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The history of rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation is full of decisions that could have completely altered the balance of power in the industry, and it seems that one of the biggest was Microsoft losing Final Fantasy. Former head of Xbox publishing, Ed Fries, admitted years later that this series was at the top of the "lost opportunities" list. Interestingly, the problem was not just about negotiations, but a much more complex market situation in which Japanese publishers were balancing between the desire to support the competition and the fear of Sony's reaction.
Japanese Publishers Between a Rock and a Hard Place
According to Fries, companies like Square Enix, as well as Konami and Capcom, were interested in supporting Xbox, especially at the beginning of its existence. The problem was that the relationships with Sony were significant enough that no one wanted to risk damaging them. In practice, this meant very cautious moves; even when collaborations with Microsoft arose, they were often limited or less visible.
Fries suggests that publishers wanted to avoid a situation where Sony could "punish" them, for instance by delaying access to devkits or limiting the promotion of their games on the PlayStation platform. This illustrates how much influence one company's dominance had on the market and how it made building real competition particularly difficult, especially in Japan, where Xbox faced challenges from the outset.
Final Fantasy that could have changed everything
The absence of Final Fantasy on the original Xbox is not just a matter of one title, but a potential turning point for the entire console brand. The series had long been one of the pillars of PlayStation's popularity, so its appearance on Xbox could have significantly changed the perception of the hardware, especially in the Japanese market. Ultimately, the collaboration with Square Enix only materialised later, bringing titles such as Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIII, but it was too late to reverse the trend. Interestingly, some studios tried to subtly balance the situation, as exemplified by the Dead or Alive series, which temporarily became exclusive to Xbox, signalling to Sony that competition was needed. However, these were exceptions, not the rule, and they did not have the same impact as the potential transfer of Final Fantasy.
History shows that one decision can influence an entire generation of consoles. The absence of Final Fantasy on Xbox is one of those moments that could have changed the balance of power but ultimately reinforced the dominance of PlayStation.
source: gamesradar
