
There's a real danger that Rise of the Tomb Raider could end up being defined by behind-the-scenes business decisions, and Game Informer's latest cover story is evidence of that. While the publication's coverage includes plenty of details about Lara Croft's forthcoming foray, most people want to know one small thing: when's it coming to the PlayStation 4?
For those out of the loop, the sequel was announced as an Xbox exclusive at Gamescom last year, but Microsoft was quickly backed into a corner, and forced to admit that the deal has a duration. This led many to believe that the release will also deploy on the PS4, and while nothing's been confirmed just yet, that remains the case in this latest round of interviews.
Speaking about the specifics of the deal, Crystal Dynamics boss Darrell Gallagher said that it was a "natural evolution" from previous partnerships for the game to lead on the Xbox, but that doesn't prevent a PlayStation version from deploying in the future. "We're focusing on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 here at Crystal Dynamics," he said. "And anything beyond, we'll come back to at a later date."
Some had argued that Microsoft was wholly funding the release, but that doesn't appear to be the case according to the executive. "If you look at Tomb Raider, it's been around for 20 years, so I do think that Tomb Raider would still be around [without Microsoft]," he explained, when asked whether the Redmond firm had enabled the project to exist in the first place.
This is a story that's going to run all through the year, but we doubt that any ports will be announced until well after the title's Xbox release. Either way, we can't help but feel that Square Enix is shooting itself in the foot a little bit here; late arrivals rarely ever perform well, and if it thought that the title couldn't compete with Uncharted 4: A Thief's End at launch, what chance does it have way down the line?
[source gameinformer.com, via gamespot.com]
Comments 46
I reckon it'll drop on PS4 around this time next year...
Happy to wait for it!
"Some had argued that Microsoft was helping to fund the release, but that doesn't appear to be the case according to the executive. "If you look at Tomb Raider, it's been around for 20 years, so I do think that Tomb Raider would still be around [without Microsoft]," he explained, when asked whether the Redmond firm had enabled the project to exist in the first place."
I don't get how the first statement is inferred from the quote. To me, he just seems to be saying that even if Microsoft didn't fund it, Tomb Raider would still be around - that seems a natural given they could release it on all platforms if there was no incentive to tie it to the Xbox.
I'll buy it used for like 20 bucks. Square Enix can go jump off a cliff. Naughty Dog is gonna embarrass Crystal Dynamics.
@professorhat That was poorly worded on my part so I've changed it slightly. Some people are arguing that Rise of the Tomb Raider only exists because of Microsoft, which Gallagher seems to disagree with.
Honestly I hope Square Enix learns from this (they wont) they keep screwing ovwr PlayStation fans.
Definitive Edition sucked, one of the only SP game's i CBA'd to complete it's that bad, even if it does come to ps4 it'll be a wait until it's £20 anyway.
Go blow yourself SQEnix and Crystal Dynamics, you made your choice to screw over PlayStation fans and troll them consistently.
If you would flat out state "this can come to PS4 once the deal is up" but since you can't be bothered I won't be buying this game new anywhere.
Hope this pathetic deal was worth screwing over millions of people.
@xMEADx I like that game, personally. It's not Uncharted, but it's good.
@get2sammyb
You sure love reporting on Xbox exclusives, the dark side is always tempting
@Dodoo Same here, though maybe we'll have to wait until Summer or Fall 2016 at worst.
@get2sammyb Understood - thanks!
Agree with the above that Rise of the Tomb Raider will hit during the holiday season for Xbox One (October or November), and that they will wait until Q1 or Q2 of 2016 before they announce a date for the PS4 and actually release it.........more or less just to maximize it's selling potential for the Xbox One.
I still don't get why Square and Crystal Dynamics thought making Tomb Raider exclusive was a good idea, let alone exclusive to the systems it performed the worst on
and if MS didn't fund it or need to fund it then it makes even less sense
but then again Square have mad some really dumb decisions lately such as moving Dragon Quest to the mobile market or making games no on wanted like FFXIII-2 and LR-FFXIII
If Uncharted 4 comes out this year, I can stand the wait for Tomb Raider. But I don't have high hopes for the game to be honest, the last one was good, but nothing special.
Lets get this straight tomb raider is always been a playstation exclusive up till the latest installment, so how can the make it an xbox exclusive and no word on when its comming to playstation after all the years it was on playstation that sucks big time I reckon crystal dynamic have really screwed the playstation over by doing this it is a load of sh*** hope you fail and regret everything you are doin!
@Tuppen Tomb Raider was never exclusive to any system, that's what is annoying people, they took a multiplatform series with a large following and made it exclusive to what is currently the worst selling system of the 3, even the Wii U has out sold the XB1 worldwide
if MS think this wil help them sell systems then they are wrong
Sureeee guys it's gonna come to ps4 lol. Funny how all the guys who don't own an xbox one keep repeating it like it's gonna come true haha.. just like titanfall eh Sammy a hahah.
