That depends. They don't own the FFVII IP, just its publishing rights, and even then, isn't that for America and Europe? Sony would have to own the publishing rights to all games that are FFVII, and I'm pretty sure they only have the publishing rights for the PSone version. And even if they had publishing rights to FFVII (remakes and all), that still wouldn't preclude SE from making it for any other system and releasing it in Japan.

Eidos published FF7 on PC. So that alone proves Sony doesn't have exclusive publishing rights on it.

 I'd like to see Sony try this court. FFVII for PSone is exclusively Sony's to publish outside of Japan. Since the PS3 can play PSone games, any FFVII appearing on PS3 will be covered by the previous agreement.

I mean really? do any of you honestly see another FF7 game going anywhere else besides a Sony console (as long as they are still there)?? There has to be a reason why every thing FF7 seems to touch Sony one way or the other (not counting cell phone games). FF3,4,12-2 all landed on the DS, there has to be a reason why CrisisCore was on the PSP, and I'm betting it has to do with backroom politics.

 I meant that they had first dibs on it. I wouldn't be surprised if they were offered the opportunity to publish the PC version but turned it down, they probably thought there was a better way to spend their resources.

Do you have any proof that they have first dibs on future publishing or is this just wishful thinking? Cause publishing really doesn't work like that too often. Crissis Core could of went there because of poltic issues but if so i think it'd be more of the purchasing exclusivity kind, just like the did with the original FF7. After all Square published FF7 in Japan. I think it's more likely Sony just published in the US because Square wasn't willing to risk it's company publishing as many games as Sony wanted them too, or just couldn't. Sony likely just free rided it because they wanted it as a big game exclusive. Publishing games is a BIG risk considering how badly it can hurt you if you end up with too much extra inventory and Sony wanted Square to publish way more FF7 games then any other FF game. Who is going to risk their company just because another one asks them?

 Everyone assumed Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy would stay on the N64 back in the day. It was a pretty big deal over there when Square and Enix decided to go with the Playstation. And then everyone assumed that DQ9 would go to the PS3. Things change. In fact, Square Enix is known for changing formats when it suits them. 

I have the same amount of proof as you, no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors. I am just going by what i interpret when i see that Sony, for some reason, continuously land FF7 games or movies on their side. Like i said, it may be back door politics and if it is, no one really knows what kind of agreement they have made in the past. But the logical move would have been to move away from Sony consoles to get as much as $ as possible using their number 1 money maker. S-E obviously has been in bed with Sony, there's no other way to explain the reasoning behind all their high budget games being put on Sony platforms. Oh yeah, there's also the fact that Sony owns about 8% stakes in S-E and helped make them into the huge company that they are today. I wouldn't be surpirsed if Sony knows exactly what properties S-E is developing before everyone else, and is always the first to get a chance bid or strike a deal... hell, that's probably why they have 8% in the first place. Anways, the question boils down to this: Does Sony have a deal in place to keep FF7 games on their platform?? No one has solid proof to officially say yes or no, but by the way the evidence looks, i don't see Square bringing FF7 to anyother platform (except cellphone) to anything else but Sony and i think the reasoning behind that is because Sony wants it that way whether they are convincing S-E or it's their decision.

EDIT: @Whitedevil: I'm not questioning the exclusivity of the future SE games. There's enough threads about FF13 going multiplatform on the web. My point is on the FF7 franchise and I think Sony is clearly influencing where that property ends up. Sony publishing FF7 for U.S and Europe was a HUGE deal, and it ultimately helped SquareSoft more than it did for Sony. Sony might not have a solid deal that allows them the rights to the FF7 franchise, but it's pretty obvious that they (sony) have a voice in the company or in terms of the FF7 franchise and apparently S-E listens.

 I've made a couple comments half jokingly bringing up the possibility Sony may have dibs on FF7, but I think it's time to look at reality here. Square was not a small company when FF7 was relased, and quite frankly at that point, Sony would be going all out to keep them happy. I highly doubt a company with as conservative a business policy as Square would so liberally throw the IP rights to one of their biggest games (and it would've been huge even if it was only Japan). Fact is, nobody knows what happens a decade down the line, and that is even more true in the videogame business than most others. There is no way in hell Square would give away the rights to anything other than the original intent: publishing rights for FFVII on the Playstation one in NA/Europe.

The difference is, I'm not assuming anything. You are. Usual publishing deals don't involve the kind of exclusivity you are mentioning, and there is no real reason to think they would give away future rights to a game that was going to be big with or without Sonys help. Square didn't want to publish a lot in the US and Europe so Sony did it for them because Sony wanted it to be big for their system. A lot of people think FF1 made the playstation successful and put it over the top. Which in turn helped make the PS2 successful. Both companies made out like bandits. It's a simple as that. You can assume there is some behind the door dealings but there isn't any evidence of that, so it's mere conjecture.