When Rise of the Tomb Raider arrives in holiday 2015, it's only coming to Xbox One. It's now an exclusive.

It would have been natural to assume Rise of the Tomb Raider, announced at E3, would be available on multiple platforms. Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider reboot was released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Not long ago, the studio also produced Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. But something changed, and now it's only for Microsoft's console.

Tomb Raider was seen, at first, as a sales disappointment, though it ended up profitable. Is it possible Eidos was seeking a partner to better ensure the sequel's potential? Hard to say, and we may never know the true story. It's hard to imagine Rise of the Tomb Raider was never in development on PS4.

Crystal Dynamics released a blog discussing the news today, which I'll reprint in full:

"Dear Tomb Raider Community,

As you may have seen, we’ve just announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider, coming Holiday 2015, is exclusively on Xbox. We consider all of you to be the lifeblood of Tomb Raider and the work we do at Crystal. I’d like to give you some insight into this decision, and why we feel this is the very best thing for the Tomb Raider sequel we’re creating at the studio.

Tomb Raider in 2013 was a success due in large part to your continued support. Our goal has always been to deliver something truly special with Rise of the Tomb Raider. Today’s announcement with Microsoft is one step to help us put Tomb Raider on top of action adventure gaming. Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011. We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past - we believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.

This doesn’t mean that we’re walking away from our fans who only play on PlayStation or on PC. Those are great systems, with great partners, and amazing communities. We have Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris coming to those platforms this December, and Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is available on PS4.

We know that there are probably many more questions and concerns. Please do send them to us, and we’ll answer to the best of our ability. Meanwhile we’re going all out to try and make something truly special - the most ambitious Tomb Raider game ever built.

Thanks,

Darrell Gallagher

Crystal Dynamics Head of Studios"

There's some question whether this a timed exclusive and MS, being MS, is being vague as hell.

Uh, does Patrick not know that Square Enix published Tomb Raider 2013?

well, guess I won't be playing the next tomb raider. bummer.

Tomb Raider in 2013 was a success due in large part to your continued support.

So to thank you for this we will not further support you unless you own an XBO. Thanks for the money though. Bye

No thanks. I don't care if this is "timed" or an actual exclusive, but I'm not okay with it. I'll pass on this one.

@jdillinger said:

The consensus seems to be that it's not. I don't think that completely rules out a PS4 and PC version down the line — the original Mass Effect was never supposed to come to PS3 after all — but the language seems pretty definitive. That said, there's probably a reasonably good chance that it makes its way to the PC in 2016, given the fact that Dead Rising 3 and Ryse are both headed there.

This is an interesting decision, given that Square complained about the poor sales of the first one (which were not poor at all, like 4 million iirc). Making this exclusive to the console with the smallest install base certainly isn't going to help sales. I wonder what they are getting that makes it worth it.

Yea fine, played some of the definitive edition some weeks ago and I hated it. So 'they' can have this one ;) (still hope it'll be a good game, Xbowners!)

Then I won't be playing the game, then.

How annoying :\

I liked the last one for PC, and I planned on buying the next one. In-fact I looked forward to it. Now I guess I'll never play it.

Yeah. Fuck you, Microsoft and Square-Enix.

Oh Square, your short-sightedness is your calling card and your curse.

Timed* exclusive. I don't think sqaure can afford to not sell this game low sums

Didn't actually care for the reboot, wished there were actually some real tombs to raid in it outside the meager six "puzzle rooms". Still, I was hoping this new one would get back to that. Guess it doesn't matter now. Ah well, at least I'll still get a (final?) little romp with old Lara in the Temple of Osiris thing.

It's exceedingly gross to go from multi-platform to console exclusive in the middle of a story. I guess time will tell if this is a true exclusive or not, but as it stands now I am very disappointed with all involved for such a brazenly anti consumer move. They have slapped the faces of the very fans that they claim to be the lifeblood who have supported them.

Last Tomb Raider sells 3 million copies in less than a month : "It is not selling enough!"

Next Tomb Raider is being made : "Release it on one console!"

In all seriousness I'm kind of disappointed because I did really like the last Tomb Raider but I'm not going to shell out of an Xbox 1 for it. Plus chances are this is a timed exclusive and down the line the PS4 and PC will get some sort of special edition... and I'll be happy playing Uncharted 4 to get my adventure game fix.

Cue next year "GotY Edition" or PC and PS4 after it flops on the Xbone.

