More on Tales Xbox 360 exclusivity claim

Microsoft paid for western Xbox 360 exclusivity of Tales of Vesperia – or did it?

Last week Namco Bandai Europe Junior community manager Charlotte Toci said on Facebook that Microsoft paid Namco Bandai to keep 2009 JRPG Tales of Vesperia a western Xbox 360 exclusive, thus explaining why the belated, expanded PlayStation 3 version never made it outside of Japan.

"Microsoft paid for the exclusivity the same way Sony paid for having Heavy Rain only on PS3," she said.

"It's just one way the business works, sadly. Those decisions are made really high up y'know, we do try and give them the max of fan feedback, but sometimes it's just out of our hands."

Now, Toci has once again taken to Facebook, but this time to backtrack on her earlier comments.

"A few months ago I replied to a fan who asked me why Tales of Vesperia wasn't localized in Europe on my Facebook page," she said. "I replied that it was because of a Microsoft exclusivity, thinking that that was the reason why, even though I didn't have any official information on that.

"I was wrong to do so, and sadly my reply was relayed on many websites, thus sharing a false information to fans around the web.

"I would like to send my sincere apologies to all the Tales Series fans I have wrongly informed, and Microsoft & Namco Bandai for any damage that might have been caused with this."

An actual denial that Microsoft paid for Tales Xbox 360 exclusivity, or an admission that she was wrong to mention it?