As detailed via Tumblr on Saturday, August 23, Crystal Dynamics, the developer of 2013’s Tomb Raider and its upcoming sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider , has released a short FAQ regarding the Xbox-exclusivity debacle that ensued shortly after such an announcement at this year’s Gamescom.
According to the FAQ, Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix and Microsoft didn’t mean to confusion anyone regarding the timed-exclusive of the Tomb Raider sequel.
“ We certainly didn’t intend to cause any confusion with the announcement. The Microsoft Gamescom stage was a great place to make the initial announcement, but not necessarily to go into details, ” the studio wrote in its FAQ.
For those who don’t know, it was announced during this year’s Gamescom the Rise of the Tomb Raider would be an Xbox “exclusive”, when in actuality it was later confirmed to be just a timed exclusive.
The head of Xbox Phil Spencer has confirmed that Rise of the Tomb Raider’s Xbox exclusivity “ has a duration, ” and the game’s writer has been attacked over Twitter because of said exclusivity.
” Yes, the deal has a duration. I didn’t buy it. I don’t own the franchise, ” Spencer said when broached on the subject.
Meanwhile, following the Xbox exclusivity announcement, the writer for Tomb Raider , Rhianna Pratchett, was subject to abuse over on Twitter . Like a trooper, though, she calmly responded to the tweets in defense of herself and the Tomb Raider sequel itself.
“ Dear Tomb Raider fans, I’ll convey your concerns to Crystal, but I’m not the right person to be shouting at/being rude to about this, ” she said via her official Twitter account. “ Seriously Camilla Luddington [Lara Croft’s voice actor] & I are just trying to make Rise of the Tomb Raider a great game. We have no say in what platform is released on. ”
You can read Crystal Dymanic’s full FAQ below. Rise of the Tomb Raider is slated to release in December, 2015 . You can also watch the game’s E3 announcement trailer via the embedded video below. We’ll bring you more news on Rise of the Tomb Raider and this year’s Gamescom should further information reach our ears.
What does exclusive to Xbox mean?
It means that Rise of the Tomb Raider is coming Holiday 2015 exclusively on Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Does the exclusive to Xbox have a duration? Is it timed? How long is the duration? Can we expect a PlayStation 4 or PC release in the future?
Yes, our deal with Microsoft has a duration. We aren’t discussing details of the deal, and are focused on delivering a great game on Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Did Crystal Dynamics know about this deal?
Yes, Crystal Dynamics is excited to be partnering with Microsoft to make the best game possible. As Darrell mentioned in his message , we have a long history with Microsoft and they have been a very strong supporter of the franchise. They will help us grow and nurture the Tomb Raider franchise more than ever before.
Were the fans considered when making this decision? Are Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix aware of the franchise history with PlayStation and on PC?
Of course. We did not make this decision lightly. Our goal is to build the best game that we possibly can, and our relationship with Microsoft will help us realize our vision for the game.
Why didn’t Microsoft, Square Enix or Crystal Dynamics say upfront it was a timed exclusive? Why all the indirect language?
We certainly didn’t intend to cause any confusion with the announcement. The Microsoft Gamescom stage was a great place to make the initial announcement, but not necessarily to go into details.
[ Tumblr ]