It’s an issue that Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix and Microsoft have been dancing around ever since the Xbox exclusivity deal for Rise of the Tomb Raider was announced at Gamescom last year, and it has even been admitted that there is a certain duration to this deal, but we now know when to expect to see the game appear on platforms other than the Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Out on November 10th for the two Microsoft consoles, Square have now revealed that the game will then appear on PC in early 2016 before making its way to the PlayStation 4 for holiday 2016, making it a one year exclusivity period on console.
It’s certainly odd timing for such an announcement to be made as, even though we knew it was coming eventually, Rise of the Tomb Raider was set to act as a spoiler to Uncharted 4 (before that game was delayed) and a big coup to try and draw more people to the Xbox One. That there’s now a rough release window for other platforms feels like it detracts from that effect.
via Gematsu
duke
I hope Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix are happy with their dirty Microsoft money.
I can see Microsoft doing an advert, “It only does everything, but not Tomb Raider”.
Starman
How about #4TheTombRaiders?
Avenger
Rather good that. I could think of more than a few taglines to parody Sony. Microsoft less so these days, strangely enough.
Stefan L
What makes Microsoft’s money dirty here? Or at least, what makes Microsofts money any more dirty than Sony’s for teaming up with Activision for exclusive Destiny content and taking over the one month head start over other platforms for Call of Duty DLC? Or their still not-quite-clear partnership with Ys Net for Shenmue III or the exclusivity deal for Street Fighter V?
MrYd
At least Sony didn’t lie about that Destiny content being a timed deal. Or the CoD DLC.
MS lied about Tomb Raider being exclusive. Possibly. Everything they said suggested so, but some people were reading what they said in a very, very strange way to imply otherwise.
The sort of thing that they could claim wasn’t an outright lie. The sort of thing that probably wouldn’t be allowed in an advert (although the verdict would inevitably be “that’s misleading, never run that advert you stopped running months ago again”)
Obviously Squeenix are just as much at fault here. Why they’ve suddenly announced it now though is more interesting. Could they be regretting the decision and trying to undo some damage? Keep the much bigger PS4 customer base on side?
duke
I see your point. But your examples are regarding DLC. At least, for the examples you highlighted, the core game is out and playable on all platforms. I personally think that 12 months is too long of a period to keep a game as an exclusive. I see Microsofts strategy here as a low blow (dirty) to the games’ biggest fan base, which is on the Playstation platform. Personally, I think this is a bit of cock up for Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, as the PS4 is outselling the Xbox One. Surely it will affect sales of the franchise. But then again, we don’t know how much Microsoft bunged them.
Avenger
To an extent it’s more clever than a cock up. CD and SE will still cash in money from the PS4/PC release, just at a later date. Mean while they get MS paying them extra money they usually wouldn’t get, and get the XB1 copies of the game sold.
Now you could argue that SE aren’t being very loyal, but that would be a little naive. Sony are far from loyal, as are many companies at the end of the day. MS paying for exclusivity is the logical thing to do in their interests. Likewise Sony have done the same with various other things in order to maintain an edge over the competition.
Stefan L
@MrYd – I’m not really sure that Sony have been asked about Destiny or CoD. They certainly weren’t very clear about Shenmue 3 until a few weeks after E3.
With RotTR, it wasn’t made explicit at the time – to be fair, why would it be? – but Phil Spencer did very shortly after the press conference say, when asked, that it was not an outright exclusive, but on a timer.
@Duke – My point is really that this kind of deal happens a lot. I started off with DLC, but how different is RotTR to Sony and Capcom’s partnership for Street Fighter V? Maybe there’s no historical platform ties, but it’s another case of a manufacturer and a publisher agreeing to exclusivity, albeit one for all time.
Starman
Longer exclusivity than I expected, was thinking it would be 6 months at the most. At least the PS4 crowd have Uncharted to make up for the wait.
JustTaylorNow
Uncharted comes out after tomb raider comes out so its a win win situation, tomb raider as a starter then uncharted as main course
Kennykazey
So, Windows 10 exclusive on PC? That would be something.