Just messing with you guys.
I haven't bothered reading the issue yet. Still trying to flatten it out after Mr. Postman crammed it into my mailbox.
Honestly I'm just more baffled than enraged at this. The choice to make a once multiplatform franchise exclusive to one just sounds weird in general. I'm ok if it's because of better tech (Final Fantasy to Playstation for example), but that's not the case here.
@FullbringIchigo Thank you! Instead ofreleaseing Versus 13 they made 2 other games and pretended they had planned it that way all along. I wont even start on the FF7 troll. SE makes terrible decisions.
I hate drama, I hate non support to playstation, I hate to say I wont Support Tomb Raider if it comes to PS4. Just as I didn't support Assassins Creed Unity. My solo non support amounts to zero in the big picture of sales but it makes me feel better!
What I Love is Sony will offer me many games that will fill the spot with out Tomb Raider. Uncharted is very high on my List...
@3Above yeah with the way FFXIII ended there is no way those sequels were planed, XII had a resolute ending and a pretty decent one, that's why they had to do the whole time travel story for XIII-2
I like to think that XIII-2 and LR-FFXIII never hapend and I'll stick with the happy ending FFXIII had
Tbh this won't be coming to the PS4 and really it won't be because of how close MS is working with Crystal Dynamics to make this a great game and a great launch, could possibly come to PC but if you don't like it being an xbox exclusive then tough, put up with it!!!
I'll buy Rise of the Tomb Raider once it hits for the PS4, how can you be that bitter? Sony is doing the same thing with SF V and Capcom.
I still hate the name Rise of the Tomb Raider.
@sub12 actually it's MS fault there, their online policies prevent Capcoms online vision while Sony's does not.
When is this supposed to be releasing as it seems it will be cross platform with the 360 too, surely they should just move on and make it for nxt gen only?
@NaughtyOttsel22 not sure how you mean xbox policies prevent capcoms vision... Could you expand on that?
@sham8nix basically Xbox Live is far more restrictive in its architecture so for cross play to be used on Xbox they need to follow MS' rules EXACTLY, PSN is far more open and allows more freedom.
I'm looking forward to this more than I am Uncharted, p*sses me off ill have to wait and extra year or two.
I'd say CD were kicking themselves when they seen the way PS4 sold compared to XOne
Should you guys be really all that bothered about an exclusive that you aren't even sure is good yet? The reboot was really dumbed down and took what was a really cool character and made her the female equivalent of lester the unlikely.
I really liked the Tomb Raider reboot and I was excited for its sequel. Now that they pulled this stunt, I'm not sure how to feel about it anymore. If it does come to PS4, it'll most likely be second-hand. I like exclusives and all, but Tomb Raider is something that should have stayed multi-platform.
Really enjoyed the last game so I will be buying it on xbox one (as much as I don't want to support this type of shady deal) I can't imagine getting it again on ps4 unless it had a decent online that I would want to play with friends, which let's face it its doubtful
@ReigningSemtex TR is my childhood and I adored the reboot, I won't be buying it on Xbox One because I refuse to support MS ruining another piece of my childhood.
having all consoles make this thing not a big deal.
@Sevenifity I have every system and I'm still waiting.
I really hope it comes to PS4, I loved the reboot. It was a little action heavy here and there, but the tombs and survival aspects were really good imo. From what the the devs are saying this next one is supposed to be more focused on the tombs and I'd be all for that. Cut some of the QTE's out and it will be perfect.
@sub12 Isn't Sony funding SFV though? From what I can tell MS isn't really helping to fund TR or at least not at the same level.
It's Square Enix game. It will be in every possible device in matter of time. XBOX, PS4, PC, Mobile... Maybe Wii U too, but definitely not PSVita
@FullbringIchigo
It's safe to assume this game didn't need to be funded. Unlike Capcom, SE isn't exactly in financial peril, the scumbag idiots who run the company just don't want to actually do anything that makes sense and they'll take shortcuts where they can. It's a business in the end so whatever, but if Rise of the Tomb Raider only does moderately well and doesn't move a ton of Xbox Ones, it was an idiotic decision and a waste of money all around. MS will advertise the hell out of the game, it better hope that pays off.
There is absolutely no amount of noise that will turn this around now people. I do feel the same way, it seems quite unfair that this series in particular - which as always been available widely throughout the platforms - is now an X-Box exclusive, even if a timed one. Of course that Microsoft will not want the exact timeframe out there, they wouldn't even have confirmed the exact details of this exclusivity deal if there wasn't such an uproar, it's the uncertainty that will make people jump the gun and buy an XB1 because they want to try the game, NOW. Might be 3 months, might be 6 months, one year. But of one thing we can be sure, they are most likely contractually bound to keep the curtain down until the deal is close to an end.
