It was earlier revealed at Gamescom 2014 that Rise of the Tomb Raider will be an Xbox exclusive. Usually, these exclusivity deals have a time duration, but unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t mention anything about the deal at the event. This has created a spark and criticism among all the Tomb Raider fans who want to play the upcoming title on their PCs or other consoles.
Recently, Xbox’s Phil Spencer confirmed to the folks at Eurogamer that this exclusivity has a duration as well. Unfortunately, Spencer didn’t mention when will the exclusivity end, but this should come as a good news for Tomb Raider fans that it could hit other platforms in the long run as well. When they asked Spencer if there’s a limit, Spencer said, “Yes, the deal has a duration. I didn’t buy it. I don’t own the franchise.”
During the interview, he also revealed some other aspects of the gaming title. When asked about what the deal is and when will the exclusivity period will end, he didn’t reveal much information but told Eurogamer that there’s a duration, but he can’t talk much about it since its a deal between the two companies. His comments also confirmed that Square Enix, owner of Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics, can do whatever they want with the gaming title in the long run.
“No. It’s not because I’m trying to be a headfake on anybody. It’s a deal between us and the partner. People ask me how much did we pay. There are certain things I’m just not going to talk about because it’s a business deal between us and them. Obviously the deal does have a duration. I didn’t buy the IP in perpetuity.”
It’s confirmed that The Rise of the Tomb Raider will hit Xbox 360 and Xbox One in the holiday season of 2015. Rejoice!
