360°

Tomb Raider Must Get Used To Playing Second Fiddle

GamersFTW writes - Poor Tomb Raider! In what has been one of the best months for gaming in quite a while, the title was completely overshadowed by juggernauts such as Fallout 4

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gamersftw.co.uk
1noobgamer3078d ago

2 reasons for this...

Firstly, being an exclusive on the Xbox was a stupid idea... do they even know that Xbox is falling way behind PS4? Why wouldn't you even do that?!

Secondly, what game in their right mind would release around the same time as Fallout 4? That has to be the worse business decision in the word.... EVER.

mcstorm3078d ago

I keep seeing people post making it an xbox exclusive was a stipid idea due to the xbox one not setting as well as the ps4. We don't know when the deal was made it could of been made before the xbox one was released just like Titanfall was.

I do agree with the timing of the game was not great for me a game like this needs to look to launch feb march to hit big sales numbers. Alan Wake was another game that came out at the wrong time.

I do think this is one thing MS need to look to change with there games though as for me Sony were smart pushing UC4 back to next year as we all know the games like AC, Fifa, COD will beat most game sales and stop people picking up other games too.

TR is on my wanted list though I am really enjoying the 1st but due to having a busy year I have a back log of games to get through before I pickup some of the big games of this year like halo, Fallout and forza 6 dan getting older.

Articuno763078d ago (Edited 3078d ago )

"I keep seeing people post making it an xbox exclusive was a stipid idea due to the xbox one not setting as well as the ps4. We don't know when the deal was made it could of been made before the xbox one was released just like Titanfall was."

There was only a few weeks between the initial reveal (which made no mention of platform) and the exclusivity announcement.

Microsoft themselves went on record stating they were still working to secure the exclusivity terms of the game in that interim (and as it looked likely to happen no platforms were initially announced at all).

In other words, the deal was still being finalised pretty close up until the game was announced as exclusive.

It most certainly wasn't a years-in-the-making kind of deal.

stuna13078d ago

It's true though! Last gen most developers choose to release timed exclusives first on the Xbox 360, because it had such a commanding lead over the PS3, and for the most part in most instances it paid off.

No one knew how this generation would ultimately play out, but many developers were basing their business decisions on the outcome of last generation model! Sure the PS3 caught up in overall sales, but in the U.S Xbox 360 still had that commanding lead and the majority of multiplatform games still sold better on the Xbox 360.

This generation the scenario is the total opposite, and a lot of the business decision made were already in motion! Like TitanFall, and possibly even Tomb Raider. Though those deals had likely been made on the grand scheme of things they were probably viewed as insignificant deals, because 1 TitanFall was a new IP being sold to a small install base at the time. 2 Tomb Raider's deal was likely made because the developers didn't feel or know that the PS4 was going to sell at the rate it has, the developers at the time were experiencing financial troubles and Microsoft were present to help alleviate some of the financial stress.

Knowing where the consoles stand in the market today I think it's fairly safe to say some of the deals made prior to the 8th generations inception would not have been made if they would have known where we'd be today!

This is likely why CoD, SW developers sided with Sony in the first place, because they saw the shift.

mcstorm3078d ago

@Articuno76 ive not seen anything where MS have come out and said that but ok if they did but you have to agree with what I have said above. TR is a great game but the issue is there were bigger named games out the same time TR came out on the xbox one and also the xbox ones biggest IP halo. So add Halo, Forza 6, Fallout, Fifa, COD even the new star wars game to that list and there are not many games that could go up against them.

@stuna1 I agree with what you have said though I also don't think TR would of hit the numbers that the last one hit on the PS3 on the PS4 due to the games above coming out at the same time.

alabtrosMyster3077d ago

We know that the game was first teased by square for all major platforms including the ps4.... Ms paid for them to delay it on the non Xbox systems, pure and simple... Then when they re-announced rise of the thomb raider they tried to make everybody believe it was a true exclusive!... Sneaky bastards!

You can think what you will of the game, dealings around it are shady at best.

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InTheLab3078d ago

Blows my mind why they launched the game in the middle of CoD and Fallout...

Especially since they went a whole 7 months between anything.

CD should take one more que from ND and launch in the spring...

Genuine-User3078d ago

This game would have done much better in August or September.

UltraNova3078d ago (Edited 3078d ago )

You can add Halo 5 to the mix...

The 'greatest xbox holiday lineup in history' bomb-shell of a promotion blew up in Square's face...I hope the check form MS was chubby enough to compensate.

ThePope3078d ago (Edited 3078d ago )

I love articles like this. Because its people who have ZERO idea (including us) how well the game is selling. Claiming its getting killed.

The game could very well be selling just fine. Remember many people can afford more than one game. Add to that digital sales and bundles and the volume its doing is anyones guess.

The only reason articles like this exists is because it came out on the X1. It's console war click bait and it feeds the majority of the people in this thread.

OH yeah and its ONLY Fallout, BF, and COD that would cause it to sell poorly, not Halo. shocking.

