We all know Microsoft is no stranger to throwing around money. From colossus studio acquisitions to bringing quality games to Xbox Game Pass on day one, it’s clear they have a lot in the bank. So it’s not utterly shocking that Rise of the Tomb Raider’s timed exclusivity was allegedly worth $100 million when it launched on Xbox One in 2015.
As discovered by VGC, a LinkedIn profile for former Square Enix corporate development director Fabien Rossini claims they scored the timed exclusivity deal for Rise of the Tomb Raider while working at the company. It was quickly removed from Rossini’s profile following the discovery, but has been captured by one Twitter user:
While it may seem like a hefty sum, it’s not actually out of the realms of possibility. Firstly, it’s not clear if that was the actual sum spent on the title or whether it was just the so-called “value” of it. Some people have been quick to mention it’s relatively close to the game’s budget, but as mentioned by VGC, it’s a similar deal to the one that Epic Games struck with Gearbox for timed Borderlands 3 exclusivity on PC.
During the Apple vs Epic trial earlier this year, it emerged that Borderlands 3 was acquired for six months for $115 million, putting it above Rise of the Tomb Raider, which by comparison was secured by Xbox for an entire year.
While we’re not sure how well the Xbox version did, it’s said to have shipped one million units within its first two months, according to Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg.
It’s not entirely clear whether the gamble paid off, but since Shadow of the Tomb Raider didn’t receive the same treatment a couple of years later, we’d wager it wasn’t as spectacular as originally hoped.
Surprised by the alleged worth of Rise of the Tomb Raider’s timed exclusivity? Let us know below.
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