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[RUMOUR] - Rise of the Tomb Raider Release Date Was Delayed On PS4

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Hey all,

So I know this insider info may be old to some (as it was revealed 4 days ago on the November NPD thread, and hinted at by Kagari from a post she made back in July regarding Square delaying the PS4 version and increasing the timed exclusivity duration), but I figured since not everyone visits NPD threads, this information may have gone under the radar, and so it maybe news to many people. It also gives some perspective as to why SE
stupidly
changed the PS4 exclusivity window from approximately 4-6 months to 1 year.

Basically, in a nutshell, the news is, a GAF member has a contact inside SE** saying that the PS4 version was delayed to Q4 in exchange for Square being able to announce the PS4/PC versions earlier whilst also avoiding Uncharted 4's release. Please read the posts further below for the full story details.

**By the way, for legitimacy sake, this GAF member was PM-med by Bish (who 'checks' insiders to ensure that they're in a position to be privy to the information that they're sharing). This was successful as the poster, AnthonypUK, was then later verified by Bish as to having access to the insider information and being able to share it- so the info is reliable to an extent, but that's not all. The news about the deal changing is also supported and further reinforced by the fact that Kagari, who also has direct contact(s) inside Square, hinted at this news back in July. And the biggest evidence to support this, is that Square Enix are the ones who did this deal - so it's not surprising that they'd be this stupid to do such a decision.

7bb0655df0a3036d81cd7cd4f67cfd5c.png


Here's the story:

Yup, looks like in the initial agreement they couldn't even talk about the other versions of the game before the Xbox release.

SE wanted to talk PS4/PC versions, after the lackluster reception/pre orders of ROTR, to try and at least build some anticipation for the other versions, hence renegotiation, and delaying the PS4 version was the cost. My guy said SE didn't mind this as the delay meant it avoided UC4's release.

I mentioned the deal changed in a different thread but some people didn't believe~

...in reference to this post on the the Rise of the Tomb Raider PS4/PC announcement thread back in July:

Kagari said:
harSon said:
Didn't you say the timed exclusivity was 4-6 months? Think it may have changed recently?
It still applies to the PC version. Around the time of Uncharted's delay I'd still heard it was both but it must have changed within the last few months.

7bb0655df0a3036d81cd7cd4f67cfd5c.png


Personal Thoughts

So in summary, the way this fantastic IP has been mismanaged by Square/Crystal is pretty awful IMO. Someone made an interesting, but crazy point as to what the hell happened. I'll link the post here, but I still found it pretty eye opening as to how some of the decisions are just insane. Obviously the poster was joking and the comment was written tongue-in-cheek as it being a conspiracy, and obviously he doesn't believe that, but the point still remains that some of the decisions are baffling to say the least. Here are a few examples:

- An entry in an AAA franchise that was closely associated with the now leading platform WW, which also happened to be the platform the last game sold most on is made up to be an exclusive for up to a year on said platform.
- Somehow, MS after becoming the publisher saw fit to bundle the title in a 1Tb $399 bundle (instead of $349), which would THEN be exclusive to 1 retailer in the US AND not even be sold in the biggest European market where the franchise even ORIGINATED from (UK).
- Everything we have learned since reeks of sabotage, from choosing the release date to coincide with the OTHER third party title MS had a partnership with, Fallout 4, which though in a 1Tb $399 bundle, was in its case not restricted to a single retailer -And- sold in the UK.

Anyhow, please lock if old and/or not thread worthy.
 

Dance Inferno

Unconfirmed Member
Sucks if true, but them's the breaks. I picked it up on 360 because I wasn't patient enough to wait for the PC version and it's really fun. Sucks that PS4 users have to wait for it but on the bright side they're getting both Uncharted 4 and RotTR this year.
 

FelipeMGM

Member
Man, this would have been perfect for summer, they could even use E3 for a last marketing push.

Damn Square, why you got to be so dumb?
 

benny_a

extra source of jiggaflops
When bish verifies he only points out that the claim is not made up but the person could be in a situation where he knows someone or has access to something. It's not an automatic verification of everything that is being said.
 
I was under the assumption we knew it wasn't coming out on PS4 until Q4? No big loss here I guess. By then it'll have to launch cheaper and with all the DLC included.
 
Is this a surprise? They should've released to 2-3 months before UC4 on PS4. I'm sure Tomb Raider is a good game, but I doubt it will even hold a candle to Uncharted 4. Releasing it after a game like that will make Tomb Raider look "dated". TLOU had that effect on Bioshock Infinite.
 

Certinty

Member
This whole game has been a mess from SE and MS.

Shame because CD deserve all the praise they can get because the game is amazing and one of the best games this year.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
This is mainly to ensure the XB SKU hits its landmark milestone of 250k before unleashong it on PS4.

Look what Rockstars staggered release of GTA5 did for them.

Don't underestimate SE.
 
So PC/PS4 versions were suppose to come out at the same time?

Or maybe the PC version was meant to come out a later but part of the renegotiation was they worked out a deal to come out early if they also sold a version thorough the Windows store. That seems to be happening.
 

