Considering the way things are, Xbox and Square Enix haven’t been on the best terms. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, expressed his admiration for the Japanese gaming industry but acknowledged that Xbox might be seen as the “away team” in Japan. Its competitor on the other hand, Sony is a Japanese company that gets a lot of love from local developers. Earlier this year, Phil spoke to Alex Aniel during GDC where he mentioned something really interesting.
While Square Enix is a Japanese company, Phil understood that things cannot go on, the way they are. It’s no secret that some Final Fantasy titles have been shying away from being released on the Xbox and Spencer understands the need to mend this relationship. What Phil has been up to recently will shock fans.
Phil Spencer goes to Vegas to meet Yoshi-p
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A recent tweet by Japanese gaming journalist Genki from the Tokyo Game Show has the crowd at the edge of their seats. As the journalist had a chance to meet Phil and Sarah Bond from Xbox, he asked them about some of the pressing issues between Microsoft and Square Enix.
I also asked Phil and Sarah about the improved relationship with Square Enix. Sarah Bond said it’s something they have been working on for a while and that the new Square Enix President has also helped by being very enthusiastic about it too. Phil Spencer said even though he…
— Genki✨🔜TGS (@Genki_JPN) September 21, 2023
Phil and Sarah expressed the need for the companies to work together in the conversation. While understanding that Square Enix has better relations with Sony and PlayStation, Microsoft has been working on making new relations with Square Enix. During the interview, Phil told Genki that even though he doesn’t like to go to Las Vegas, he did make the trip for the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest and to meet Naoki Yoshida AKA Yoshi-P.
In the world of gaming, few names command as much respect as Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox. Known for his dedication to the gaming community and relentless pursuit of bringing top-notch titles to the Xbox ecosystem, Spencer has been an instrumental figure in shaping the future of console gaming. While he might not be a fan of traveling to Las Vegas, his recent journey to the city of lights was motivated by an unexpected passion – Final Fantasy 14 and its director, Yoshi-P.
Final Fantasy 16 not coming for Xbox
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While there have been attempts to strengthen relations, it is clear that Final Fantasy 16 won’t make it to the Xbox at the time of release. During the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest 2023, Yoshi-P called Phil Spencer to the stage to celebrate the release of FF14 for the Xbox consoles. This was a big moment for Xbox as the game had already been on the PlayStation consoles for years.
Read More – Here’s Why You Should Hold Off on Buying a PS5 Right Now
When it came to Final Fantasy 16, Square Enix decided to publish the game for the PlayStation 5 and PC with no mention of a release date for the Xbox. While Microsoft tries to better its relations with Square Enix, it is still speculated that the Xbox release for Final Fantasy 16 is still a while away. One key reason for this could also be the low sales of Xbox consoles in Japan making it less desirable for developers to make games for that platform.
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With platform exclusivity becoming popular gamers are stuck between picking consoles. Do you think this trend could ignite the console wars that have been running cold recently? Let us know in the comments below.
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