Former Xbox executive Ed Fries has suggested that many a Japanese game publisher wanted to support Microsoft's first console, but feared "Sony could punish them" if they did too much.
Ed Fries was the console manufacturer's vice president of game publishing during much of the original Xbox's life, and had a huge hand in the acquisition of studios such as Bungie (Halo), Rare (Banjo-Kazooie), and exclusives from outside developers.
