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Earlier today Phil Spencer finally admitted that the "exclusive" release of the new Rise of the Tomb Raider is only a timed exclusive for the Xbox platform. Unfortunately, he still did not reveal just how long of a timed exclusive it would be. Here is what he said to Eurogamer.
"When people want me to say, can you tell us when or if it's coming to other platforms, it's not my job," Spencer told Eurogamer. "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. 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."
So, what, exactly, is 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. 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."
Is there a time limit on the exclusivity period?
"Yes, the deal has a duration. I didn't buy it. I don't own the franchise."
Can you tell us how long the duration is?
"No. It's not because I'm trying to be a headfake on anybody. It's a deal between us and the partner. People ask me how much did we pay. There are certain things I'm just not going to talk about because it's a business deal between us and them. Obviously the deal does have a duration. I didn't buy the IP in perpetuity."
"I get the reaction I see. 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."
So, what, exactly, is 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. 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."
Is there a time limit on the exclusivity period?
"Yes, the deal has a duration. I didn't buy it. I don't own the franchise."
Can you tell us how long the duration is?
"No. It's not because I'm trying to be a headfake on anybody. It's a deal between us and the partner. People ask me how much did we pay. There are certain things I'm just not going to talk about because it's a business deal between us and them. Obviously the deal does have a duration. I didn't buy the IP in perpetuity."
It's almost like he really did not want to admit even that it was just at timed exclusive.
