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Rise Of The Tomb Raider Director Brian Horton again left to defend Sales and Microsoft Exclusivity

Brian Horton, The Game Director for Rise Of The Tomb Raider has again lept to the defence of the games sales via The Tomb Raider Forums. Some fans are not happy with the sales figures and Microsoft receiving exclusivity for the latest Lara Croft outing, with a late 2016 release date scheduled for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

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cfc783069d ago

Hopefully sales pick up I'd hate to be eating Mcdonalds with the 3rd game when we could all be eating steak.

Let Lara do her thing and save the hate for badly made games that deserve it.

-Foxtrot3069d ago

"Hopefully sales pick up I'd hate to be eating Mcdonalds with the 3rd game when we could all be eating steak"

Except it wouldn't be our fault...why should we rush out and buy the game now to help them just to give the franchise a third game

They f***** up and made one bad decision after the other. It's their fault not ours.

Seriously at this point if it means another reboot in the far, far future which comes across more like the older games then honestly...fine by me.

Thatguy-3103069d ago

Exactly! What did they expect after alienating the majority of the fans? Did they actually think we were going to rush out and buy an Xbox one for it?

thekhurg3069d ago Show
MasterCornholio3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

Exactly its their fault that this happened. What did they think was going to happen? That the majority of TombRaider fans on the PC and PS4 would rush out to buy XB1s just to play this game?

Well they made a pretty big mistake with that assumption.

Anyways I hope the franchise is sucesdfuy enough to warrant a sequel.

gangsta_red3069d ago Show
DARKKENT3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

The devs are not to blame they didn't ink one of the most stupidest deals in gaming

Imagine the huge sales if the publishers hadn't succumbed to their greed...

Third party should be for everyone... Not just sony or microsoft

MasterCornholio3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

@Gansta

Sure let's release everything exclusively for the X1 that way developers can complain about sales.

-sarcasm-

Cut the BS.

Ganster no matter how you spin it what SE did with TombRaider could potentially damage the franchise. Heck it might get killed off due to the poor sales.

If there's something everyone can agree on is that if a game (any game) is available on multiple platforms the sales for said game tend to be higher than if it were to remain exclusive.

That's right if SFV sells poorly we can blame it on the exclusivity deal.

VenomUK3069d ago

I think Square-Enix were naïve in thinking that they could take the financial incentive from Microsoft, and there would be no impact apart from postponing their PS4 sales for a year...

The reality is that the ROTR sales on PS4 in 2016 will be significantly less than if the game had been released this year. The reason is in one year's time Uncharted 4 (a made & optimised for new-gen game) will have been and gone. There will be a ton of brand new games in 2016 including exclusives Horizon, The Last Guardian etc as well as the new Destiny and Star Wars and CoD. There will also be be Xbox One and plenty of Xbox 360 copies of ROTR in the wild. The game will no doubt be available from second hand stores in the UK for less than £15.

In this climate how on Earth can Square reasonably expect PS4 owners to pay full price for this? Yes there will be people who will pay for it, but I reckon a lot less than those who would have bought it if it had been released this year.

SolidDuck3069d ago

Well lets see, its a great game for one. It will continue to sell on x1, should do very well on PC early next year. Then prob release an ultimate edition on ps4 which again should do extremely well. Oh ya they also got a fat paycheck from ms to make it a timed exclusive. They also thought at the time when they made this deal that uncharted 4 would be releasing in the same timeframe. All in all very smart moves. U guys just don't like it cause its not on your precious ps4. News flash x1 has a better games lineup, always has. From the looks of it always will.

Liqu1d3069d ago

@thekhurg Timed exclusives in general need to disappear.

Gazondaily3069d ago Show
VenomUK3069d ago

@Septic. The quality of the game is not the issue, Rise of the Tomb Raider has got some fantastic reviews! But it is perfectly fair for gamers to discuss whether it has not reached its sales potential and whether the PS4 sales will be less then what they could have been.

AngelicIceDiamond3069d ago

I don't think it had to do with it being Xbox solely (Yes that is part of the prob) but the main prob was simply releasing it around Fallout 4 the game would of done much better in a different month like early January imo.

jmac533069d ago

It's not the Dev's fault at all. It's Square's fault for even considering an exclusive deal with Microsoft. By the time the majority of people will be able to get their hands on this game next year it will be eclipsed by another mega AAA game. I wouldn't be surprised if Square decided to release the PS4 version the same day that Horizon comes out.

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jmac533069d ago

@channel live When you say finance I think you mean an exclusive money hat that Microsoft provided. It's not like they gave money out of the kindness of their heart or Kickstarted this game.

johndoe112113069d ago

@Septic

That certain community with it's pretend concern????? Did you really juts say that? where does the bias stop? This game has always had the largest fanbase and has always sold the most on sony systems. How the hell is that pretend concern? You're always quick to call sony fans toxic but always refuse to see the utter bias and high level of bs in statements like the one you just uttered. The calls to boycott this game came from both the playstation AND the pc community. the two biggest communities for this game.

