Microsoft is confident that the Xbox timed-exclusive title "Rise of the Tomb Raider" can stand up to the upcoming "Fallout 4," despite both games coming out on the same date.
But, aside from going up against the latest installment from the "Fallout" series, the new "Tomb Raider" game is also caught in between the release of various major titles, Gamespot reported.
During an interview with YouTube channel Kinda Funny Games, Aaron Greenburg, the marketing executive of Microsoft, noted that the company is not worried about the release schedule of "Rise of the Tomb Raider."
According to the executive, Microsoft and the game's creator Crystal Dynamics, picked the date based on the development progress of the new "Tomb Raider" title. Also, by releasing the game on November 10, Microsoft was able to avoid going head-to-head against other major titles such as "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3" and "Star Wars Battlefront," which will come out on November 6 and November 17 respectively.
"The challenge is that you have to look at the production schedule," Greenburg said according to Dual Shockers. "You want to make sure that you don't rush the game so that it's not done or of high quality. That is always the number one priority."
"The challenge with 'Tomb Raider' is if you go a week later you're against 'Star Wars Battlefront,' if you go a week earlier you'll be against 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3' and if you go two weeks earlier you're against 'Halo,'" he added.
But aside from looking at the release dates of the other games, Greenburg said that timing is also essential in drawing the attention of consumers. Since the holiday season is fast approaching, developers must make sure to release their games at just the right time. Launching the game late in the season could cause developer to miss the shopping window for consumers.
For Microsoft, this perfect date for "Rise of the Tomb Raider" is set at November 10. But, even though "Fallout 4" will launch on the same day, Greenburg is not worried since the game will also come out for the Xbox One, aside from the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows platforms.
In addition, the executive believes "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will deliver a unique gameplay experience that will help the game stand out from the other titles that will come out next month.
"We felt like the 'Fallout' audience - they are not direct competitors per se, but you are right, it's two big, big titles launching at the same time and we hope people will buy both," he said.
"You just got to launch and stick with the date and feel confident that the game will stand up and we believe it will," he added. "It's a fantastic title."
