It's no secret that Microsoft has done well in the console gaming sector. The company came out strong with the first Xbox and challenged Nintendo for the number two spot. With the Xbox 360, the company has garnered itself a one year head start against competition from Sony and Nintendo, and is looking to make a strong run at holding the number one spot. However, there is one area where Microsoft has been severely lacking and that hasn't changed at all from the Xbox to the Xbox 360. We're talking about Japan and support from Japanese third party companies.

There are a lot of Japanese companies who are offering solid support for the Xbox 360, but there are still several who seem to be hesitant about support. The primary company of focus here is Square Enix. In all honesty, it doesn't matter if Devil May Cry 4 is exclusive to the Xbox 360, or if Microsoft can secure Metal Gear Solid 4 for the 360. The Japanese gaming audience is shifted by two game series: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. If Microsoft were able to secure an exclusive on a current Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest title within the main series, the announcement alone would move Xbox 360 consoles in Japan.

Microsoft has discussed its relationship with Square Enix in the past, and the two companies are always very positive about working together. However, over the past two years, nothing has really come of these talks other than a lackluster port of a five year old game (Final Fantasy XI). So let's go back for a moment to look at what has been said in the past, then move forward to see where this relationship is really going.

E3 2005

At Microsoft's pre-E3 2005 press conference, Yoichi Wada, President of Square Enix came up on stage and discussed Square's future plans for the Xbox 360. At this point, Final Fantasy XI was officially announced. The audience cheered, but let's face it, porting a five year old game that had already been available for the PC and the PlayStation 2 wasn't going to bring a lot of new Japanese gamers to the Xbox 360.

"Close collaboration between Microsoft and Square Enix is just beginning. As a company that is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of what is possible in the world of video games, Square Enix looks forward to working with the Xbox team to create new worlds that Xbox 360 will make possible. Tonight, I would like to share with you a sneak preview of what we believe the future of video games might look like. We created this real-time rendered image taking advantage of Xbox 360's superb graphics power."

Mr. Wada followed this statement with a video showcasing a new fantasy world that looked like it could potential be from the upcoming MMORPG that the Final Fantasy XI team is currently working on. The video and speech would've been a confidence booster for Xbox 360 loyalists if it weren't for the amazing showing Square Enix put on at the Sony press conference hours before. Instead of an unnamed real-time movie, Square Enix showed off a real-time version of the Final Fantasy VII intro running on PlayStation 3 hardware specs.

Tokyo Game Show 2005

Sony once again showed off the Final Fantasy VII real-time demo for the PlayStation at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show. And while the crowds around the PS3 theater were huge, the crowd for Final Fantasy XI at the Microsoft booth was equally impressive. In fact, the only game at the Microsoft booth that was getting attention was Final Fantasy XI. N3: Ninety-Nine Nights, Chrome Hounds, Enchanted Arms and Dynasty Warriors were all on display and playable, but none of those titles garnered the attention of FFXI.

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