Did you call the xbox supporters begging microsoft to buy the Titan Fall franchise a "cyst to the medium"? what about the ones who petitioned microsft to return DRM to the xbox one, where they "cyst to the medium"? Why the hell am I even bothering............

rdgneoz33069d ago

@Channel-Live Yes, MS paid SE money for exclusivity (~1 year) for the sequel to a game that ran better and sold better on the PS4 than on the xbone. It's not like the game is being built from the ground up for the system. They alienated the majority of the fans who bought the game the first game in the rebooted series, and the sales are showing that.

BitbyDeath3069d ago

Given the poor sales of Halo 5 I doubt anyone suspected Tomb Raider could do better.

Crimzon3069d ago

Well I enjoyed the Tomb Raider reboot and I'm looking forward to playing Rise of the Tomb Raider when I get the chance to. It sucks that Microsoft bought timed exclusivity but at least those of us without an Xbox One will get to play it eventually, either in a few months (?) on PC or roughly a year on PS4.

It would be worse if it was a locked exclusive like Bayonetta 2 but since it's timed then whatever, we're all used to waiting for games anyways with how often they're delayed these days, so throwing another one on the pile isn't too big of a deal really. At least we know that it's a genuinely good game so it's something to look forward to at least.

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

I just hope the game has all the DLC in a Game of the Year edition and it's 39.99 when it comes to PS4 otherwise, count me out.

btw: Edited my comment

BLizardXD3069d ago

-Foxtrot -

"Except it wouldn't be our fault...why should we rush out and buy the game now to help them just to give the franchise a third game"

that's a crazy assessment, amazed that it was credited with "Well said". assassin's creed is a mediocre franchise that has like 7 installments. The tomb raider reboot is well received over the assassin's creed franchise...Why wouldn't Crystal dynamics want to make a 3rd installment?

The tomb raider reboot and it's sequel is well deserving of a purchase compared to other games. fanboys got to stop thinking with thick sculls.

Rimeskeem3069d ago

I expect them to make another due to critical acclaim and realize their mistake in the next entry.

XanderZane3069d ago

According to VGCharts. What!?!?!

http://www.somegif.com/gifs...

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a "AAA" game. No reason not to buy it now if you own an XB1. Will it be Capcom's fault if SFV sells poorly? Capcom actually told gamers to run out and buy a PS4 to play it, even though it's also on the PC. If that's not a slap in the face to their fans, I don't know what it.

http://gamingbolt.com/stree...

Crystal Dynamics/SquareEnix aren't picking any sides and telling gamers to run out and buy an XBox One to play Tomb Raider.

BeefCurtains3069d ago

They didn't screw up by doing timed exclusivity with Microstoft. You Sony fans are sure working overtime on this one!

I'm thinking it has EVERYTHING to do with the timing it was released. Going up against Halo 5 and Fallout 4, this game had the cards stacked against it already.

If it released on Sony too, yeah, it would have sold more. Duh. Just like any Sony exclusive would sell better if it was on X1 too.

user99502793069d ago

life isnt fair, eh fox? =P

freshslicepizza3069d ago

how did they screw up, the game came out and by all accounts turned out very good. did money come out of your pocket that was part of the deal? microsoft wanted the deal and so did square enix.

all i see is a bunch of entitled people who are naturally upset it has been delayed on their preferred platform. in a perfect world all third party games would come to all available platforms. that is not how this industry works. we have had side deals take place for decades. where was the uproar for gta san andreas having a timed exclusive deal on the ps2? oh that's right, the ps2 had most sales so it's ok then.

read this persons comment in the article,

"Keep telling your lies, maybe you’ll start believing them soon! Sales =/= Reviews, Awards. You brought it up for no reason, but of course I wouldn’t expect you to say that the game flopped, you’re not stupid. 300K is not being on top, no one cares about reboot Lara."

no wonder this industry gets such a bad rap. you have people acting like this all the time. that $400 console or whatever people paid does not guarantee any software. as a ps3 owner i was expecting the last guardian. it's no longer coming. there is more leverage to my argument over that game than any false promises about this tomb raider games coming to the ps4. yet why isn't that getting so much vitriol?

Alexander1Nevermind3069d ago

I played through the last one and completed it 100%. One of my favorite games of that year. I honestly feel like the devs turned their back on me because I don't have an X1. So much in fact that I wont buy the game upon its release on PC/PS4. Ill probably pick it up when its $10-$15 USD if I get it at all. Timed exclusivity has pretty much killed my interest.

Intranquill3069d ago

Temporarily messed up is all. The game will make up any lost sales on PC and PS4, that much is guaranteed.

UltraNova3068d ago

I cant for the love of me understand why people get so emotional about TR's exclusivity deal with MS...I mean its not like we run out of games or anything.

Its only a year people just hang in, play the other 50 AAA games until TR comes out and you will be rewarded with the Definitive Edition of a great single player game that doesn't rely on an online community to stay relevant...

mcstorm3068d ago

I still don't think this game would of sold as many as the 1st game did even if it was on the PS4, PC and WiiU just because of the time it was brought out.

