Home Gaming Microsoft specifically chose Rise of the Tomb Raider to launch with Fallout 4

Microsoft specifically chose Rise of the Tomb Raider to launch with Fallout 4

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16

Bears aren't real fans of Lara Croft

Holiday launch schedules are a nightmare. Aside from the fact that they’re usually overstuffed, it’s a tricky situation for nearly every publisher trying to steal the limelight. Annual blockbuster releases like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty have concrete weeks that they launch in, and anyone trying to avoid falling under the radar has the task of picking between limited spots.

That’s exactly what happened to Microsoft with regards to Rise of the Tomb Raider – which is lunching on the same day as Fallout 4.

And while that might sound like launch day suicide, Microsoft carefully measured their options. Being privy to launch date information well in advance of public announcement (especially since Fallout 4 is coming to the Xbox One too), they were able to effectively measure the best time to launch the Tomb raider sequel. That meant finding an opening that didn’t overlap with their target market – something they believe fallout 4 doesn’t do.

Head of first and third-part marketing at Microsoft, Aaron Greenberg, sat down with the guys at Kinda Funny Games to breakdown the mentality behind pairing Rise of the Tomb Raider with one of this year’s biggest releases.

“Most [development] teams pick their dates not knowing what else is going to be there. And once you know then would you rather launch against Call of Duty, Star Wars or Fallout? So you just to have launch and stick with the date and feel confident that the game still stands up and we believe it will.”

And that's when that same bear eats some radiation

Rise of the Tomb Raider definitely falls under the shooter umbrella, and it seems that Microsoft didn’t want it going toe to toe with other shooters like Call of Duty and Star Wars Battlefront. And while Fallout 4 does feature its fair share of shooting, it certainly entertains a different, more RPG focused crowd. When it comes down to it, Microsoft saw this as the lesser of threats.

“The challenge is…that you have to look at the production schedule. You want to make sure that you don’t rush the game so it’s [completely] done or of high quality. That is always the number one priority. If you go earlier you are against Star Wars Battlefront, if you go later you will be against Call of Duty Black Ops 3 and if you go two weeks earlier you are against Halo 5: Guardians. And then you go late and then you are like does the consumer has any money left to buy the game so there wasn’t a better scenario for us except that was the week it was not going head to head against Call of Duty or Star Wars Battlefront. We felt like the Fallout audience…they are not direct competitors per se, but you are right…it’s two big titles launching at the same time and we hope people will buy both.”

It’s an especially tricky situation when the holiday season only comprises of so many weeks, coupled with launch dates that come out of nowhere (looking at you Legacy of the Void). It’s hard to look at Fallout 4 and Rise of the Tomb raider and question which you’ll get if you’re a fan of both genres. But in essence, that’s where Microsoft is hoping to capitalise. Hoping that not everyone is an RPG fanatic over traditional action fun.

Last Updated: October 27, 2015

16 Comments

  1. LOL @ Alt-texts
    GG Sandy

    Reply

    • Alessandro Barbosa

      October 27, 2015 at 16:30

      YAY someone saw them 😀

      Reply

      • Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja

        October 28, 2015 at 07:02

        xD

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    October 27, 2015 at 15:37

    So they’re saying gamers would rather play TR than Fallout 4? Seems legit. Unless they’re wrong…. How many copies did the first TR need to sell to make a profit? How many XBOX Ones sold again? Methinks Square must have received a ton of cash from MS

    Reply

    • WitWolfy

      October 27, 2015 at 15:41

      Well the first TR actually sold like 5 million copies in the first month or so… It was just SE that acted like it flopped miserably. Seeing it was the only decent IP they had that year, hoping it would compensate for other less than stellar selling IPs like Sleeping Dogs and Hitman.

      Reply

    • Ir0nseraph

      October 27, 2015 at 15:43

      It’s not so much a problem of what games launch when in the month, as it is my salary can only cover so many new games in a month 😛

      Reply

    • Alessandro Barbosa

      October 27, 2015 at 16:30

      Not quite. They’re saying that both games are different enough so that people who aren’t fans of RPGs won’t have an issue choosing between two games. Which would be different if TR would launch alongside, say, Call of Duty

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        October 27, 2015 at 17:59

        Aaaah cheers!

        Reply

    • oVg

      October 27, 2015 at 16:43

      I have already watched the Tomb Raider game on Youtube. Great Film. It uses the same assets from the re-boot so I doubt the production values were high. Her hair looks nice, I wonder if that’s the Tress FX tech?

      Anyway I must admit that as a PS4 owner I will miss seeing her lovely bottom on my screen for another year. Nathan Drakes bottom will have to do for the time being.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        October 27, 2015 at 17:58

        Tomb Raider Film XD

        Reply

  3. WitWolfy

    October 27, 2015 at 15:38

    I must be the only guy here getting TR 2 instead of Fallout 4… Fudge me, right?!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      October 27, 2015 at 15:49

      Fudge Square I think

      Reply

    • Brady miaau

      October 27, 2015 at 16:01

      well, they are quite different games.

      Quite clever of them, I think.

      Reply

  4. Lardus-For the Emperor!

    October 27, 2015 at 16:02

    I refuse to buy either of them – until I either buy a new console or upgrade my PC…too many moneyz spent on 40K and X-Wing!

    Reply

  5. aj_nator

    October 27, 2015 at 16:46

    Don’t worry, RotTR doesn’t clash with fallout 4/blops3 for pc/ps4 people

    Reply

  6. 40 Insane Frogs

    October 27, 2015 at 19:05

    Fallout 4… wins! Flawless Victory!

    Reply

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