14 DAY TRIAL // The head of Microsoft's Xbox division, Phil Spencer, confirmed that the controversial Xbox One and Xbox 360 exclusivity deal between Redmond and Crystal Dynamics was only timed.
Spencer did not, however, mention how long the duration of the exclusivity deal would extend, just that it was similar to the deal made with Dead Rising, or with Crytek for Ryse: Son of Rome.
Since Dead Rising 3 and Ryse: Son of Rome are both headed for PC this fall, this means that Square Enix could also launch the upcoming Tomb Raider on other platforms, once the deal expires.
During last night's press conference at Gamescom, Microsoft and Square Enix announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider, the upcoming chapter in the reboot of the classic saga, would launch during the holiday season of 2015, exclusively on the Xbox One and Xbox 360.
"When people want me to say, can you tell us when or if it's coming to other platforms, it's not my job. My job is not to talk about games I don't own. I have a certain relationship on this version of Tomb Raider, which we announced, and I feel really good about our long term relationship with Crystal and Square," Spencer told Eurogamer.
He said that he understood the reaction of the gaming community, with people who preferred the PlayStation feeling like the franchise was gone for them, but only time could tell where this thing would go and what would happen with the game.
"I have Tomb Raider shipping next holiday exclusively on Xbox. It is Xbox 360 and Xbox One. I'm not trying to fake anybody out in terms of where this thing is. What they do with the franchise in the long run is not mine. I don't control it. So all I can talk about is the deal I have. I don't know where else Tomb Raider goes," he continued.
The fact that Rise of the Tomb Raider would be an Xbox exclusive game was one of the biggest pieces of news from Microsoft's Gamescom press conference event, and the Internet was quick to react negatively to the announcement.
Square Enix launched the reinvented Tomb Raider in March last year, rebooting the long-standing franchise for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The enhanced version, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, was released in February this year for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
The reboot followed a much younger Lara Croft, finding herself stranded on a mysterious island and forced to do whatever it takes to survive, acting out of desperation and necessity, in stark contrast to the previous Tomb Raider games.
The upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider is scheduled to land on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One sometime during the holiday season of 2015, and it's unclear for now for how long the exclusivity deal between Square Enix and Microsoft extends.