The last TR game came out in March 2013 which is the perfect time for a game like this to come out as there were no big hitters that I can remember coming out that time of 2013.

TR has Fallout 4, Halo 5, COD, Star wars, Forza 6, NFS, Fifa, NHL and a few other big hitting games so it was never going to sell as well. Its been brought out at the wrong time its as simple as that. Yes it should not of been a timed exclusive but that is not what has hurt he game its the date it was released at that have.

Nodoze3068d ago

I just wonder how much MS paid for this and how the math could ever work in favor for the devs?? I mean games do NOT hold their value and in almost all cases the prices start to decline in a matter of weeks. The majority of the money is made when the prices are high and through pre orders.

Since this will be a year old title paying full price would not even be considered (they will try though). I would not touch this for anything north of 29 bucks.

The exclusivity deal kills the hype factor, the story leaks, the momentum ends....and yet SE thinks the PS owners are going to fork over top dollar and pay full price....not a chance!

pinkcrocodile753068d ago

@All

Girls, girls, girls, stop moaning!. Pull your knickers from out of the crack of your bums and breath.

It's done!. Was done over a year ago and your are still sniping, whinging and moaning, anyone would think your weren't getting any action!.

Both Sony and MS do exclusivity deals, by funding part of the development process. Some of these game would never make it off the ground without this injection of capital.

So Street Fighter 5 is only on PS4, no problem, I bought a PS4 too.

If you want to play the game you have choices, pick the one that makes you gagg the least and swallow it... Sorry this post is riddled with decent innuendo, but be a Tuesday then.

Chill, nobady cares which option your choose as long as you pick one and are happy with it.

Personally I don't care if you buy the game or not, well... I don't know any of you so why should I. I suppose some of you could choke on your cornflakes... Is that a bad thing?... Not really, just nature weeding out the shallow end of the gene pool.

The point is, there are more important things to worry or moan about. Game sales isn't one of them.

muzikjunkie803068d ago

Alexander1Nevermind

"I honestly feel like the devs turned their back on me because I don't have an X1"

that there is the most ridiculous comment i have read yet, you saying that its the devs fault you dont own an xbox one? i have read alot of silly comments on here but that one takes the cake lol if you limit yourself to one console then that is "YOUR" fault not the devs so you loose out, if people on here were actual gamers and not silly fanboys they would all be enjoying great games regardless of who made the hardware simple as that.

i can remember when sony signed lots of exclusive deals for tomb raider 2 and then every tomb raider game after or gta 3 and vice city and lots of others but i guess its ok when sony does it? like when they locked rocket league to ps4 only? etc

folks gotta stop whining if you want this game so bad buy an xbox one if not wait for the ps4 and pc version.

stormswrath3068d ago

To everyone saying that Tomb Raider didn't do as well because it went up against halo 5 or fallout 4 I don't think this is the case. Those games are of a different type. Also people buy more than one game so I don't think this had as big of an effect on the sales of Tomb Raider as people are saying. I believe that the biggest problem with the sales is because of the exclusivity with Microsoft. Going up against other games may have affected a little but the biggest problem was the exclusive deal. Just my opinion.

TearsOfARapper843068d ago

A little salty Foxtrot? This game is absolutely fantastic and well worth the entire experience. The game not selling well I believe has a bit to due with release date choice, and a bit to do with a surprising lack of marketing compared to other big holiday titles. However, the biggest mistake is on everyone choosing not to purchase it. I dusted off my One just to play it and I have 0 regrets.

Azzanation3068d ago

@Foxtrot
Maybe Foxtrot you should be focusing on playing good games and getting your head out of the business side of things. Games are made for your own pleasure. Its not a sport that requires a cheer squad.

Buy TR because its a great game. End of story.

quaneylfc3068d ago

We are to blame, the consumer is always at fault.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is there because of us, it's an exclusive because of the cry of the Xbox owners, Microsoft and Square Enix aren't psychic, the things they do are reactionary.

Xbox and Playstation fanboys dictate the market now and they are not smart people.

Dumb people = dumb company decisions.

muzikjunkie803068d ago

stormswrath

"the biggest problem with the sales is because of the exclusivity with Microsoft. Going up against other games may have affected a little but the biggest problem was the exclusive deal"

how would that affect xbox users? they are not the ones that are bitter about the exclusivity deal and its on the xbox so why wouldnt that userbase purchase that game? the logic of some of the playstation/pc crowd are funny, try and make up any bs as you suit fit. i know why this game sold poorly and its exactly what some logical folks on here mentioned. black ops 3 and fallout 4 are more popular at this time almost everyone on my friends list is playing either black ops or fallout right now only myself and a couple others own tomb raider, also the stupid logic of that people buy more than one game well not everyone has deep pockets and with it coming up to xmas i doubt most gamers can or want to fork out £150 for 3 games. use your brain people ffs.

Morgue3068d ago

I own the first reboot for both consoles and the PS4 version looks way better. Then as I sit and play the new one I'm thinking too myself that if it looks this good on the X1 I can only imagine what it will look like on the PS4 but I won't re-buy it. I'd rather see Tomb Raider II rebuilt for next gen systems.