And hey, maybe we'll be in luck and get the jump straight to an Ultimate Edition or something. But some time ago there was word of a PS4 demo version of some sorts - Dev kit stuff and what nots - at some game convention, so I do honestly believe it will end up coming our way too.
@Gamer83 i don't think it will be the system pusher MS thinks it will, not if they are releasing it on 360 too for example a friend of mine has a ps4 but not a xb1 and he is a huge tomb raider fan but he said and I quote
"no way in hell am I buying a system I don't need for one game, not when it's coming to 360 and I have one of those"
and I think a lot of people will be the same
xbox wants an uncharted game, this is how they get it I guess.
I played through definitive edition not too long ago. The fact that I couldn't name one single character apart from Lara speaks volumes about the story. It was ok but just made me want to play Uncharted again. Ps4 doesn't need Tomb Raider.
Not sure what Microsoft is smoking that makes them think that ROTTR being exclusive to X-Bone is going to make people rush right out and drop $400.00 dollars on a console just to play ONE GAME but it must be some good stuff!
Look the fact is this will end up being the biggest business fail in history! WHY? Because you can't tell the vast majority of your market (18.5 million) to take a flying leap and think your still going to be successful with the game. Microsoft has made promises to Square Enix that they can't keep. They (MS) is banking on tomb raider fans flocking to the store to buy themselves an X-Bone One just to play this game and its just not going to happen. Tomb Raider while a good game just doesn't have the stand-alone power to make people buy a new game system to play. I mean it’s not like its Halo or COD or Uncharted or The Last OF Us.
To begin with the PlayStation Nation is PI$$ED and not willing to buy this game even if it did come out for PS4. To them this betray amounts to a declaration of war and have turned their focus to hoping and asking for Naughty Dog to make Uncharted 4 the best game since TLOU and want UC4 to destroy Tomb Raider. Lets just look at the facts Microsoft has barely shipped 10 million consoles noticed I said "Shipped " not sold and there in lies the problem. Microsoft can't even get people to buy their console when they drop the price to $349.00 and include free games so if they can't get people to buy their product then they're going to have a very difficult time reaching the sells number SE and MS are looking for. Sony has Sold $18.5 million consoles and those people WON'T be playing ROTTR and that will be the undoing of this game and most likely of this franchise. Since we all known SE was highly upset at the amount and speed at which the last TR game sold they are going to really be let down when this games sells figures don't come anywhere close to the reboot which after the re-mastered copies release ended up selling 6 million copies.
The vast majority of PlayStation players aren't expecting to ever be able to play this version of TR, To assume that "Timed Exclusive " Means that there will be a PS4 version is foolish no one has EVER said there will be a PS version of this game so to assume so is very risky. NO! I instead think that the comments made by Phil Spencer concerning the game being a " Timed Exclusive " refer to a PC version being available later and NOT a PS version. I fully expect this game to be LOCKED UP for a period no shorter then FIVE YEARS since Microsoft is publishing and marketing this game just as they did Mass Effect. If that’s the case and we don't see a PS4 version until 2021 then well by then NO PS player will care or will they rush right out to buy it. It will be a game PS player’s pick up out of the bargain bin.
OMG Your a special kind of Stupid Aren't You? Lets say I'm right and Microsoft locks this game up for five yrs do you really think that ANY PS4 player is going to have ANY interest in playing this game in FIVE YEARS? NO! They won't which will mean what? It means a lost of sales to 18.5 MILLION PS4 owners and that lost of sales translates into the failure of this game and the end of the franchise. Why you ask we'll I'll tell you for the simple reason that Microsoft doesn't have enough players to sell 7 million copies of this game which is the number of games sold that it takes for a game to be a success. Why do you think they are making a 360 version as well dumb ass it's so they can try and make up for the millions in lost copies they won't from the Sony community.
I believe this game is LOCKED and will be an X-Bone game in what I believe is it final Hoo Ra. For I for see Square Enix calling this venture a fail after it doesn't reach the sells that Microsoft has promised them and they won't make another one as they will deem it not profitable which is all they really care about anyway.
Besides the PS Nation is anger and feels betrayed so WE wouldn't buy the damn game even if it did come out for PS4, we're not going to reward the bastards for betraying us that just be stupid. We would rather use our power as a gaming community to say WE don't like this exclusive B/S and we're NOT going to put up with it. Yes there will be a few PS players who buy this game but believe me we'll make damn sure to buy it USED so the money doesn't go to SE or CD.
You seem to assume that just because you read it is a " Timed Exclusive " that it would naturally come out on PS4, which really isn't the case genius! You ever given the thought that Phil Spenser comment of it being a timed exclusive could mean that it will come out for PC and NOT for PS4? Well, you should because that’s what I believe is going to happen since all games start as PC language they could have the PC version just setting on shelf right now. Now come to grips with that Bone Head!
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