14 DAY TRIAL // A number of fans were angry to hear that platform holder Microsoft and publisher Square Enix were entering a deal that would make the Rise of the Tomb Raider video game an Xbox One and 360 exclusive when it is launched in 2015.
But Phil Spencer, the leader of the console division at the company, says that such deals are necessary for the gaming industry and that exclusives can be used in order to increase the performance of all consoles that are currently available on the market.
Speaking to Eurogamer, the executive states, “It comes from a space where there's an opportunity that maps really well with what we need in terms of the genre, and a partner that's looking for a partnership. Other people can do the deal, but it was a deal that fit well with us. And I think it could help the franchise in the long run and help Crystal and Square and us.”
Spencer claims that the console gaming business can only remain healthy in the long run if all those involved, including the developer, the publisher, and the hardware manufacturer, can make money constantly.
Because only 30 percent of releases will perform great, companies try to secure as many titles that can boost their sales as possible, and some mid-sized publishers need to work with Microsoft and Sony when the opportunity appears.
Phil Spencer adds, “If you're Crytek and you've got Ryse and you're thinking, okay, doing a first-party deal at launch and what does that mean? People say the word Ryse now and everybody knows what it is. Crytek tries to go do that on their own, it's just more challenging if they're only using their own money. If we work on it together, it helps. That's something people have to keep in mind. This business isn't an easy business.”
Rise of the Tomb Raider will be launched only on the Xbox One and the 360 in late 2015, but it seems that the deal is structured in such a way that the game might arrive on the PC at some point, even if it seems that no PlayStation launch will take place.
The new game starring Lara Croft will build on the unique gameplay elements of the first title in the rebooted series.
Developer Crystal Dynamics has not yet offered any sort of details on the story, which is once again written by Rhianna Pratchett, and Camilla Luddington is doing motion capture and voice acting.