You weren’t the only one surprised at Rise of the Tomb Raider’s exclusivity announcement during the Microsoft media briefing at Gamescom last week, as Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was also shocked to learn the news. In an interview with Eurogamer.net, a slightly rundown sounding executive admitted that he never anticipated the reveal.
“It's very interesting the way that [Xbox boss] Phil Spencer said, ‘What we are saying is, in Holiday 2015, Tomb Raider is exclusive to Xbox.’ So, it's open to interpretation – but still, we didn't anticipate something like this would happen,” he revealed, adding that he had no idea that the deal was even in place. “How could we know?” he pondered.
On the subject of the backlash, the likeable suit continued: “Anything that Microsoft announces, people complain to me as well. In general, there are lots of people who are angry, who emotionally reacted to the announcement. Some people created an image saying negative things, like the end of Tomb Raider. It was a very emotional response.”
Nevertheless, the executive is still hopeful that the game will release on the PlayStation 4 eventually. “I hope that the game will come out eventually on the PS4,” he stressed. “But how can I tell? Other than that cryptic message by Phil Spencer.” Recent comments by the Xbox chief have suggested that the release will be a timed exclusive, but it’s still not clear.
Either way, Yoshida concluded that he finds the whole affair “amazing” considering how uncommon third-party exclusives are these days. “If you're a marketing person at Square Enix and you're projecting your sales for the game, if it doesn't come out on the PS4, then there must be lots of units that have to be covered by some means,” he said. “It's amazing.”
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 35
You're slowly turning into Pure Xbox!
@Punished_Boss Don't worry, unless anything new breaks, that's the last one for now.
@Punished_Boss yay
Ater reading the Phil Spencer interview yesterday I doubt it happens, and if it does it won't be for a long time, which sucks but given the history of stupid at SuareEnix isn't surprising. Just have to hope other third parties don't start selling out.
Seriously, how can he not know about these things? I find this absolutely incredible. This is truly mind boggling for me. Does he just sit around and wait for massive releases to pop up in PS4 cases on shelves?
How could he expect PS to compete if he doesn't even know the competition?
@get2sammyb
Don't worry the dark side is anyways so tempting!
@eLarkos
Maybe he knows something but can't tell us. Edit: Or not.
@eLarkos
Too busy chasing indies maybe? He did admit to not understanding a large portion, maybe even the majority, of home console consumers. Won't lie, as a PlayStation fan I'm a bit concerned about the future with Yoshida in charge.
@eLarkos Why would he know? His job is to run the first-party studios. He mentions that third-party team might have known, but the deal is between Microsoft and Square Enix.
I'd love to know how much this cost MS...
It's funny as they are obviously trying to get PS4 owners to buy into Xbone as well but I think this move has just pissed PS4 owners off more than it has enticed them to buy the bone...
Why would he know? Some kind of spies?
anyway 'there must be lots of units that have to be covered by some means,' truly amazing
@eLarkos How and why would he know about a secret deal between MS and SE? You think he has 007 agents infiltrating their offices on a daily basis?
Edit - @N711 - damn beat me to it
@get2sammyb Are you trying to stealth convert us with all this Xbox related news?
@get2sammyb He is Sony Worldwide Studios president. Doesn't matter what his day to day entails, he should know. This is a major release. Besides, his comments are incredibly weak.
To everyone mentioning spies - Yes, I think he has James Bond working for him.
Why news about Yoshida are Xbox?
@Gemuarto Push Square is heading to the dark side!
@Punished_Boss If news about Yoshi are xbox related somehow. Why not tell about them? Yoshi is playstation guy after all said and done. And according to Soul Calibur 4, Sony is dark side.
http://media.giphy.com/media/T2J93074IJd96/giphy.gif
@eLarkos I dunno. You'd have to imagine the deal between SE and MS is NDA'd, precluding them from discussing it with their partners. If Yoshida didn't know what was going on at, say, Guerrilla Games, then I'd agree. But I can see how he wouldn't know about this — it's not part of his job really.
Either way, he comes across as a bit fed up in this interview. I get the impression he's a bit sick of being the conduit for the entire brand on Twitter, but that's just my own reading into things.
@Punished_Boss
Well, they are the HD twins, so they are always bonded, whether they like it or not
I wonder if SE and MS kept this all a secret, that could be why no one else knew about this. As stupid as SE is, I wouldn't put it past them to skip over Sony for smaller sales. MS is tossing money around like last year which still didn't help them, they are doing it again this year.
I'll make a bet, in a couple of years from now, MS and the top honchos in the Xbox division are going to have a little meeting and that meeting is going to be "we won't make another console, instead, we will license out stuff we already own the rights to which in turn will generate more money for Microsoft". Just sit back and watch.
Microsoft isn't throwing money at SE to buy Tomb Raider exclusivity because it's a system sell, which it's NOT. They just did it to keep it off the Playstation platform as well as the PC. This is the mistake that MS did, this game will not move units for them. I'm sorry but SE just screwed themselves and MS screwed themselves as well.
Both MS and SE are in a catch 22 situation. In fact, this is a wonderful example of catch 22 because none of this makes any sense at all, it's quite pointless. No matter what happens now since all the contracts went through, there isn't a good outcome at all.
