Microsoft's Xbox Head Explains 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' Exclusive Deal

Xbox head Phil Spenceter recently talked to Eurogamer about "Rise of the Tomb Raider" being an Xbox exclusive when the game launches next year.

Spenceter first talked about the reaction some fans had to the news of the game being an exclusive. He said he could understand why some people are upset but mentioned that it's the only console exclusive game in the franchise.

"When people want me to say, can you tell us when or if it's coming to other platforms, it's not my job. My job is not to talk about games I don't own. I have a certain relationship on this version of Tomb Raider, which we announced, and I feel really good about our long term relationship with Crystal and Square. I get the reaction I see," he said. "If I'm a PlayStation person all of a sudden I feel like, the franchise has gone. I didn't buy the IP. I didn't buy the studio. It's not mine. Where this thing will go over time, just like Dead Rising or Ryse, we'll see what happens with the game. I don't own every iteration of Tomb Raider. I don't own them building Tomb Raider on other platforms. I can't talk about the franchise that way. I can talk about the deal I have."

The Xbox head also explained the details of the deal and said there was a set duration on that deal.

"I have Tomb Raider shipping next holiday exclusively on Xbox. It is Xbox 360 and Xbox One. I'm not trying to fake anybody out in terms of where this thing is," Spenceter said. "What they do with the franchise in the long run is not mine. I don't control it. So all I can talk about is the deal I have. I don't know where else Tomb Raider goes. Yes, the deal has a duration. I didn't buy it. I don't own the franchise."