Why wouldn't they be disappointed? SCEA President Jack Tretton expressed his honest opinion this morning on Square-Enix's announcement last Monday during Microsoft's press event that Final Fantasy XIII will also be launched in North America for the Xbox 360:
"Am I disappointed by it? Yes," said Tretton. But apparently, he saw it coming. "Am I surprised by it? No."
Square-Enix's latest rpg masterpiece was originally a PS3 exclusive since it was unveiled, but Sony couldn't hold on to the rights. Why? Tretton simply said that Sony has already spent a great deal on the PS3's hardware and the company "can't write checks for exclusive software."
But in light of Sony's third-party exclusive struggle, Tretton said that Sony is now more focused in developing exclusive titles from the company's interior. "You've got to create platform-defining franchises that you own," said Tretton. He added that that would be the only way to advance exclusivity in the future. But, since the first Playstation, where did most of Sony's blockbuster titles come from? That's right. From Final Fantasy VII to Metal Gear Solid 2, third-party developers have been a huge deal to Sony's console.
However, there's God of War, Gran Turismo and other upcoming franchises like Resistance that'll support Tretton's statement. Besides, Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360 is only in North America and will still remain exclusive for the PS3 in Japan. Our thoughts on Square's decision: Square-Enix needed a title that will expand their RPG market into other platforms and what could be better than their staple RPG series, Final Fantasy. And while the Xbox 360's sales is not so strong in Japan compared to here, they simply decided to release the title here to a broader console base.
Stay tuned for more E3 2008 coverage.
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