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joab7773069d ago

It isn't hate. They had the choice to release this game on all platforms this holiday. If they had released it this wk on all 3, ot would have been HUGE.

They chose not too. Though I do agree that they don't have to defend the quality. I just feel bad for the devs. They aren't the ones who did this

Nightmar3Demom3069d ago

Yeah, it's actually a really good game, it's just too bad that the people in charge couldn't make a good decision if it was the only decision available

Christopher3069d ago

***It isn't hate. They had the choice to release this game on all platforms this holiday. If they had released it this wk on all 3, ot would have been HUGE.
***

I actually don't think this. Fallout 4 will eclipse all other games. Even a Star Wars game is struggling to compete this month because of it. I think SE should have definitely of moved the release date to right after the year or something and that is the primary reason they're not seeing as many sales on XBO/360 as they could have.

Sure, the deal sucks, but going up against Fallout 4 is reserved for the likes of Rockstar.

rainslacker3069d ago

The devs weren't exactly resistant in the press with this exclusivity deal. They were pretty adamant about saying how much MS was helping them with the production.

I wouldn't expect them to say anything negative of course, but the same guy in this article was also praising MS for their help.

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ABizzel13069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

One thing I love about controversial topics, is that it makes it so easy to see to point out fanboys and ignore them.

Tomb Raider sales were lackluster, because of the XBO / 360 timed exclusive deal and releasing in November after Halo 5, COD BO3, and on the same date as Fallout 4.

Tomb Raider would have done much better if it was simply multiplat and released January 2016, and IMO would have scored at least 4x it's current sales across XBO / 360 / PS4 / PS3 / and PC.

No one is saying it's a bad game. However, it was just a bad deal to make for the sake of the franchise's brand recognition, even if MS did pay enough to cover any potential loss.

The director isn't wrong in what he's saying, it's a good game critically. But that's not the issue that was being discussed, which is why he says he can't comment on sales.

But lol at the SFV comparisons for the same person I schooled. You just don't quit do you.

Tobsesan3068d ago

What? It would have sold more as multiplat???? No shit sherlock... They will release it for PC and ps4 on different dates. Do you think noone will get it because xbox had it first??? People dont work like that. It will sell even more because it gets marketed over almost 1 year. Just look at the last gta, xbox 360, ps3 -> xbox one, ps4 -> PC. Did it sell worse because last gen had it first? People buy what they want to play,that is also why remasters sell. Think about that.

ABizzel13068d ago (Edited 3068d ago )

@Tobsesan

As I said makes it easy to block and ignore fanboys.

Show me a game releasing a year later on other platforms outselling the original release... Go ahead and dig as hard as you can to find 2 - 3 examples, because there are plenty of examples of when the game launching 1 year later has sold worse than the original launch.

PC gamers might not care as much, because this is unfortunately common for many of us, and many of them are focused on getting games simply as a graphics benchmark for their GPU, and fortunately it's also a good game.

However, PS fans are significantly less inclined to buy Tomb Raider new, because it's going to be an entire year before the game comes out, Uncharted 4 will already be out, TR is once again coming out during the busy holiday season on PS4 which means COD and more than likely Battlefield 5 are 2 of the many competitors it has to fight off again.

Had it launched day and date the game would have sold more overall, than its ever going to launching Nov 2015 on XBO / 360, 6 months later on PC, and 1 year later on PS4 and maybe PS3. Which was the point I was making, but common sense eludes you.

Bioshock as a franchise performed worse on PS3 because the original games was timed exclusive to 360.

Mass Effect performed worst on PS3 because the first game was exclusive for a while, and the second game was timed exclusive for a year to 360.

Minecraft sold much better on 360 because it wasn't released on PS3 until 1 1/2 year later.

It's just a proven trend. However, considering Tomb Raider always sold better on PS than Xbox, and that the PS4 has around 2x the install base of the XBO it has a much better chance of selling more units then the XBO and 360 did.

Again thanks for making it easy finding people like you.

Tobsesan3068d ago (Edited 3068d ago )

Just look at GTA V, this game has to be the smartest release in video game history. They released it 3 times in 3 years and it sold VERY well every time. You also seem to forget that TOMB RAIDER is a known IP while the others were new ones...

As for commenting on last gen sales, some games you mention came out YEARS later on the competing platform and werent marketed very big. Also the Ps3 software sales were much lower compared to xbox overall... BUT HEY IM JUST A FANBOY xD #logic

ABizzel13068d ago

This GTAV example is ridiculous.

First off Tomb Raider has nowhere near the same recognition, or success as GTA. GTAV alone has outsold the entire Tomb Raider franchise. It's not the same situation. And at this point it's arguable that the PS360 versions alone outsold the Tomb Raider franchise. And in comparison to GTAV, Rise of the Tomb Raider only sold 1/100th of it's sells (first week)...using only GTAV on PS360...1/40th of the PS4 / XBO versions.

