Rise of the Tomb Raider to be an Xbox Exclusive

Rise of the Tomb Raider will be an Xbox exclusive due for release in late 2015, Microsoft has announced at Gamescom.

The decision to make the game Xbox exclusive was explained by Darrell Gallagher, head of Crystal Dynamics in a post on Tumblr. He used this to explain why he felt it was the right steps for the sequel to 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot. Excerpts for this are below:

“Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011. We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past – we believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.

“This doesn’t mean that we’re walking away from our fans who only play on PlayStation or on PC. Those are great systems, with great partners, and amazing communities. We have Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris coming to those platforms this December, and Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is available on PS4.

“We know that there are probably many more questions and concerns. Please do send them to us, and we’ll answer to the best of our ability. Meanwhile we’re going all out to try and make something truly special – the most ambitious Tomb Raider game ever built.”

What are your thoughts on this development?