I suppose we can’t say that we didn’t see this coming. When Microsoft’s deal with Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics was first announced last year, it was unclear whether Rise of the Tomb Raider would appear on any other platforms. But, once Gamescom rolled around, the developer cleared the air and revealed that it would in fact be a timed-exclusive for the Xbox One. Up until now, we knew the title would eventually make it to PC and the PlayStation 4, but weren’t sure when.
According to a recent announcement, the next entry in the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise is set to see an early 2016 release on Windows 10 and Steam. With the game coming out November 2015, that date doesn’t sound too bad, for PC users at least.
If you’re in the crowd that’s been dying to know when you’ll be able to play the game on the PS4, however, I have some bad news for you. The game won’t be made available on PS4 until Holiday 2016, which puts the PlayStation release a whole year (and then some) after the title’s official launch on the Xbox One.
Aside from the instant gut-wrenching disappointment I felt when I found out the news this morning, the one thing that’s been stuck in my mind since then is that this decision is definitely going to affect the game’s sales. The big question here is that once the game does release on the PS4, will PlayStation fans still be interested in playing it? For a lot of fans, the answer is probably going to be no.
Despite the fact that Lady Croft has had a close connection to the PlayStation brand, I’m sure those that are die-hard fans of the series will either buy it on the Xbox One on launch, or will be too bitter to fork over their hard earned cash when it finally releases on their console of choice a whole year later. I think it’s also worth considering that we live in the age of the internet, and that the plot is surely going to be spoiled way ahead of the PS4 release. A few months delay is one thing, but a whole year? That’s a long time to wait.
Whatever the case, I’m definitely curious to see how this all plays out.
HT: VG 24/7
—
Are you still planning on buying this for the PS4? Let us know in the comments below.