Secondly GTAV released at the same time on both platforms (PS3 and 360). You're trying to compare Tomb Raiders sporadic launch to, GTAV's PS360 launch in 2013, then a 2014 PS4 / XBO / PC launch. THey are not the same thing.

GTAV was multiplatform the entire time each launched...both times. Tomb Raider is only launching only on Xbox...then PC 6months later...then PS4 another 6 months later. This is where your comment and thought process is COMPLETELY wrong regarding Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Tomb Raider 2013 did the same thing GTAV did, by launching simultaneously on PS360, then porting to PC, then having the definitive edition launch simultaneously on PS4 / XBO, and the game went from underperforming according to Square, to meeting their expectations. Rise of the Tomb Raider is NOT doing the same thing by launching on Xbox only, the PC 6 months later, then PS4 another 6 months laters.

And no "some" games didn't come out years later, only Mass Effect 1 as part of the collection, a single game I mentioned, which was more so to show the effect that it had on the PS3 sales for the entire franchise by not having ME1 or ME2 parity.

Once again common sense eludes you.

I also find it funny that there are PLENTY of comments above mines mentioning the same thing, yet you found your way all the way down here to post this ignorance. Now please take your troll account elsewhere, and stay blocked.

n4g you need to prevent notifications from coming up on your messages when you've blocked a person.

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InTheZoneAC3069d ago

they could've released it only for ps4 and outside of the fallout window and it would've done fine.

But M$ thought they can win over some PS fans with this exclusivity and we all know that's not happening. Tomb Raider is a very good game, just not a system seller.

Just a flat out desperate move by M$.

BeefCurtains3069d ago

Foolish comment.

First, it would've sold better on MS if it was released at a better time, too.

Second, you slam Ms for wanting exlusive games when Sony does the exact same things. It goes both ways, common industry practice.

So by your token, every time Sony has exclusive rights (such as the marketing for Star Wars) it's a desperate move??

Kribwalker3069d ago

Everyone using vgchartz for sales numbers, meanwhile, they undertracked just the uk by 16,000 let alone bundles/digital and everywhere else they may have undertracked

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Clarence3069d ago

Look Square messed up by making this game a timed exclusive. They went for the money and got burned. I'm sure M$ paid them a hefty amount, so maybe it doesn't matter to them.

What will be interesting is when they release this game for the PS4. I'm wondering will it sale, especially since so many PS fans feel burned by this timed exclusive.

DarXyde3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

Gangsta_Red,

No one is saying the game should not release on other platforms, but let's look at the facts: Uncharted has basically set up a fanbase for these types of games on PlayStation platforms. Definitive Edition and 2013 Reboot sales should have made it obvious that they would have struck a nerve with a large portion of their fanbase. In addition, Microsoft and Square were naive enough to release this game in such a clustered block just to give the Xbox One heavy hit after heavy hit. In reality, it wasn't a smart move. I'm confident it's a quality title, however they set it up to struggle.

Calling it what it is doesn't make anyone a hater. For all we know, this game could release at the same time as a million other PlayStation exclusives next year. Then they would have learned nothing.

They're lucky a good part of it was subsidized, but hopefully they can take their licks with dignity and learn from it.

Seriously, who tries comparing with Fallout and Star Wars. VERY few game fanbases can compete with that. I'm talking you need to be GTA-scale.

UKmilitia3068d ago

im still in shock that they listened to MS and beleived it was a good idea,they have missed out on millions of sales on ps4 imo.

Edito3068d ago

A Tomb Raider Games without Tombs lol... i like the game but not as a Tomb Raider game but as an action game simple that... that's why this game will suffer and the sequels will suffer too if they don't go back the what made the franchise what it is, loneliness, tombs, animals, discover, mystery and a bit of action that's Tomb Raider for me...

spartan112g3068d ago

You know you just described Rise of The Tomb Raider, right? They did exactly that, you just obviously haven't played it.

geddesmond3068d ago

The way i see it is Eidos and Square backed the wrong horse like a lot of earlier developers. They thought MS would be on top again if they ever were on top to start off with. So they made deals with MS in hopes it would expand their franchise further and what did it do. The complete opposite.

Now you have thousands of gamers like me who bought the reboot day one and who will now buy the sequel one day down the line when it gets reduced to 20 euros on PSN with all of the games DLC for free. Next year has so many good exclusive RPGs on PS4 that need at least 100 hours to complete along with first party games like uncharted which is the better adventure game compared to tomb raider.

And there you have eidos standing up straight holding their balls wondering what went wrong.

Money and profit aside. Every developer wants their games played by as many people that can and that exclusivity stopped that as well as putting a bad taste in fans mouth. Eodis should have created a new ip for the deal instead of using an established franchise and this is their karma coming to bite them.

WelkinCole3068d ago

3rd game?. That's likely not going to happen now.

Where it all went wrong

1. Square/CD thought that MS would lead this gen
2. They wanted to rival Uncharted for publicity and tapped into the fact that MS would want to counter U4 in 2015 holidays.
3. No one knew about Fallout 4 release date.

