Crystal Dynamics: Tomb Raider had best week one sales in franchise history

Tomb Raider has achieved the highest week one sales in the franchise's history, according to Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher. Speaking at a GDC panel alongside creative director Noah Hughes, Gallagher also revealed that Tomb Raider had the most successful launch of any game this year.

"It's been the biggest week one sales in franchise history, and we're only a few weeks into that launch right now, and it's been the biggest opening so far in 2013," said Gallagher. "So, we're happy with the outcome. It's certainly in a place where we feel like we're on the road to achieving everything we wanted to."

[jc48573]

This is the kind of attitude I want to hear unlike Wada who had high expectations. Wada goes on to show that his resignation had something to do with this and I'm like, "you just sit around to see numbers, so you didn't do much in terms of creative or design support."

[MattS]

And it still was a commercial failure. Says a lot about the modern industry, really.

[majiebeast]

No its says alot about how Square enix is screwing up the financial side of development, they go over budget and estimated development time. Its a trend in every Square enix game. Same for Sony with the last guardian, at this point that game can never make a profit.

Alot of games that sell 2 million units make a good profit.

[MattS]

Without the extra development time the game wouldn't have been as good. You've seen what happens when development is rushed, right?

[Baka-akaB]

You dont know that actually . Seems more like bad management from square enix on many front than the real production value of Tomb Raider .

While awesome the game is no vast undertaking like shenmue , GTA , Red dead Redemption nor a crazy graphics adventure like the advent of some Crysis successor that would blow up a budget

[MattS]

And you don't know that. I will never understand why gamers, who don't work in the games industry let alone management, feel like they' qualified to comment on the business and financial side of the games industry.

If you have some kind of proof that it was poor management that led to a cost blowout then great, share it with us. Assuming that is the case based on other games being profitable at 2 million units is silly.

[Baka-akaB]

That's rich coming from you . Writing a blog doesnt make you anymore of an expert in the eyes of anyone here .

Where are your proof as well of your point , your ramblings arent worth more than ours .. so best avoid that kind of faulty logic .

Anyway i'd still be more curious about any aspect of the final game needing a budget and total sales 5 million copies to be profitable .

[Reborn]

Well, I wouldn't call it a commercial failure. More like they got greedy, and set silly figures. Then again, the number people, tend to always be out of touch with what's really going on.

Good game, nonetheless. Can't wait to see the improvements.

[MattS]

It's a commercial failure when it doesn't make enough money to be profitable. This has nothing to do with greed. Sales targets are set based on when a game project is reasonably profitable, in relation to the risk and expense incurred in developing it.

So, yes, Tomb Raider was, factually, a commercial failure.

[Reborn]

A quick glance at the current state of the market, should easily show that targets, and financial investments should be properly considered in line with its current state.

I'll stick by what I said. They got greedy, and set silly figures for what is a fresh take on a classic title. That alone should have been a warning on figures.

Of course, this is my opinion.

[Baka-akaB]

Repeating it ad neauseam wont make it true . As a matter of fact and proof there are better games in most aspect of their production that are still profitable with that kind of sales .

And all account to Wada and square trying to sponge off their bad management on the japanese side of business through eidos software . Hence the insane expectations