Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have posted a small FAQ explaining Rise of the Tomb Raider’s Xbox exclusivity.
Rise of the Tomb Raider will come out first to Xbox 360 and Xbox One, during holiday 2015. The game is a timed exclusive, but Square Enix will not elaborate further on these details.
The FAQ also makes it clear that Crystal Dynamics was aware of the deal, and they are in fact excited to work with Microsoft. Square may have felt compelled to mention this, in light of how the exclusivity deal for Titanfall was signed by Microsoft and EA, without Respawn Entertainment’s knowledge.
They also acknowledge Tomb Raider’s history with PlayStation, and to a lesser extent, PC. Square claims they did not make this decision lightly. Above all else, Square points out that Microsoft is going to give them and Crystal Dynamics support to bring Rise of the Tomb Raider to life. Square also explained that they did not intend to confuse fans, and thought Gamescom was a good opportunity to just make the announcement.
While Tomb Raider games have appeared on different platforms through the years, including mobile, Dreamcast, and Wii, the franchise has always been closely associated with PlayStation. The game was one of the original PlayStation’s first breakout hits, and like Crash Bandicoot, Lara Croft was an unofficial mascot for the brand. Given this context, the angry reaction to this post in reddit is easy to understand.
Stay tuned to GameRanx for the latest news on Rise of the Tomb Raider.