3 key things that have turned completely against them in MS not leading, U4 delayed and F4 released on their expected release date.

The biggest damage though is not the sales but rather the lost of respect from its fans on PS. This really is the killer.

I would bet that less than 1/3 of TR PS fans would now buy it full price.

What should have opened their eyes was the sales not just on the PS3 but also on the PS4. Instead they they are dumb enough to go time exclusive with MS and to top it off still retain the release date the same day as F4.

Just one dumb move after another.

showtimefolks3068d ago

i know ms can write some big checks but i hope for square enix's sake the check was atleast 350 plus million

also if they think they can release this game a year later at full price for ps4 and gamers will rush to buy it han they will be wrong once more

fall 2016 already is shaping up very nicely

note to publishers:

you don't pass up on 31 million install base because down the road it's gonna hurt more when less gamers want to support the game

EA learned it's lesson with titanfall and now i think square is gonna open many eyes of publishers

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frostypants3068d ago

From the article: "Some fans are not happy with the sales figures"

Why would one care as a fan? If you like the game, great. You can't play sales.

It's ok to discuss sales...it's good conversation...but "not being happy" about it?

geddesmond3066d ago

Yep but if sales are low you wont play a sequel.

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nucky643069d ago

if the game is as good as reviews indicate, it is a shame so few people have bought it.

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Hoffmann3069d ago

Nah.

Its just that there are a lot of great games with great scores, but that does not mean that each great game is also interesting for specific audiences.

Imagine how something like Halo would bomb on the WiiU while a Mario or Pokemon game might bomb if they would release it as exclusive Xbox games.

joab7773069d ago

It is. But ppl only have so much time and money. There are a handful of games ya dont go up against. And gimp in yourself out of the gate isn't the best idea either.

ninsigma3069d ago

The game has great quality. Something there for Everyone. Just wanna play story?? Go for it, it won't hold you back. Wanna take your time and explore every area and find as many tombs as possible before moving forward?? Awesome! Because you can do that!

It was such a blast to play and it is such a shame that the sales fell short. Not that it wasn't expected. They took it away from the majority fanbases on ps4 and pc. No one was going to go out buy the xbox just because tomb raider was on it. They screwed up big time so if they want their sales, they're gonna have to do a lot to people to jump on board a year old game next year.

3069d ago
BallsEye3069d ago

The game is great. Problem was the release timing.

maybelovehate3069d ago

Game is phenomenal! Like all time great material. Although the last game was a slow burner too. It never had huge sales just had good sales for a very long time.

frostypants3068d ago (Edited 3068d ago )

It came out at the same time as Fallout 4...a very hyped game that also happens to be a time sink. So not only do people pick that up instead, but they're not going to be playing much else for a while.

It was a questionable decision to release this game when they did...never mind the exclusivity debacle. They also really came up short in marketing it. Outside of enthusiast sites like this one, I don't get the feeling that a lot of people even knew it was coming out...at least, not to the extent of most AAA games.

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lilmisscherry3069d ago

It was released on the same day as Fallout 4, that there was their first major mistake, even a week or so earlier would have boosted sales a little. It's a great game, so shame it's getting overlooked.

Toiletsteak3069d ago

The game was awesome and anyone with an Xbox should buy it. The timed exclusive deal was stupid though and shouldn't have happened.

Allsystemgamer3069d ago ShowReplies(1)
Christopher3069d ago

Toiletsteak with the best comment on this page. IMHO, of course.

Got an XBO and want to play it? Get it. It's a good game. Don't have one? Wait to play it later, I hear it will still be a good game. Sure, it sucks, but I've come to the realization that no matter what we really do, these sort of things will always happen with things we like.

Spotie3069d ago

That may be true, but does that mean it's futile to speak out- and act out- against it when it happens?

Christopher3069d ago

***That may be true, but does that mean it's futile to speak out- and act out- against it when it happens?***

Speak out? Yes. Tell the developer directly how you feel? Sure. Turn every topic about the game into that point alone? No.

And act out? I don't see what you can really do other than just not buy the game.

rainslacker3069d ago

I was rather turned off by the exclusivity deal myself. I was looking forward to the game, and was kind of upset when the deal was announced. I have an X1 now, but I see no reason to support a publisher in a practice which i don't approve of, and especially when it alienates a rather sizable chunck of the fan base(which was me before I got a X1).

I won't say that I haven't brought timed exclusive games before, because I most certainly have, but this whole thing just went poorly.

On top of that, I found it distasteful that MS also partnered with FO4 and was marketing it so heavily which I felt left ROTTR out in the cold. MS used ROTTR for an entire year of compilation commercials, but when it came to the final stretch, they kind of shot it in the foot....all for timed DLC.

I still want the game, and will play it, but this for me went from a day one purchase to a wait until I can get it cheap, and even now I'm perfectly content just waiting for an ultimate edition, after a price reduction on either platform because my interest in the game dried up long before release.

Not that I would discourage anyone with an X1 from getting it, just that's my personal feelings on it.

