Okay! Make-believe time. Let's say that Microsoft had a lot of money to burn. No wait, start over. Let's say that Microsoft was able to convince Square Enix to give it Final Fantasy as an exclusive. Like, Final Fantasy XIII is only on the Xbox 360 and wouldn't be on the PS3. Would large numbers of Japanese consumers break down and buy an Xbox 360? According to Microsoft's Shane Kim:
I know we're talking about Final Fantasy here, but you really have to question, is it really enough to overcome people's reservations about Xbox 360 in Japan? I don't know. But I know that it would have to be a heck of a lot of money and it would be very risky to do that.
In short, no. Kim does make a good point, saying that success in the Western market is forcing companies to be more open about developing for the Xbox 360. Nice to have that in your back pocket when you're so fucked on their home turf.
Shane Kim Interview [Kikizo] [Pic]