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Japanese publisher Square Enix could be on board as a developer for Microsoft's next console, according to company president Yoichi Wada, who says the next-generation Xbox "would fully deserve consideration."

Speaking with US website GameSpot, Wada referred to an "evolution in the thinking" at Microsoft and said that his company - which makes the enormously popular Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest titles, as well as Disney crossover franchise Kingdom Hearts and the recently launched Fullmetal Alchemist series - would consider working on Xbox 2.

Explaining Square Enix' decision not to develop on the Xbox platform, Wada pulled no punches - saying that "there is no reason for us to allocate development staff for Xbox when we can have PS2."

"When you look at the Xbox from the standpoint of a standalone game console, it's not different from the PS2," he stated. "But when you look at it from the installed base perspective, there is a big difference."

Wada was also critical of Microsoft's approach to online gaming, although he lauded the company for focusing on this area - unsurprisingly so, since Square Enix itself has committed strongly to the online gaming market and has enjoyed significant success with its Final Fantasy XI online RPG.

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Source: GameIndustry