Perhaps the biggest news coming out of E3 was Microsoft’s announcement that Final Fantasy 13 would also be made available on the Xbox 360. The previously Sony-exclusive Square-Enix title is the crown jewel of the RPG franchise, and the fact that it is jumping off the good ship S.S. Sony Exclusive means that the company is now likely scrambling to pick up a few Microsoft franchises so as to level the playing field.

It looks like Sony’s first effort to strike back will be with Geometry Wars 2, the Xbox 360-exclusive follow-up to the wildly successful original. In a recent 1Up interview, Bizarre Creations games manager Craig Howard was asked about the possibility of the game coming to PSN. His response is quite telling:

"Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 is currently an Xbox 360-exclusive title, although the PSN is definitely in our company plans going forward."

So from the sounds of things, the game is only exclusive until Sony brings the appropriate amount of cash to make it exclusive no more. Also, even if the game remains tied to the Xbox 360 only, Howard’s comments seem to hint that all future Bizarre Creations will be available to PS3 owners as well.

It looks like the days of console exclusives are all but behind us now. Oh sure, Mario, Master Chief, Ratchet, and Clank will stay forever tied to their first-party loyalties, but beyond that, it doesn’t really make economic sense for developers and publishers to restrict their market to an audience only owning a particular console. So here’s the debate question: is the end of the exclusive era a boon or a bust for the gaming industry? Discuss.