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[sensi97]

Tomb Raider, when exclusive deals go bad. Who didn't see this coming though going up against Fallout 4. Many of us called this months ago when MS decided to release Tomb Raider on Fallout 4 day.

Launching later on ps4 and PC won't make up the difference. Poor CD, gets screwed by Square.

CD have a strong relation with MS since TR: Underworld.

Speaking with Game Informer, Gallagher says the relationship didn't happen overnight. In fact, it's "been a long partnership" that actually began, in a way, back in 2008 when Crystal Dynamics brought Tomb Raider Underworld to the Xbox 360 with some exclusive DLC.

This was followed up with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light in 2013, which was released first on Xbox 360 through Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion. As a result of these previous working relationships, the Rise of the Tomb Raider Xbox exclusivity deal represents a "natural evolution on where we started," Gallagher said.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-dev-talks-xbox-exclusivity/1100-6425471/

360 was their main platform last gen and now it's the Xbox One (all PC, PS3 and PS4 ports of their games were outsourced to Nixxes).
My guess is part of the blame (with this deal) is probably on CD too.

 

[Akara]

I have a PS4 and I will buy the game of the year edition when it's discounted unfortunately. A year old game doesn't justify a $60 price point unless its improved tremendously..

 

[MrCookiepants]

And? I would expect Square and MS ran the numbers. And it was pro Square in the bank.

The short term gain doesn't cover the potential long term loss. If this sequel was handled better, the franchise could have seen continued growth. Instead, it'll sell only a fraction of TR 2013 and the future of Tomb Raider is looking less bright.

 

[Nightengale]

In my opinion, Tomb Raider didn't sold THAT bad. Yes. Still not great... But doesn't look a disaster.

1/3rd of the previous game, in consideration of the basis that the previous game should've escalated the brand upward? Not really.

Personally, I think that ROTR should be at least 60% of the previous game to be considered okay. 50% on platform limitations + 10% of IP upgrowth.

 

[Primethius]

Damn, those Tomb Raider numbers. And UK will probably have a higher baseline then the US too...

Ouch!

 

[statham]

Based on their comments of not being afraid of Fallout? I wonder about that.

that was Microsoft and he had a point on release date, But I think Square still came out alright, why make the deal at all then? Square wasn't a victim, the accountants thought they could make more money this way, we have no idea on sales expectations, but of course its going to be lower the TR13.

 

[Chris1]

In my opinion, Tomb Raider didn't sold THAT bad. Yes. Still not great... But doesn't look a disaster.

Yea,it just looks bad when compared to the 180k that TR1 sold, but a heavy drop was to be expected since this one is exclusive.

I mean when you think about it, if it released on the PS4 and the DE split carried over to Rise, it would have sold around 200k which is higher than the original. If's and buts and I know it doesn't really matter because there's no PS4 version, but when you think about it like that, it didn't sell horrible but it didn't sell good either.

 

[chromatic9]

Next game to be called Fall of the Tomb Raider then?

How about a reboot collection of both games next year and call it the "Rise and Fall of the Tomb Raider"

They could even add an epilogue where Lara is walking through the woods, stands in a bear trap and bleeds to death. The journeys that came later could be part of a dream or hallucinations while dying..

 

[SolidSnakex]

that was Microsoft and he had a point on release date, But I think Square still came out alright, why make the deal at all then? Square wasn't a victim, the accountants thought they could make more money this way, we have no idea on sales expectations, but of course its going to be lower the TR13.

It's also lower than Legend. And that was the game following AoD, which was an absolute disaster for the franchise.

 

[bananafactory]

Well obviously I did not mean no one literally. I mean by and large the PS4 community has too many games to spend on next year and will likely not buy this. The worst thing about SE's plan is they want to sell this on PS4 for 60 dollars a year late. Good luck with that.

If it comes with all DLC that could be pretty good value at 60.

 

[statham]

factor in PC sales in 3 months, PS4 sales in a year, with MS money, TR could have very well done excellent, if we stop looking at it in only one view point, of only Xbox one sale. Which is still IMO very good.

 

[Ryng_tolu]

First week comparation

Fallout 4: 482,000
Destiny: 400,000

DAAAAAAAAAAMN.

 

[Toki767]

factor in PC sales in 3 months, PS4 sales in a year, with MS money, TR could have very well done excellent, if we stop looking at it in only one view point, of only Xbox one sale. Which is still IMO very good.

If that sales audience is still interested in this game next year.

 

[Kyoufu]

Should have called it Fall of the Tomb Raider instead.

