the monthly sales figures. We're going to reach a point where PS3 exclusives will come out and the 360 will have nothing for that week, the next week and maybe for that month. That's when Microsoft need to seriously reconsider their gameplan, buying multiplats will only delay Sony it definitely won't stop them.

[Playstation Man]

All M$ can provide are multiplats on both console (360 & PS3) and PC. Sony busts out the big guns through first party titles and their long-standing relationships with Insomniac and Kojima Productions. And as the interviewee pointed out, who wins when the exclusives hit? Not the console providing the multiplatforms that's for sure. I guess Eurogamer's biased assessment of Battlefield: Bad Company being better on 360 didn't do much to stop PS3 from outselling it 2:1 this month. Just saying.

[Jsynn7]

For all my peeps in the FF nation, I'm going to try to ease your pain with a dose of outlined perspective on why Final Fantasy XIII going to the 360 isn't as bad as it seems:

1. FFXIII will only be going to the U.S. and European 360s but will remain an exclusive PS3 title in Japan. Now, as we all know, M$ is hurting bad sales wise in Japan. If there was any game past, present, or future that would dramatically boost 360 sales in Japan, it would be this game and M$ knows this. I'm sure their none to happy with this fact and know that, once this games comes out, there will be an insane boost in PS3 sales that will put them on par, if not, SURPASS 360 sales wise in general and I'M SURE M$ knows this. As for Europe, that's Sony country anyway so, once again, you will see a considerable spike in sales in Europe for Sony where as M$ will most likely move a barely decent amount of 360s.

2. Developement of FFXIII was started using PS3 powerful technology and the storage capacity of the Blu-Ray Disc. Now. once they start deving the game for the 360, think about how SE is going to have to, not only put this game on like 3 or 4 different discs, but also how they may have to dumb it down a little just so that the 360's processors can handle it. Think about it. SE is using the White Engine (or Crystal tools as they call it now). This is the same engine used to create FF: Advent Children and look how awesome that came out. SE is now using this same technology for ACTUAL GAMEPLAY! Do you think 360's dual core processor could handle something like that? I don't know about you but if I could get a game on 1 disk with nothing taken away or nothing diluted and still be unbelievable, I'd take it and I think that going to be the PS3's version.

3. Sony is still getting Final Fantasy Versus XIII exclusively!! You never know how that'll turn out. It may be even better than FFXIII. M$ would definitely be kicking themselves in the ass then.

Here are a couple of side notes. Maybe this will help a little more:

- You could sorta look at FFXIII as a timed exclusive since it's coming to the PS3 in Japan first and every other country a few months down the road. Since the PS3 is region-free when it comes to game you could actually get the Japanese version (just be sure you brush up on your Japanese first).

- M$ really needed to have FFXIII in for the Japanese 360s. Check this out, M$ big 3 JRPGs ( Tales of Vesparia, Star Ocean, and Infinite Discovery) will not do as much good as M$ hopes they will. It has been
confirmed that there will be a "Tales" game made specifically made from the ground up, for the PS3 using it's Cellbrand tech. Infinite Discovery has now been confirmed to come to the PS3 so it no longer is an exclusive title to M$. As for Star Ocean, it's pretty much a no brainer that it's just a "timed" exclusive for the 360 and it will more than likely grace the PS3 not to far in the future.

I hope this clears things up a little. There's point in being upset with SE. This was business, not personal. In the end, businesses want to make as much money as they possibly can and the only way SE is going to make that kinda money is to go multi-console with their games. If you want to show SE that you'd rather have the FF series strictly PS3, just buy it for the PS3 or buy a PS3 just so you can play. SE is still kinda up in the air about whether they really want to multi-console games so, if they see that their games are more popular on the PS3, then maybe their future titles will be made exclusively to the PS3. Thank you for your time and please don't kill yourself over this or I will visit your grave and spray paint on your tombstone " Here lies the world's biggest EMO queen".

[Solid_Snake666]

ehh i dont trust enix

[xxBATTLECATxx]

nothing against you gamers but i REALLY hate their business tactics. just wish theyd close theyre pockets long enough to have some stability in the industry. and theyre also the reason rock band 2 will come to 360 first. FECK YOU!!!

[Solid_Snake666]

because they rip off competetors?

because they buy all their games?

because all they do is throw money in developers faces?

because their hardware is garbage?

because they are not loyal to their fans & try to squeeze every last penny?

i guess thats good reasons

[tigerranger]

I mean common people, in this times money is everything. People think that they stabbed Sony in the back, but they did that with Nintendo and afterwards it die out. If MS wants to give away money to stay alive in this console war, fine. I say this because at the end the real winners are the fans. MS fans get to save some money. I am a Sony supporter, and was devastated at first, but I'm okay because I still get to play the game. The reason why I chose to leave the 360 and pick up the PS3 was because of their diversity. Microsoft thinks that the whole population is just FPS, but they are wrong. They are finally taking the steps to solve what started as an incomplete system. I don't mean that in a negative way because MS has some great games I would like to play. As far, as ppl selling their games or committing suicide what's that suppose to solve. Nothing you are just hurting yourself, because you are selling games which are priceless and taking a live will not prove anything that only shows you are weak minded. Square only did a move to save their company because of two reasons, money and the fact that they distrust and underestimated Sony and it's fan base.

[Solid_Snake666]

If you have money almost getting anything is Possible and M$ proved that with FF13 so its going to Xbox...End of Story

[JasonXE]

..

[SabreMan]

I am not a fanboy i am a gamer so for gamers FFXIII coming out on the 360 aswell as the ps3 is only a good thing.
Square haven't sold out or gone behind sonys back it was inevitable this was going to happeN, i am sure Sony knew the situation as from what i have read there reaction isn't from a company who were in the dark about this.
It costs so much money now to make such an epic title exclusivity doesn't even come into it, a timed exclusive maybe much like bioshock
The plus to all this for Sony is FF remains exclusive in Japan possibly the only region that will see a massive spike in sales for ps3 consoles anyway.
The ps3 still has FFXIII so all this talk of some ps3 owners boycotting square is crazy talk.
The game will be just as good as if it was an exclusive as i am sure both are being done side by side with the strengths of each console being utilized so just chill out.
Let ps3 and 360 owners enjoy the delights of FFXIII afterall we are gamers at heart so game

for the record i own a ps3 and a 360 but will be buying it for the ps3 but am i bothered 360 owners can buy it no i am not that blinkered.
who is the winner out of this ??

you and me thats who the gamer so where is the problem

[GiantEnemyCrab]

"Sony: 'Final Fantasy XIII' Going To XBox 360 Creates "Balls on our chin"

Fixed that for you.

[tobin_blade]

I just think its great that we are now seeing games released in all formats for different platforms. It can only benefit the games industry.

It may be released a year after the PS3 version but it's still going to hurt the old ego.

[Run_bare]

Im really glad that SONY are very optimistic in their outlook, and it will flow down to the consumers. In time we will see who's comes out the winner. I bet my house that it will be SONY.

Saying that, please release some JRPG soon.

[JUSTICEFORALL]

i wasnt all into the FF franchise but when i heard this on E3 i was like WTF! then i thought this might hurt the FF players and sony