I saw an article recently (I wish now that I’d kept the URL EDIT: HERE IT IS) talking about how there was one clear winner at the Game Conference in Leipzig: Microsoft. Why? Microsoft won because they announced that the two big footballl (soccer) titles (Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer and EA’s FIFA Soccer) would be next-gen exclusive on the Xbox 360 for a year. This “coup” by Microsoft was a major win for the company. They stole the show, and Sony was nowhere to be found. Blah blah blah.

Well, Konami doesn’t agree with Microsoft’s version of events. Konami says that Pro Evolution Soccer will be Xbox 360 exclusive this year. Next year, it’s entirely possible that a PS3 version will be released.

According to Takatsuka, Microsoft’s claims have caused some issues for Konami (with Sony, no doubt), and he definitely wants to set the record straight. Winning Eleven is exclusive to the 360 for this year, but it’s likely a case of necessesity (the PS3 game, which he confirmed is being worked on, isn’t far enough along in development) rather than some major exclusivity deal with Microsoft. The PS3 version could ship as early as next spring, he admitted, though no timeframe has been set yet. The only thing certain is that it will absolutely not release before January 1, 2007.

I don’t write this to gloat about Microsoft’s faux pas. (Well, maybe a little.) I just want to point out to all those people who talk about Sony’s supposed arrogance that Microsoft isn’t exactly the knight in shining armour that everyone makes them out to be.

LGC 2006: Konami Calls Foul on Microsoft news from 1UP.com