Cueil3069d ago

Microsoft pumped money into the game... and they didn't even request true exclusivity of the game... it's as good as it is because of money from MS so everyone needs to sit down and chill out.

jb2273069d ago

That's a kinda naive train of thought. I know that's the whole line that MS & Square were trying to sell, but even then they never said it in those plain terms. They only ever confirmed that MS was taking care of the marketing costs & publishing, and that MS "helped the game to be all it could be". Businesses don't just make huge investments in other people's properties though, so its pretty much guaranteed that the game was always going to be made as is, but that the marketing costs got picked up. Let's not act like MS isn't a business & is some kind of gaming white knight because that is most likely not the case.

The only way this game sells well when it releases on the PS4 is if they go in & add some more meaty content to its release. Don't really want that content to be exclusive to PS4 because that'd be unfair to XBO players, but if Square & CD try to ask full price for what amounts to the original game, even if they add the small amount of post release content included in the season pass, that would amount to a single extra tomb & it wouldn't be enough. If Square actually wants decent sales & if they want to earn back a bit of goodwill from Sony gamers on the PS4 they will need to add a large new section & get Sony to showcase it at E3, anything else will basically guarantee that it'll be a lackluster entry sales wise, and even if MS' help subsidized some of that loss, investors & franchise holders will shelf the title based off of poor sales.

Ceaser98573613068d ago

"Microsoft pumped money into the game... and they didn't even request true exclusivity of the game"

Not true... MS only bot the time exclusivity rights.. Had MS pumped money into the game they would have made it exclusive...

Perjoss3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

Agreed, I finally played it tonight for a few hours and I'm loving this game, its hard to believe that its running on an xb1 as it looks so good. This is coming from someone who is not a huge fan of MS or the xb1, but credit where its due. Crystal Dynamics have done an amazing job, and not just with the visuals either, the animations and story telling are top quality.

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yomfweeee3069d ago

The guy wasn't actually defending the sales at all.

ger23963069d ago

He doesn't have to, they had to have known that sales were going to be less than stellar. I'm sure Microsoft's check more than covered any loss in sales.

Ristul3069d ago

It would be interesting to learn how much MS payed for this timed exclusive, sadly we will probably never know.

MoveTheGlow3069d ago (Edited 3069d ago )

He has to be careful because he works for someone, but what he's saying between the lines here is "All these deals were made over my head. I was given a team by the people who pay me, we were given a budget, and we made a good game in response. My team's good. You wanna talk about crappy sales, ask our boss, or ask that guy's boss."

I get it. Putting this as a one-year delayed exclusive on XBone was probably a bad business deal that neither MS or Square will profit from. It's probably a big reason why Phil Spencer's downplaying third-party exclusivity, he probably saw this coming.

But give the guy who was told to make a game a break here. I know he's probably the only one active on Twitter, but he's probably active for a reason - he's a gaming fan and probably communicates across businesses & studios that way. It's like blaming Kamiya for Bayonetta 2's WiiU exclusivity.

vanity293069d ago

No doubt he and his team did an amazing job. We are all blaiming Square Enix and MS for this deal.

I remember i told people on here that Tomb Raider would flop, the disagrees i got lol. But this flop is un called for. Im actually pretty bummed these devs didnt get much recognition. Damn xbox fans defending games then not even buying it, quantom break is next i bet.

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70°

It’ll Be Fine, Right? Five Games With Unfortunate Release Strategies

Mark from WellPlayed writes about five game launches that were impacted by unfortunate scheduling.

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jznrpg355d ago (Edited 355d ago )

Zero Dawn sold really well so I’m not sure this belongs. The second game released next to a big game again and it hurt it some I forget what it was though, oh yeah Elden Ring .
But a good game is a good game to me I don’t care when they release personally but they do have to think about it when you want to get more people to buy it.

250°

The Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy's Take on Lara Croft Deserved More Recognition

The Survivor Trilogy was a drastic reimagining of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider, and it provokes changes for the character that are truly fantastic.

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gamerant.com
isarai468d ago (Edited 468d ago )

Deserves less IMO, i think the 1st in the new trilogy was a perfect 1st step for the new direction. The next 2 games were half steps at best. Not only that, every character in the series including Lara is just annoying and doesn't make sense in terms of motive, like yes they have a motive, but none of it seems proportional to the lengths they are willing to go through for it. The most annoying thing is every one of the games say "become the Tomb Raider" yet 3 games later and we're still not there? No thanks. Then there's the mess of the 3rd game, massive skill tree that serves almost no purpose as there's literally only like 3-4 short encounters in the whole game, and they took till the 3rd game to finally manage some decent puzzles even remotely close to previous games in the series. Nah, the trilogy infuriated me to no end as a long time fan of the series, i hope we get better going forward cause that crap sucked.

Army_of_Darkness466d ago

The first in the trilogy was my favorite. I thought they were going into the right direction with that one until the second one came out and seemed like a graphical downgrade but the gameplay was okay. As for the Third, Graphics were really nice but it was kinda boring me to death with its non-stop platforming and exploring with not enough action! Well, for me anyway...

