With accusations of money hats and treachery afoot in the wake of Final Fantasy XIII‘s shocking multiplatform status, Microsoft has graciously decided to clear the air. The reveal was E3’s only memorable moment that didn’t involve a man having a seizure over imaginary drum kits so naturally it caused a lot of speculation. The ‘Soft has firmly put claims of cloak n’ dagger shenanigans to rest, however — by claiming that the Xbox 360 is simply too wonderful NOT to have Final Fantasy XIII on it:
I think the most obvious reason that they made the announcement is just looking at the success of our console…Square has done games for us in the past, and I think there’s a point where Square just has to look at the Xbox 360, the install base and attach rates that we’re seeing and actually has to make a decision on their own that it’s the right thing to do for them…
I think it’s easy to assume that something’s going on behind the scenes, I think the more obvious answer is we’re doing really well and the game creators want their games to be where the most people and the most consoles [are], and right now that’s the Xbox 360.
Joking aside, it is of course a sensible decision for Square Enix to put XIII on the Xbox 360, just like it was sensible for 2K to bring BioShock to the PS3. Exclusive titles cut off a potential stream of revenue in a climate where every dollar is sacred. We all know it, and Square Enix knows it too.
