Tomb Raider (2013 video game)
Crystal Dynamics began development of "Tomb Raider" soon after the release of "" in 2008. Rather than a sequel, the team decided to completely reboot the series, re-establishing the origins of Lara Croft for the second time, following "". "Tomb Raider" is set on Yamatai, an island from which Lara, who is untested and not yet the battle-hardened explorer she is in other titles in the series, must save her friends and escape while being hunted down by a malevolent cult. Gameplay elements focus more on survival, although exploration is used within the game when exploring the island and various optional tombs. It is also the first game in the series to have multiplayer and the first game to be published by Square Enix, after the latter's acquisition of Eidos Interactive in 2009. Camilla Luddington was announced to voice and perform as Lara Croft in 2010, replacing Keeley Hawes.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
On 1 August 2013, Square Enix Europe executive Phil Rogers announced that a new "Tomb Raider" game was in development for the eighth generation of video game consoles. Microsoft announced the game during an E3 2014 press conference, with a scheduled late-2015 release. At Gamescom 2014, the company said that "Rise of the Tomb Raider" would be an exclusive for its Xbox series of video-game platforms, including Xbox 360 and Xbox One; according to Microsoft Studios executive Phil Spencer, it would be a timed exclusive similar to Microsoft's deal with Capcom and Crytek on "Dead Rising 3" and "" (in which both were released for Microsoft Windows). This sparked player outrage from players (since "Tomb Raider" had a longer history with PlayStation), who blamed franchise owner Square Enix for the decision. Microsoft's calling the game "exclusive on Xbox for holiday 2015" caused confusion among the gaming press and players. Rogers explained in 2015 that the Microsoft timed exclusivity was primarily due to the company's strong support for the 2013 reboot. Crystal Dynamics head Darrell Gallagher said that the partnership could help the team "deliver the best game that [they] can". Rogers called the arrangement a "natural" evolution and a "tough" decision.