It's a JRPG, and not a very popular one at that. Also it isn't all that great so it isn't going to get much word of mouth, it will be $40 in 3 months.

So you're assuming that there are non-japanese jrpgs developers that are bigger than level-5?WOW

dont even try that cheap stuff

what about the large usebase in america

The game certainly would have sold more copies as a simultaneous release multiplat, but you have no way of knowing whether the financial return would have been worth it. Star Ocean 4 runs on a modified Infinite Undiscovery engine - an engine designed specifically for the 360, which financial assistance from Microsoft and technical assistance from feelplus. It was hard enough for them to get decent performance out of that engine - how much more time and money do you think it would take to build a PS3 version of the engine from the ground up? They certainly didn't have the manpower to have a PS3 version ready by that release date, so a simultaneous release would also have meant substantially delaying the release of the 360 version.

In addition to engine concerns, a simultaneous release would mean losing Microsoft's marketing support, not to mention the possibility of lost financial support (aka a moneyhat). So honestly, given the choice between keeping that financial/marketing support for a timed exclusive, or losing it and sitting on the finished 360 version while the PS3 engine is developed, are you so certain they took the wrong option?

If you're referring to this:

http://gonintendo.com/?p=75319

That's not what it says. It says that it's technically possible to port it to any platform, not that the engine is up and running on all platforms.

They also said that Infinite Undiscovery was going to revolutionize the entire genre.

Given the numerous shoddy or delayed PS3 ports we've seen this gen, as well as the technical issues that afflicted Infinite Undiscovery, I very skeptical that the port would be all that easy. I'd also bet that the PS3 version is already under way, and you'll hear it announced as soon as their agreement with Microsoft expires. We'll find out in about six months.

It doesn´t have to fit each and every aspect. It didn´t reach a million anyway.

Well sales in Japan are just fine considering the 360 Userbase. But in NA a big franchise like SO should've done better, 360 owners in America are not buying JRPG's lately...

I didn't know that JRPGs sold "well"...seems like SO4 is doing okay...500-600K LTD...the game isn't exactly cutting edge here...

IU would've revolutionized the genre if the unique elements in the game weren't so half baked.