@eLarkos How could he know. He can't know what is happening in Microsoft offices. I'm sure that the deal had an Non Disclosure Agreement, so SE couldn't say anything.
My interpretation of SE's comments on why, is to manage cash flow. They basically said they don't have the money to make the game they want to make. They needed this deal to complete it. Not agreeing with their decision, but that's how I interpreted their comments.
I hope it eventually comes to PS4 too.
@get2sammyb Yea I agree with your second comment. He does seem overall a bit agitated.
I have to disagree on the part about this not being in his direct interests though. Also, Sony should (and can) become informed to some extent about these deals. NDA or not.
"Hey SE, Tomb Raider is going to look awesome on the PS4 ay?!" "Hey Sony, sure is. I cant wait to show you it running on the PS4" .... next day.... "Tomb Raider is XBOX1 exclusive"
Ridiculous example to highlight how ridiculous I find this situation/his comments.
Perhaps he's miffed because he knows Sony F'd up?
Edit: in response to my fairly stupid example, it actually wouldn't be unprecedented in this industry for something like that to happen haha! (although I dont think thats the case here)
@eLarkos How exactly did Sony F up? Because they didn't give SE a truckload of money? Sony doesn't need to do that. TR is not even that important. We have Uncharted! Tomb Raider will come once SE realizes how stupid they are.
@Shellybird27 Just in relation to this deal going under their radar. If you dont agree with me that he should have had some indication then you wont agree with this point as well. All good if you dont.
TR is a timed exclusive and I bet it'll be a 6-12 months max timed exclusive, there is no way on this earth SE is that stupid to gave there game to one platform, when it sells twice as much on the other console (PlayStation).
-@Shellybird27
And therein lies the situation SE was in with TR. Like I've been saying pretty much everywhere, they needed this deal because of Uncharted 4. With both TR and Uncharted releasing at the same time possibly, TR sales would have suffered as a result.
This deal works out for the partners involved. SE gets to make the game they want with a cash infusion from MS, not to mention it will have more eyes on it's product because of the lack of direct competition. Also, it will get heavy promotion from MS. Microsoft will get an adventure game to promote in return. An "Uncharted" for them if you will... At least for the time being until they get off their lazy arse and make their own.
If Tomb Raider isn't that important why are there umpteen articles a day about it followed by walls of comments from fanboys along the same theme of Microsoft evil.. SE stupid!! It's very evident this is a big deal just from the reaction. Games going exclusive isn't new and Sony have been just as guilty of it as anyone. It's going to continue as well. Expect Microsoft to have already enquired about Fallout 4 and GTA VI. You snooze you lose Sony.
It's because it's how Microsoft clearly went about this exclusive. It won't push Xbox One sales which is what Microsoft actually needs to happen. instead, they bought a timed exclusive for a game that doesn't push consoles to basically spite Sony and the PC gamers in general. Honestly, there is no other reason for Microsoft to do it as this does not benefit their console in any way but rather them trolling Sony.
I think Microsoft should keep on doing this because all Sony has to do is sit back and watch the damage being done. MS and SE are doing all this to themselves, mean while, behind the scenes at Sony, their just eating popcorn watching all this go down. I think it's hilarious.
All you girls crying anytime xbox gets mentioned on here need to grow up. Or is it that time of the month. Seriously, its not like Sammy is reviewing xbox games. It was only a few days ago you were all talking and crying about the exclusive TR deal Microsoft made.
Looks like butthead from and beavis....
@voodoo341
I think Fallout 4 Xbox One exclusive is almost a certainty. I think RE 7 could be as well. As much as RE has fallen it's still a big name and would push X1s in Japan. MS went after a lot of Japanese games last gen but it went after the wrong ones. Capcom is in a spot now where to make a game like that it'd almost have to get the funding from one of the big 3 similar to what happened with Dead Rising 3. Sony may or may not have the money to do it, we know Nintendo sure as hell wouldn't fund it, so that leaves just one option and very clearly that company is willing to spend the money.
@Gamer83 There is no chance of Fallout 4 being an XBOX exclusive as it makes far to much money. Also Bathesda wouldn't limit it to just PC and XBOX as is sells by the lorry load on any system its released on. They also publish there own games so wouldn't need MS help like SE did.
Fallout 4 being exclusive to Xbox, nah, I think what would happen after MS forked over $100+ million for that type of game, I am 100% positive I wouldn't expect another Xbox system after that. to much money being thrown on behalf of that and I know that the money off of android is paying for that in which case the division would be red flagged by the company as a means to drop it.
To even say Fallout 4 being exclusive to Xbox is nothing more than wishful thinking and I highly doubt you would be shaking your head at that if that happened, you would be jumping up and down. come on now.
@WARDIE
So does Square-Enix. I don't think this is a case of SE needing help, I think its just a case of them thinking they can get both Microsoft's money and our money on top of it. Just as Yoshida said, the money has to be covered somehow, otherwise they wouldn't make it an exclusive at all. So they must think timed exclusivity will result in more money than if it was a multi-plat from the get-go.
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