14 DAY TRIAL // Square Enix has clarified recent controversies surrounding the fact that Microsoft is going to handle the publishing of the upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider title coming from its Crystal Dynamics studio, saying that the deal is valid only for a certain duration and covers the Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions of the title.
Rise of the Tomb Raider was revealed earlier this year, and as hype around the game grew, Square Enix promptly announced that it was coming as an exclusive to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms, which prompted a fierce backlash from PC and PlayStation gamers who felt betrayed by the partnership.
Shortly after that, Square Enix issued a statement saying that the exclusivity was, indeed, timed, so fans who don't have an Xbox One or Xbox 360 shouldn't worry about missing out on the experience.
Microsoft is handling the publishing of Rise of the Tomb Raider
However, when Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg confirmed on Twitter that the company was handling the publishing process for Rise of the Tomb Raider instead of Square Enix, which owns developer Crystal Dynamics, worries once again began to brew inside the community.
Now, Microsoft has offered a statement to GameInformer concerning the recent events and compared the deal to what it has already done with Capcom and Dead Rising 3, which first appeared on the Xbox One and rolled out onto the PC at a later point in time.
"To further clarify Aaron Greenberg’s tweet yesterday, yes, Microsoft will be publishing Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox," a representative says. "Similar to how we worked with Capcom on Dead Rising 3 or Harmonix on Dance Central, we’re very excited to partner with the amazing team at Crystal Dynamics to bring 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' in holiday 2015, exclusively to Xbox. Both our team and the Xbox community are huge fans of the franchise and we can’t wait to share more on the game in the future."
Square Enix confirms that the publishing deal has a duration
Square Enix also comes forward to offer clarification on the statement, saying that its partnership with Microsoft for Rise of the Tomb Raider has a duration but, right now, it's focusing with Crystal Dynamics on bringing the game to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms.
"Our partnership with Microsoft on Rise of the Tomb Raider does have a duration, but we aren’t discussing those details at this time and are focused on collaborating to deliver a great game on Xbox One and Xbox 360," the company says.
Without a doubt, the deal made by Square Enix and Microsoft is murky but you can expect to hear more about the actual game next year as we get closer to its winter holiday release period.
