Because Konami was hemorrhaging resources trying to fix PES 2009 for PS3. Western marketing teams decided that releasing a "best-of" PS2 title in 2008 would cannibalize sales of their "next-gen" product. They were wrong. Critics who imported the game via Play-Asia or YesAsia universally praised it as the superior football experience of that year.
Meanwhile, the PS2 version of PES 2008 (known as World Soccer: Winning Eleven 2008 in North America) was still excellent. Seeing an opportunity to capitalize on the massive installed base of PS2 owners, Konami Japan did something unusual. They didn't just re-release the same game; they produced a standalone expansion: . winning eleven 08 exclusive
To play Winning Eleven 08 Exclusive in North America or Europe, you needed a swap magic disc, a modded PS2, or a Japanese import console. This barrier to entry is what turned the game from a simple title into a for collectors. Because Konami was hemorrhaging resources trying to fix