Despite having been a PlayStation exclusive (barring Final Fantasy XI) for the past 12 years, Microsoft are certain that when Final Fantasy XIII finally goes on sale, the 360 version will be the more popular version.
Commenting shortly after NPD figures for February were made available, a Microsoft spokesperson said that they expected releases of other Sony associated titles, such as Resident Evil 5 and Final Fantasy XIII, to sell better on the Xbox 360. A somewhat bold statement considering that XIII is to remain a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan, where the series is most popular.
"We"re happy with the performance of Street Fighter IV on Xbox 360. It follows in the steps of franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Madden NFL which have historically been associated with PlayStation, that are now selling better on our platform," the representative added.
Street Fighter IV sales marginally favoured the Xbox 360 platform in February. Although this was expected due to the difference in install base numbers across the United States, the subsequent gap was a lot smaller than has been seen in previous multi-platform offerings.
Due for release later this year in Japan, Final Fantasy XIII is expected to hit shelves across North America and Europe in 2010.