but assume everything about Microsoft & Tomb Raider is bullshit.
Ive always been one of the more vocal critic around this deal. But not the exclusivity deal itself. Timed exclusives has been a thing since multiple console generations ago, and while I think its a poor decision on Squares part to do this for TR, its ultimately their decision to accept MSs money.
But there is one thing about this deal that I found personally very revolting, and that was the concentrated attempt to pretend like this was more than a timed-exclusive, with the usage of mixed messaging, clever PR spins and very carefully selected language.
Lets look at the overall chronology of how this exclusivity story came about :
1. Multiple indie games were announced at Gamescom as First on Xbox. There was very clear implication that the exclusivity of said games were timed.
2. ROTR was announced as Exclusive on Xbox, launching Holiday 2015. There was massive confusion from the get-go, because Point (1)s language was used to announced timed-exclusives, but ROTR had a different language that implied bonafide exclusivity.
So, from the get-go, through the manipulation of the different exclusivity language used, MS tried to pretend ROTR wasnt a timed-exclusive, however :
3. Games media didnt immediately buy into the announcement. When MS PR was pressed for a statement on the matter, folks like Geoff, etc clarify that MS refused to budge from the very fixed statement of Exclusive on Xbox, launching holiday 2015.
At this point, people were already guessing its likely timed, however :
4. Crystal Dynamics posted an article explaining the exclusivity, except they called it an exclusive, ( without the holiday 2015 line and no PR-safe terminology), which immediately prompted fans to suddenly get confused over the state of the games exclusivity.
5. Whats worse was that in the same post, CD effectively threw shade at Playstation/PC fans by saying Dont worry, Temple of Osiris for yall to play!, pissing off a larger majority of the TR audience.
6. Aaron Greenberg also referred to the post by CD to imply that ROTR is an actual exclusive, to further add fuel to fire.
At this points, the outrage was at a fever high. Mixed-messaging on both sides, one side acting like its timed, the other acting like its actually exclusive, and fans demanded to know the actual truth of the story :
7. Come Phil Spencer interview where he had to respond to the queries.
This was an interview that was referenced by both sides of the camp, those who believe its a timed exclusive, and those who believe its a bonafide Xbox-exclusive that will only come to PC later, never PS4. Why was this interview so polarising to that extent?
8. In said interview, Phil defended his purchase of ROTRs exclusivity, making references to Uncharted, etc. He also used terms like I didnt buy the franchise, I dont own the IP in perpetuity and compared the deal, calling it similar to Ryse/Dead Rising 3, both games that are never coming to PS4, because it was fully funded by MS. He ultimately ended it by saying the deal has a duration
So basically, Phil basically admitted it was a timed-exclusive, but used very clever PR-language, referring the Tomb Raider IP (instead of referring to just the game) when talking about the exclusivity deal and saying the deal is similar (similar =/= same) to Dead Rising and Ryse, knowing full well those 2 games are never coming to PS4.
9. In respect to the interview above, Crystal amended its original post, but they said Phil Spencer confirmed that ROTR is a timed-exclusive.
10. Not too long later, the same post above is amended from timed-exclusive to the deal has a duration.
Everything from point (1) to point (10) was an extremely concerted effort to pretend like ROTR wasnt a timed-exclusive. And I think its a pretty pathetic display from MS/Square.
12-months exclusivity for a AAA-game like TR is a huge win on MSs side. Sure, youll piss off PS-fans by doing it, but admitting it from the get-go will absolve you of all the drama that occurred, and have fans being more trustworthy of you.
Personally, this whole deal has left me with a higher degree of scrutiny when it comes to anything thats spoken out of Phil Spencer/MSs mouth. And I hate having to swim through a sea of PR bullshit to reach the truth in messaging.
And I didnt even go into the hilarity like Microsofts Passion for Tomb Raider, etc etc, which, while foolish, isnt part of the exclusivity subterfuge, but just hilarious justification of why this deal happened in the first place.