Aureon

Please do not let me serve on a jury. I am actually a crazy person.
4-6 months would be practically a concurrent release with U4.
Since they probably had accepted, at least in part, the timed deal to avoid going head to head with U4 in the first place, it kind of makes sense.
 

lantus

Member
Seems like they got themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place with the Microsoft deal. I'm not sure the game would have succeeded this holiday if they released on all platforms this holiday, but the chances would be better for them. Since the deal was already in place, I guess trying to salvage something from it was the smart thing to do. It's sad to see this happen to a really good game and good developer.
 
SE wanted to talk PS4/PC versions, after the lackluster reception/pre orders of ROTR



So they really thought that going exclusive on the runner-up console, while the majority of the Tomb Raider fanbase was on PS4, was a good idea? Expected it to bring more publicity? Geniuses.
 

Percy

Banned
Incredible what a complete and utter mess SE have made of this game's release at every turn. Just one bad decision after another.

No they didnt. Rise of the tomb raider is even better than that game.

Doesn't really matter if no one plays it though.
 

KraytarJ

Member
I'd rather play a game early and not know the date than know the date just to play it later, and on top of everything else this does nothing but hurt the launch on the bone. Why would Square make this call? It seems like it doesn't really help anyone.
 

Dance Inferno

Unconfirmed Member
Delay the release so they can announce it earlier?
Yeah, sounds like Square.

Did you read the OP? Their initial agreement forbade them from talking about and advertising the PC/PS4 versions, so they wanted to renegotiate with Microsoft to allow them to talk about it. In return for getting that they had to push back the PS4 launch date.

This type of thing happens in business all the time.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Lacklustre response to Xbox one version, so SE delay PS4 version for another 6 months so they can talk about it earlier. But by talking about it ahead of Xbox launch wouldn't that result in even more people holding off for the PC/PS4 version? Thereby even further damaging short term returns while moving secondary income from the ports into the next fiscal year.

Sounds pretty insane
 

jett

D-Member
This is one of Squeenix's most incredible blunders. Microsoft's hubris didn't help either. Only thing they've ended with is one big ol' bomba and a greatly diminished IP.
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
They delayed it so they could avoid Uncharted 4 and announce the port earlier?! What the heck. I don't understand how a company can mismanage a release so much.

When bish verifies he only points out that the claim is not made up but the person could be in a situation where he knows someone or has access to something. It's not an automatic verification of everything that is being said.

It's a good point, but I'm also willing to trust Kagari, so this sounds like a reliable rumour.
 
When bish verifies he only points out that the claim is not made up but the person could be in a situation where he knows someone or has access to something. It's not an automatic verification of everything that is being said.

Ah ok, thanks for that. I'll edit the OP.
 

Teletraan1

Banned
They should split the game up into episodes on PS4 so they can focus on some useless backstory for throw away NPCs.
 

FATALITY

Banned
This whole game has been a mess from SE and MS.

Shame because CD deserve all the praise they can get because the game is amazing and one of the best games this year.

this is like resident evil 4 deal
why would you make an important ip exclusive to the less predominant console in sales?
titanfall deal was alright, but tomb raider which is heavy associate with playstation and make exclusive to the xbox.
god someone should get fired.

No they didnt. Rise of the tomb raider is even better than that game.
i dont doubt that. i am talking about the financial disaster that this game is
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
Actually, Bish and co. just ensure (to their best of their ability) that they're in a position to be privy to the information that they're sharing. That's a very important distinction -- that someone has been verified doesn't guarantee the information they've posted is accurate.

Yep, thanks for the info. I've edited the OP to reflect that. I hope it's sufficient.
 
if they were worried that far out about hype/anticipation then it coming out the same week as Fallout 4 probably isn't as big of a deal for it bombing as people seem to think it is.

I wonder if there was no exclusivity agreement and it came out in a week with no other games, how well it would sell. It wouldn't have the MS marketing machine behind it (ads for it played all the time on TV and online here in the US, pretty good ones too) but it wouldn't have the exclusivity stigma. Something tells me it stil wouldn't done as well as one would expect.
 

LewieP

Member
This would actually explain the only part of this deal that I couldn't understand.

I didn't understand why SE/MS would have agreed that SE could talk about the PS4/PC versions prior to the release of the Xbox versions, given the nature of the initial exclusivity announcement.

The initial announcement was using contractually agreed intentionally misleading language to present it as a fully exclusive Xbox game. Why go to that trouble if you were planning on discussing the PS4/PC versions prior to release.

A renegotiation of their deal is a plausible explanation to me.

I think the whole deal was a mess, not sure to what extent I'd say this renegotiation was a mistake for either SE or MS.
 

benny_a

extra source of jiggaflops
Although now I'm second guessing if maybe Bish is omniscient. I better clean up my apartment. I don't want to disappoint him.
 

BroBot

Member
I think the PS4 is SE's hope for this game to shine (sales-wise), so of course they would delay the game's release on PS4 and not launch it around the same time as Uncharted 4. SE has one shot with making this game's sales successful on PS4. I say release it in the summer/near fall
But not on the same date as Persona 5, Square...
 

etta

my hard graphic balls
Lacklustre response to Xbox one version, so SE delay PS4 version for another 6 months so they can talk about it earlier. But by talking about it ahead of Xbox launch wouldn't that result in even more people holding off for the PC/PS4 version? Thereby even further damaging short term returns while moving secondary income from the ports into the next fiscal year.

Sounds pretty insane
This.
 
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