Square Enix to offer 'Final Fantasy XIII' for Xbox

LOS ANGELES, July 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said Square Enix Co (9684.T) would launch the "Final Fantasy XIII" for its Xbox 360 video game console, sharing the upcoming version of the blockbuster role-playing game with Sony Corp's (6758.T)(SNE.N) PlayStation3 (PS3).

The surprise move, announced on Monday at the E3 video game trade show, is expected to boost the Xbox 360's competitiveness against the PS3, as Square Enix has so far only said it was developing the next installment of the "Final Fantasy" series for the Sony console.

Square Enix, a Japanese game software publisher also known for its "Kingdom Hearts" and "Dragon Quest" game series, has sold 85 million units of "Final Fantasy" games.

The development, however, may fall short of shoring up the Xbox 360 demand in Japan, where it trails the PS3 and Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.OS) Wii in sales, as the Xbox 360 version is scheduled for launch in North America and Europe, and not for Japan. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)