An Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII was officially announced on July 14, 2008, during the Microsoft keynote at E3.Kotaku: Final Fantasy XIII Coming to Xbox 360 (July 14, 2008) Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix, made the announcement following a trailer for the game. Wada added gravity to the announcement, calling it "the day we have all been waiting for."Joystiq: Joystiq...Live from Microsoft's E3 2008 Keynote (July 14, 2008)

Final Fantasy XIII was previously thought to be a PS3 exclusive, despite rumors to the contrary.Xbox 360 Fanboy: Final Fantasy XIII Heading to Xbox 360 (May 22, 2007) No official release date was announced during the keynote, though Wada did mention that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will be released simultaneously in Europe and the U.S.Joystiq: Joystiq...Live from Microsoft's E3 2008 Keynote (July 14, 2008) The Xbox 360 version of the game will not be released in Japan.Joystiq: New Final Fantasy XIII Trailer...'PS3 only' in Japan (July 14, 2008)