I’m looking forward to the game, and I’m glad I’ve got an Xbox so I can play TR this year and Uncharted the next.
Stefan L
They say “Windows 10 and Steam”, but this, as far as I can tell, is just talking about storefronts. You’ll either buy it from the Windows 10 store or from Steam (or from somewhere that will sell you a Steam code).
Kennykazey
Yeah that’s what it seems like, but I’m thinking it could be a good candidate for an OS exclusivity on PC. Along with Gears of War Ultimate and Fable.
DirectX12 could have the power to do that. One API that’ll save time and money in porting from Xbone.
funkyellowmonkey(ps3 id)
That’s ok, long as it’s still coming out. Plenty of other titles be out before then and yeah, it would be nice to jump onto TR after playing/rinsing out Uncharted 4! ;)
stefhutch20
I honestly don’t understand what Microsoft hoped to gain from this deal. Are PS4 owners really going to buy an Xbox One just to play Rise of the Tomb Raider one year early?
Kennykazey
Seems to me like it’s about bolstering the holiday lineup. And marketing the Xbox with another heavy hitter.
Keep in mind Sony is getting marketing deals with Battlefront, Call of Duty, Destiny and possibly Metal Gear Solid.
This way Microsoft secures some for their own with a game that actually won’t be available for PlayStation for a year.
stefhutch20
Interesting, but something still doesn’t quite add up if you ask me. After all, it’s not like the Xbox One doesn’t have any other exclusives coming this year.
slowman6
I think they wanted something to go up against Uncharted 4. Then once they got the excusivity (or timed exclusive) that got moved to next year so they didn’t really need it anyway.
Personally I think the way Sony have got thier exclusives spaced out through the year this year and next works better rather than just blowing it all over the Holiday period. Though that’s down to coincedence rather than planning I guess.
Atleast PS4 owners will get the GOTY edition right?
JR.
Damn. I didn’t need to buy that XB1 after all…
Still not buying this on any platform out of principle. I’ll be renting it on XB1 and if I fancy playing it again, I’ll rent it when it comes out on the PS4 too. Hated the way MS and SE handled the reveal. Talk about screwing over your loyal PS fanbase aholes.
Deezoned
I consider it being ok to be a bit disappointed with SE/CD, so when I buy it for PS4 it will be well after launch when it goes on sale :) way to many games in the backlog anyways…
TSBonyman
A whole year? What a RotTR.
JR.
I would love to see how many Xbox exclusive gamers would be ok with this practice if the next Mass Effect was announced ‘exclusively on Playstation’. But even that would’t be on the same scale as this Tomb Raider deal. Mass Effect doesn’t have anywhere near the legacy or fanbase. It would be more like Sony announcing the next Mario/Zelda game coming exclusively to PS4.
Exclusive DLC whilst annoying isn’t anywhere near as bad as buying exclusivity of a sequel for one of the best selling franchises. Especially when the reboot sold significantly more copies on the platform they are now screwing over.
Kennykazey
I think you’re vastly overselling the current popularity of Tomb Raider. I’d classify Mass Effect as a bigger name at the moment. In the early naughties? Sure.
And it’s nowhere near the same galaxy as Mario and Zelda.
JR.
I’m not so sure. The Tomb Raider reboot is the best selling Tomb Raider game in the franchise to date. It sold 8.5 million copies as of April this year. Mass Effect 3 sold less than half that number as far as I am aware.
Mass Effect is a great franchise but it hasn’t had anywhere near the level of impact on gaming as Tomb Raider has. Lara is a household name and a gaming icon. Stop a random person in the street and ask them who Lara Croft is and I’m pretty sure most people would be able to tell you. Ask them who Commander Shepard is and they won’t have a clue.
Mario and Zelda are gaming icons I agree. But if it wasn’t for overly nostalgic parents with young children, how relevant would those names really be?
Tuffcub
Will anyone care about tomb raider after uncharted 4? I doubt it.