I think this move is gonna hurt Crystal Dynamics in the long run. The series has a long history on the Sony platforms going all the way back to the PS One. I understand from Microsoft's point of view for making this decision, seeing that they don't have many exclusives with proven success lined up outside of Halo and Forza. But for the developer and publisher to simply turn their backs on many of its fans, and probably more devoted ones, forcing them into buying a console for their game is an action that will leave a sour taste with them. I also find it bizarre as the franchise has a good turn around and also does well for Square Enix, so you would think that they would want to be cross-platform as expectations are probably pretty high and excitement for a new game would lead to large sales on all platforms.

Interesting decision considering Konami recently stated that 3/4 of the current gen version of Ground Zeroes was sold on PS4 when compared to Xbox1. Wonder how much money was exchanged and promised for co-marketing deals?

This'll come to other consoles/pc like every other "exclusive" I can wait. Never even finished the last one.

I really hope that Microsoft threw a huge load of money at Square, I want them to keep existing.

I do however think it's real shitty of Square to sell the second game in a franchise. There will be people who played the first on PC and PS3/4 who want to play the next in the series. I can't remember the last time a sequel was made an exclusive with its previous installment being open to other platforms...

Well fuck you too! What a dick move. I'm feeling sick now. What a bunch of assholes.

Everytime he mentioned "exclusive to xbox one", he ended with "... in 2015" or "holiday of 2015".

I think it's just a timed exclusive, but we will know for sure in a couple of days when the marketing haze has lifted.

I was looking forward to this game, but I won't be giving MS money for its nerfed TV-TV-TV Kinect box. Bummer.

I was really looking forward to that game... on PS4. Only a boatload of money must have swayed SquareEnix to 'the dark side'. It must be a lot because they will lose a lot of sales because of this.

I'm not sure why Microsoft would think this could be a system seller.

So, I'm slightly bummed about this, but on the other hand PS4 owners will get Uncharted 4 for all of their tomb raiding needs.

The story wasn't all it was cracked up to be but the game was so fun I played through it on PS3 via PS+, and then the week I bought my PS4 there was a flash sale on Definitive Edition for $30 on PSN so I went ahead and bought it to show my support only to find myself blasting through the game again. This is a real shame and I hope it's a limited thing.

Definitely no way this could possibly backfire

Money. Hopefully enough to offset any sales they would lose by not releasing on PS4.

They bought themself a uncharted on Xbox

I bet it shows up on PC and PS4 in 2016.

I don't get it. Why kill a sucessful reboot just like that? Even if it's timed, it's going to tank the sales on the other platforms.

Does SE really need the exclusivity money that badly? The first game sold quite well, and was well received by the players and press - surely this one was only going to do even better.

Money can buy quite a bit, but not the good will that the people who made this decision have lost both the franchise and the companies involved.

fuckers

this kinda stuff shows how desperate xbox is right now.

this totally sucks. tomb raider was my favorite game of the year it came out. dont think im ready to get an xbox for just one game.

also screw Crystal D for choosing money over gamers.

Bullshit...

TR 2013 was one of my favorite games, but I'm not buying an XONE to play this.

Bet it's gonna come to PC & PS4 after a year or so. If it ain't owned by Microsoft, it won't stay on Microsoft

Because the companies involved respect Microsoft's deep pockets more than they do the fans who helped make the reboot a success after so many failures.

Well I won't be playing this, I enjoyed tomb Raider and was interested in a sequel, not anymore.

Sounds like a stupid business decision to get cash right now.

I don't have an Xbox One, got a PC though.

I really liked the first one, but there's no guarantees this one will be as good. Also, on the bright side I get 20 hours to spend on my ps+ backlog ^^

Well okay. I have one of those.

Ryse was also an exclusive. As was Dead Rising 3.

I think we'll be seeing Rise of the Tomb Raider on other platforms in the future.

Lame. But exclusive means nothing anymore. This will come to the PS4 eventually. I will eat my PS4 if it doesn't.

holy shit. glad I own both consoles.

Fuck every exclusive ever. Fuck No Man's Sky, fuck Halo, fuck Last of Us, fuck Killer Instinct.

You want everything, buy every console. Or, alternatively, I guess you can sit here and whine about it and say "WELL GUESS THEY HATE SALES"

But they were in a prime position to get the ball rolling, not just for the sequel but for the whole franchise, and I can't help but feel that this move will kill that momentum. I mean, look at the Uncharted sales figures: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/Trunkswd/VGChartz/UnchartedPlayStation3WeeklySales.png

PS: The success of the title is on game designers/marketing, not the fans. I just fail to comprehend the business sense of the move.