 

[Striek]

Yea,it just looks bad when compared to the 180k that TR1 sold, but a heavy drop was to be expected since this one is exclusive.

I mean when you think about it, if it released on the PS4 and the DE split carried over to Rise, it would have sold around 200k which is higher than the original. If's and buts and I know it doesn't really matter because there's no PS4 version, but when you think about it like that, it didn't sell horrible but it didn't sell good either.

This is a hilarious way of thinking about this. The contortions of the mind on display.

Its not horrible because if it was on PS4 as well it might've sold better than the original based on PS4 dominating on the original port?

 

[crinale]

It's obvious for TR but is it possible that Halo5 also getting outsold by CoD & FO4 for XB1 version? In UK market only I mean.

 

[Elios83]

I have a PS4 and I will buy the game of the year edition when it's discounted unfortunately. A year old game doesn't justify a $60 price point unless its improved tremendously..

By the time the PS4 version is released the game will be considered old stuff already by most people.
They will try to justify the 60$ price tag calling it the definitive edition, including DLCs and things like that....but it won't work. They should consider a 40$ pricing.
But PC version is where they should try to make some money back. On PS4 I expect really modest sales.

 

[statham]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

 

[Dysun]

Rise of the Tomb Raider is sad all around, quality game completely mishandled from start to finish

 

[jackdoe]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

Why do you think they will? It was obvious something broke down between the two parties when Square Enix announced the release dates of the PC and PS4 versions in July. Four months before the Xbox versions even came out.

 

[Ricerocket]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

Oh? You think they will after Phil says he doesn't want to do these deals anymore?

 

[Striek]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

If they made the same then it would mean they were happy. But they wont, because neither will be happy with these results.

"They ran the numbers".

And they got them wrong.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

This was a complete waste of money for Microsoft. The whole point of this deal was so that they could counter Uncharted during the holidays. Square Enix probably didnt intend for the game to get sandwiched between Fallout 4, Battlefront, and Call of Duty either.

The third TR will come out on Playstation the same day as Xbox.

 

[Elios83]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

LOL why do you think they will?
Microsoft has nothing to gain. No one will buy a Xbox for this game.
Square Enix....if they want to deal the fatal blow to their IP by themselves

 

[ZettaiSeigi]

If that sales audience is still interested in this game next year.

I also doubt a lot of them will want to pay a full $60 for a year-old game even if it comes with all the DLCs. I for one am not willing to. But hey, anecdotal!

 

[Primethius]

Do we have a split on TR 2013?

It's clear that the new TR has had a decline just based on a Xbox vs Xbox comparison, but I'd like to see how much.

 

[Beautiful Ninja]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

You are acting like Square Enix isn't sending flowers to Sony already with a note saying they are sorry. Multiplatform from Day 1 for the next Tomb Raider game, no doubt at all. ROTR is also going to to scare away any other AAA publishers from taking Microsoft's money for any sort of exclusivity deal in the future.

 

[Chris1]

This is a hilarious way of thinking about this. The contortions of the mind on display.

Its not horrible because if it was on PS4 as well it might've sold better than the original based on PS4 dominating on the original port?

I know it's a bad way of thinking but comparing it to the originals total sales numbers which was on PS3 also isn't exactly much better. It's not fair to call it a 183k>63k drop because the playstation version isn't out yet for that to be a fair comparison. If anything we should be comparing it to how the original did on the 360 alone.

 

[Nightengale]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

Putting aside the gains and losses of this deal...

It's honestly quite clear this deal didn't move a ton of consoles.

So wvy would MS make the same deal?

 

[notaskwid]

I don't think there was any xbox sales spike due to exclusivity of this game which I guess is the reason why MS made such deal in the first place...

 

[statham]

Putting aside the gains and losses of this deal...

It's honestly quite clear this deal didn't move a ton of consoles.

So wvy would MS make the same deal?

it justed launched, and no one game is going to move consoles, PS2 did awesome with a 3 pack, FFVII, GTA and MGS, not all was exclusive but 1 year. Lets see what happens this fall. The prices are pretty close this time, but I still expect Xbox to win Nov/Dec NPD by a good margin.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Should've been on NX

 

[GeoramA]

Holy fuck @ Fallout. Bethesda laughing all the way to the bank.

And the Tomb Raider clusterfuck is just comical. Knowing SE, they probably learned nothing from this.

 

[Nightengale]

Never mind.

 

[Doffen]

Tomb Raider is just another victim of Microsoft's poor marketing efforts.

