A PS4 Owner’s Response To Crystal Dynamics Regarding Tomb Raider’s Exclusivity

Rise of the Tomb Raider is coming exclusively to Xbox One. This upsets Tuffcub a bit, naturally, and he’s not too pleased with the reasoning from Crystal Dynamics detailing why the game isn’t going to be on PS4 and exactly what you can do about it.

So, with Tuffcub being Tuffcub he’s taken that post and, with his of mix tongue-in-cheek humour and biting sarcasm, left a line-by-line response.


Dear Tomb Raider Community,

Hello there Darrell Gallagher, Crystal Dynamics Head of Studios!

As you may have seen, we’ve just announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider, coming Holiday 2015, is exclusively on Xbox.

Yes, that was a bit of a shock, wasn’t it?

We consider all of you to be the lifeblood of Tomb Raider and –

Wait. Stop. You consider us all “to be the lifeblood of Tomb Raider”? So why having you stopped the majority of next gen console owners from playing the game? That makes no sense, if you considered us all to be the lifeblood then the game should be on all systems, surely?

I’d like to give you some insight into this decision, and why we feel this is the very best thing for the Tomb Raider sequel we’re creating at the studio.

Go ahead, I’m listening.

Tomb Raider in 2013 was a success due in large part to your continued support.

Yes, the majority of which – especially on new generation consoles – came from PlayStation gamers, if I’m not mistaken. But carry on.

Our goal has always been to deliver something truly special with Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Well, you’ve certainly done that. Perhaps not special in the way you envisaged, but special nonetheless.

Today’s announcement with Microsoft is one step to help us put Tomb Raider on top of action adventure gaming.

So you’ve signed up with the current generation manufacturer in second place, and back in March last year the PS3 overtook the Xbox 360 in sales. The console has a lower user base, so it is impossible you can be “on top of action adventure gaming,” the numbers just don’t add up.

Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011.

Look, let’s put the cards on the table; if someone is going to offer you a truck load of money your vision gets a bit blurred. Square Enix have shareholders to pay, and if Microsoft want to give you cash in exchange for Lara, that’s fine. But don’t try and tell us you signed with them due to your “vision”, perhaps if you said “Hey, MS gave us a billionty dollars and a unicorn so we gave them Lara!” you might gain a little more respect from gamers for being honest.

We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past.

Well, I should hope so.

We believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.

No. Stop. Wait… what? You want to forge Tomb Raider – one of the biggest brands in gaming – into one of the biggest brands in gaming? Lara Croft is a genuine cultural icon, up there with Mario and Sonic, it’s not like Tomb Raider is some itsy bitsy game that no one has heard of.

This doesn’t mean that we’re walking away from our fans who only play on PlayStation or on PC.

Well yes, you are.

Those are great systems, with great partners, and amazing communities.

Well thanks, I am sure the amazing communities are pretty amazed right now.

We have Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris coming to those platforms this December, and Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is available on PS4.

You really think flogging the current PS4 game is a good idea at present? “Hey, you can’t have the new game, have the old game with slightly better graphics from last year.” That’s not going to win you any fans.

We know that there are probably many more questions and concerns. Please do send them to us, and we’ll answer to the best of our ability.

Not really.

Meanwhile we’re going all out to try and make something truly special – the most ambitious Tomb Raider game ever built.

Well good luck, it’s a shame a lot of us wont be able to play game. 

61 Comments

  1. A very fair response to a very unfair stack of lies from people who should just admit they did it for the money. Don’t lie to us, just tell us you’ve run out of sticky toffee pudding, that an austere attitude is a nationally beneficial one and that sudden exclusivity of established brands is better for shareholders than consumers! Tell the truth.

  2. that has to be the most corporate pr bullshit filled speech i’ve ever read.

    the pretence that he cares about those he’s just spit in the face of, then schilling the old game.
    classy.
    and they think a twin stick shooter will make up for not having the real Tomb Raider game?

    i’ve been a fan, a huge fan mind, i bought an ngage just for Tomb Raider, since the beginning.

    but now i can’t play this new one.

    of all the things i thought they’d turn Lara into in the new series, a corporate whore was not one of them.

    i guess i’ll be watching the new one on youtube.

    anyway, well said TC.

    • To be fair, he probably didn’t want to write it, and alot of the staff at c.d. will probably be annoyed. Theres a decent chance that it was already being primarily developed with PS4 as lead platform. Still could just be a timed exclusive, nobody has definitively said it.

      • i could have been willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, but in the midst of all that he starts schilling the other games.
        so screw him.

        there’s no “we understand you might be upset”
        nothing acknowledging how most of the people who played the previous games are now going to be prevented from playing this new one.

        am i supposed to have sympathy for him?

        pardon my french, but fuck that noise.

        he’s getting his paycheck.

        now the staff, them i can feel for, but this corporate mouthpiece? awww hell no.

  3. Haha, nice response.
    Pretty sure this is just a timed exclusivity thing but I could be wrong.
    Either way this was a bad move by them, they’ve upset the majority of their fans. Not an emotion that will help them drive sales. Whoever made this decision ought to be sacked.

  4. If MS have paid them (Who am I kidding? of course they have.) they’re a bunch of idiots because they could’ve just as easily paid for a new IP for their console.

    • Thats the thing, if ms make their OWN games, which they fund from the ground up, then there is nothing wrong with that, in fact its great for the industry.

      I did wonder if ms tried to get a bigger game exclusive first, like mass effect, maybe assasins creed, but got snubbed.

      • If they paid and got AC as an Exclusive I would be so f***ing pissed as AC is my favorite series. Unfortunately I would buy a Xbox One if it was but fortunately it isnt

  5. I’m with Tuffcub on this. I was really Pee’d off (understatement) with this announcement.
    If anything it should of been a PS exclusive considering the franchise started with PS.

    Im hoping with all the backlash this has caused in the gaming world they might re-consider or even might port it to PS at some stage.

  6. After that last game, I’m not that interested in this new one.

    But I can see where MS and their moneyhat is (a) going to piss some people off enormously, and (b) not good in general.

    Is it wrong to hope it turns out to only be a timed exclusive (however unlikely that seems) and then one of those mad Americans goes and sues them for it? And that Squeenix learn their lesson? They’ve never really been an MS company, have they? Generally the opposite.

    On the plus side, the entire internet seems to be completely against this move. Well, except for XBone owners. They’re quite happy with it. I checked with both of them. (This may not be true).

  7. Well said TC.

  8. Can I just say this about this post: LIKE!

  9. well lets hope then its a pile of dung!
    it has poor sales and then see them come running to the PlayStation boys with their tails between their legs begging us to buy it when they realize what they have done and release all formats.
    cmon don’t these corporate mofos know that Lara began her journey on PlayStation,so by rights we should have exclusivity not xboners!

  10. Well, looking at the Sony conference last night I bet CD are crying into their breakfasts… Having said that, it does seem that they needed the money to finish the job and MS came up with a hat-full.

    I really don’t understand MS’s thinking on this though. They’re essentially going head to head with Uncharted… most likely a better game from a much better studio releasing to a much larger (twice as big?) user base.

    I think this is the death of TR in its current form. Maybe a reboot in a couple of years…?

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