Businessmen and videogames don’t mix. That seems to the be lesson learned from new information that Crystal Dynamics’ excellent Tomb Raider reboot has sold approximately 8.5 million copies more than two years following its release, in spite of early forecasts from publisher Square Enix that it would undersell and cripple their profits.
Yes, back in 2013, around the time of Tomb Raider‘s release, Square Enix announced that there would be restructuring (PR speak for massive layoffs) at their studios following their predictions that Tomb Raider, alongside Sleeping Dogs and Hitman Absolution, would not meet sales expectations. President Yoichi Wada was even forced to resign as a result of these dire prospects.
The company had expected the game to sell five to six million copies in the months following its release. It instead moved 3.4 million copies, still a formidable number. Today, Crystal Dynamics announced that Tomb Raider had surpassed 8.5 million copies sold, making it the most successful Tomb Raider game in the entire series, which began in 1996.
The game’s longevity can be attributed to its exceptional storytelling, gameplay and visuals, as well as last year’s Definitive Edition, an enhanced version of the game for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that includes all DLC and updates its visuals.
Darrell Gallagher, head of Crystal Dynamics, had this to say:
Tomb Raider ignited and expanded the fan base, pushing the series to a new level. The game’s incredible sales success reflects the passionate response of players. Our studio is proud of what we accomplished with the game.
In the meantime, the studio is working on a sequel to Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider. The game will be a timed exclusive for the Xbox One, and upon its expiry date, which isn’t known, it will be made available to other platforms.