BG115793077d ago

If you are MS you don't care if the game is going to sell well or not. In either cases it's a win-win situation for MS.
MS forced the developpers Eidos and Crystal Dynamics to release the game in this period. They wanted the best line up in history. Had said that, MS having the exclusivity deal, the devs complied with MS decision fully knowing that fallout was out, and just before that halo was out too.
To this point, even if TR doesn't break even, it will only hurt the devs. MS couldn't care less. They have their line up. If the game doesn't do well, it's the devs that will be hurt economically. To this point, it's also a goof point for MS. Right now MS is willing to buy assets, not to just to improve their brand, but also to fragilise the competition. It's one of their trade made mark in business. Making Crystal Dynamics and Eidos dependent of MS via exclusivity, releasing AAA in unfavoral period, only make it more easy for MS to adquire Eidos at a cheap deal. If you repeat the process over sometimes, the devs will find themselves broke. Even releasing the game in other platforms won't help, as it will cost money for developing and the economical success is far from guarantied.

Companies making deals with MS should be very careful with what they are doing. They may find themselves in a very bad unwanted situation.

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Manubiggs3078d ago

Reminds me Alan Wake releasing the same day as Red Dead Redemption.

iliimaster3078d ago (Edited 3078d ago )

or u can look at it as they wanted their loyal customers who went out and purchased a xboxone to have as many choices as possible this holiday season? either way this game is badass and loving it so far 30% done

3078d ago
alabtrosMyster3077d ago

Premium all in one entertainment system owner to the rescue!

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lordmiffter3078d ago

It was bound to happen, priority for Steam Sales though!

ChronicPsycho3078d ago

Will buy the game in steam sale.

Chivas113078d ago

MS should've release it early next year instead of the holidays

3078d ago
zidane13413077d ago

The sales in the uk maybe. That doesn't mean it sold horribly everywhere.

kraenk123077d ago (Edited 3077d ago )

The game has 2000 viewers on Twitch...compared to 100 000 for Fallout 4. Just saying

MilkMan3078d ago

I fear for the series longevity. If square Elena doesn't at least match the life sales of number 1, rise may be the last one we get. That's past 8 million units.
I doubt ps4 users will come out in droves to buy the title within a what will be at that time the one year mark.

It will sale but not in those numbers I don't think.

This was a horrible, horrible deal. Conceived at some point to counter the release of Uncharted 4. Sony simply moved the game over to 2016 and just like that, left MS holding the bag.

uth113078d ago

Especially if it releases next holiday for PS4 as it looks like will happen. It will get lost in the holiday shuffle, and won't have nearly the hype it does this year

kraenk123077d ago

Not t sure what the deal is but if it really sells so bad I could even see Square release it early for PS4.

alabtrosMyster3077d ago

The ps4 version will be like a remaster too, with better aa and frame rate ;-)

tdogchristy903078d ago

This is my fear. I loved the first one and would love to play rise as well. However if they can't guarantee a continuation of the story then i wonder why I should invest my time. A story is only as good if they can't complete their story arc. It's a cycle, they need to sell well but I question why I should invest if I can't complete my story with additional games.

mark_parch3078d ago (Edited 3078d ago )

how can you say it's a horrible deal when you have no idea how much Microsoft has paid them. I am certain square and crystal dynamics have done just fine. p.s completed the game yesterday and its outstanding

IIFloodyII3078d ago (Edited 3078d ago )

Because it's clearly damaged the brand, a bad deal isn't just about $$$ it makes straight away, it's also about how badly it affected it at making money in the future.
I also doubt MS paid them for weak sales of the Xbox versions, so it probably negatively impacted Square's wallet short term too.

IIFloodyII3078d ago

We know they at least planned a trilogy, so I think they'll take the hit and have one final crack at it, if it sells less than TR 2013. I just hope Square know it was them that screwed up, not CD.

http://www.shacknews.com/ar...

GordonKnight3077d ago (Edited 3077d ago )

Sales aren't going to stop the next game from being made, because of all the money MS dropped for the excluvise deal.

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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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well-played.com.au
jznrpg352d ago (Edited 352d 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
isarai466d ago (Edited 466d 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_Darkness464d 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...

DeathTouch464d 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.

thesoftware730464d 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.

SoulWarrior464d ago (Edited 464d 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.

-Foxtrot465d 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.

Tacoboto464d 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.

SoulWarrior465d 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_B464d ago

No. Please forget the crap completely.

northpaws464d 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.

thesoftware730464d 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.

Starman69464d 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.

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gamefreaks365.com
CrimsonWing69845d ago (Edited 845d 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.

lelo2play844d ago (Edited 844d 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.

LiViNgLeGaCY844d ago

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

CrimsonWing69844d ago

I meant the first of the new trilogy.

Furesis844d 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

ANIALATOR136844d ago

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

ActualWhiteMan844d ago (Edited 844d ago )

The first one of the latest trilogy is a masterpiece

Fishy Fingers845d ago

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

Profchaos845d 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_Revan845d ago

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

gamefreaks365844d ago

EGS has been having issues all day.

RedDevils844d ago

Weird I don't has that issue.

Double_O_Revan844d ago

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

PeeShuter844d ago (Edited 844d 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_Revan844d ago

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

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