 

[shwimpy]

I don't think there was any xbox sales spike due to exclusivity of this game which I guess is the reason why MS made such deal in the first place...

they're delusional if they thought Tomb Raider was a system seller in 2015. it's a nice game to tout as part of their fall exclusive lineup, nothing more.

Tomb Raider is just another victim of Microsoft's poor marketing efforts.

Not sure about the UK but it was plenty marketed here in the U.S. both on TV and online.

 

[Scientist Supreme!]

they're delusional if they thought Tomb Raider was a system seller in 2015. it's a nice game to tout as part of their fall exclusive lineup, nothing more.

Yep. I really don't know what either side was thinking with this deal.

 

[eerik9000]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

Another deal like this would require a lot more passion from Microsoft than this deal and I doubt they are willing to show that much.

 

[cameron]

So if MS and Square make the same deal on the next TR, Which I think they will, what does that mean, or are you guys saying thats impossible? because they lost much this deal?

It's unlikely they're going to make the deal again. Phil Spencer has stated that MS will move away from third party exclusives.

"It's business," he said, adding he couldn't speak too candidly about the matter. "As I've grow in this role, and I've tried to learn the third-party exclusivity thing - and you see us doing less of it now - [I've found] it's not something I'm a huge fan of."

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1114342

You should know this. You posted in that thread and had an odd but amusing meltdown.

 

[jjonez18]

First week comparation

Fallout 4: 482,000
Destiny: 400,000

DAAAAAAAAAAMN.

Further driving the point home that MS put their eggs in the wrong basket. Instead of buying a timed exclusive they could have aligned Fallout with Xbox in the same way Sony aligned with Destiny and it would have been a massive success. Especially coming hot off the heels of Halo. Hindsight is 20/20. I'm sure they had no clue Bethesda had their nukes set on Tomb Raider.

 

[Traumnovelle]

Tomb Raider is just another victim of Microsoft's poor marketing efforts.

It was marketed well. The platform exclusivity and perhaps more so the fact that it couldn't have launched on a more competitive Fall release date
(same day as Fallout 4, sandwiched between the week of Black Ops 3 and the week of Battlefront) is what really hurt it.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Lifetime sales of Fallout 4 compared to TRoTR are going to be like the Sun compared to Pluto, even after all 3 versions are on the market.

 

[newjeruse]

When TR releases next year, it's going to be a year-old game. It doesn't matter if it's available to 50% of gamers for the first time. The release of TR on PS4 will be even more muted than the release of ME2 on PS3.

 

[RespectThySole]

Tomb Raider is just another victim of Microsoft's poor marketing efforts.

I don't think the marketing mattered much. The audience for Tomb Raider just isn't on Xbox One.

 

[Silvard]

it justed launched, and no one game is going to move consoles, PS2 did awesome with a 3 pack, FFVII, GTA and MGS, not all was exclusive but 1 year. Lets see what happens this fall. The prices are pretty close this time, but I still expect Xbox to win Nov/Dec NPD by a good margin.

...why?

 

[Slayven]

Thread is a lot earlier than I thought.

 

[Bluenoser]

it justed launched, and no one game is going to move consoles, PS2 did awesome with a 3 pack, FFVII, GTA and MGS, not all was exclusive but 1 year. Lets see what happens this fall. The prices are pretty close this time, but I still expect Xbox to win Nov/Dec NPD by a good margin.

That's funny because I thought price differential was the only thing that elevated XB1 so much last holiday season.

This year they have their self proclaimed "greatest lineup ever", and it's literally bombing. With closer price between hardware, I'd be absolutely shocked if XB1 took either month.

 

[Shenmue]

Yep. I really don't know what either side was thinking with this deal.

I think MS made out like a bandit with this deal. I doubt they really paid all that much for it (maybe mostly even just scant marketing and publishing costs). In exchange they got to add to their best lineup blah blah, and got a quality exclusive. So I think MS knew exactly what it was doing. S-E now... that's another story. At least they've been smarter with how they handle exclusivity with their Japanese titles?

 

[Sharpeye]

I have a feeling that the deal was made before everyone knew the Ps4 was the clear market leader and now that Ps4 is basically 2:1 WW with Xbox, no sane publisher is going to allow their games to be monyhatted by MS. The Tomb Raider deal is just a plain bad call of SE in predicting how well Xbox one was going to sell by the time the game releases. I highly doubt they will make this mistake again.

 

[Obliterator]

Amazing number for Fallout

Awesome legs for COD

Horrible performance by Tomb Raider