DeathTouch466d ago

Graphics on the 3rd one were abysmal. It’s more colorful and has more variety, but everything else was a noticeable downgrade.

The more open world with NPC quests was also handled very poorly, to the point I missed Angel of Darkness.

thesoftware730466d ago

I know it is your opinion, but she did progress as a character in each game, she even got more muscular and seasoned.

That is the thing, people first complained that there was not enough platforming and actual tomb raiding in the first and second games. Shadow remedied that and kept the combat elements.

3-4 encounters? huh? did we play the same game? there was plenty of combat and, the skill tree did matter, like being able to hang enemies from trees, set explosives traps on bodies, being able to counter, and that are just a few of the combat skills. The skill tree also had things like being able to hold your breath underwater longer, crafting upgrades, zipline upgrade, and climbing upgrades that all changed how you can approach situations.

Not knocking your opinion, but we definitely had different experiences. I had 98% completion on the shadow.

SoulWarrior466d ago (Edited 466d ago )

Sorry but i'm with him about the low number of encounters, the game throws loads of weapons and skills you're way with a comparatively low amount of places to actually use them, so they felt under utilised.

-Foxtrot468d ago

Yeah...no

It was awful, for THREE GAMES it was "become the Tomb Raider" where she went back to square one after each game. Not to mention after a huge reaction of killing someone for the first time she then becomes Rambo straight after and goes on a slaughter spree without a single other reaction. Her development was all over the place.

She was whiney, weak and in later game a little arrogant and selfish

Oh and the voice actress compared to the previous ones was not as good

Lara Croft deserved better and while they are decent games as they are, we deserved actual Tomb Raider games, we could have had better survival games if they just stuck with the original Lara Crofts origin about her plane going down. Surviving 2 weeks in the Himalayas...I'd have liked to seen that, who knows what mystical threat she could have faced in the mountains or underground some secret concealed cave.

Tacoboto466d ago

I thought Shadow of the Tomb Raider had better gameplay than Rise, but it annoyed me the most of the trilogy when I stopped to think about the story.

It's like they deliberately decided to make her unlikeable and did nothing to make the character you're playing as likeable or have even one sign of humility.

SoulWarrior468d ago

2013 I thought was a fine entry, but Rise and especially Shadow were painfully mediocre follow ups imo, I really didn't like how selfish and angry her character was in those two.

Terry_B466d ago

No. Please forget the crap completely.

northpaws466d ago

First one was decent, played through it twice.
Second one was okay, played through it once.
Third one was really bad, tried twice a year apart, still can't get through the first two hours, it is just really bad.

thesoftware730466d ago

Honest question, what did you find bad about it? the opening 2 hrs of Shadow were fantastic imo.

The opening was very similar to the first 2, what did you find really bad?

Not looking for an argument, just an honest question.

Starman69466d ago

3rd one just didn't feel like a tomb raider game. Possibly because the development was passed to another development team. Big mistake! Microsoft killed tomb raider making the first game a timed exclusive. Never recovered after that.

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200°

Get three Tomb Raider games free at Epic Games Store

Starting today, Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Rise of the Tomb Raider are free at Epic Games Store. The free game offers run until January 6 at 11 AM Eastern. Once you claim them, they’re yours to keep.

Read Full Story >>
gamefreaks365.com
CrimsonWing69847d ago (Edited 847d ago )

They're all solid games, but nothing quite matched the epicness of the first one for me. I think the 3rd one started off strong but once you got to that Peruvian area it took a massive nose dive for me.

lelo2play847d ago (Edited 847d ago )

You got to be kidding!
The first one was great at the time... but this latest trilogy of Tomb Raider games are also great.

LiViNgLeGaCY847d ago

I think he means the first one in the new trilogy.

CrimsonWing69847d ago

I meant the first of the new trilogy.

Furesis847d ago

yeah i remember liking the first one when it came out, so i tried the second one sometime after release and i just could not get into it, i couldn't finish it. So i might try the 3rd now that i got it for free but ehh. But i do remember enjoying the first one, i wonder if i'd feel the same way if i played it today? Better not taint those memories lol

ANIALATOR136846d ago

I was the same for some reason. Never finished the second one. I got like half way through maybe.

ActualWhiteMan846d ago (Edited 846d ago )

The first one of the latest trilogy is a masterpiece

Fishy Fingers847d ago

I'll take a copy of Shadow... Cheers.

Profchaos847d ago

Great games I've played them all on ps4 but it'll be good to finally try shadow on my rtx card.

Double_O_Revan847d ago

Trying to claim them and the store keeps crashing. lol.

gamefreaks365847d ago

EGS has been having issues all day.

RedDevils847d ago

Weird I don't has that issue.

Double_O_Revan847d ago

I finally got it after a while. But it was real bad for a while.

PeeShuter847d ago (Edited 847d ago )

Claim games by going to the website and login using ur credentials. I did the same as i couldnt use epic launcher. Also try reinstalling Epic Launcher I did it and it worked.

Double_O_Revan846d ago

I always go through the website. It was all just down for a while yesterday it seems.

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