Tomb Raider’s initial sales may have been disappointing to Square Enix at launch, but the game was profitable in the end, according to executive producer Scot Amos.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Amos said by the end of 2013, Tomb Raider was “in the black” and had crossed “the line of profitability for the last-gen and PC versions.”
The title sold 3.4 million units its first month of availability, but Square seemed to be expecting more sales at launch, hoping to cure losses incurred during the financial year ending March 31. During the period, the company reported a ¥13.7 billion loss, blaming it on a “competitive console market.”
Despite the initial company losses, the firm revises it financial forecast, expecting a return to profitability thanks to the relaunch of Final Fantasy 14 exceeding projections and expectations.
This lead to the confirmation of new titles in the Sleeping Dogs, a Hitman, and Deus Ex franchises.
“Everybody’s expectation is desirable,” said Amos. “I think that, as far as realistic or not, what the market can bear… It’s a very interesting time. How many people can sell games like Clash of Clans or Candy Crush and make that kind of money? Or Minecraft’s sales? Expectations can get shifted so quickly it’s difficult to know what realistic even means anymore.
“As a franchise, Square Enix is clearly invested in us. They already let us get kickstarted on a sequel and they backed us with this [the game’s upcoming Definitive Edition]. They’ve always been behind us, regardless of maybe what was said or how it was said in the press, and certainly at the end of the year we’ve actually gone over expectations because we’ve managed to get profitability back.
“And, looking forward, clearly Square and Crystal are invested in the franchise. So, despite how it was said, what was said – we had a lot of people scratching their heads and asking about it – we’re very happy to say that from a partnership internally, we’re committed to it totally. Square Enix talks about it as a key franchise, so we’re very happy with where we’re at.”
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is slated for a January 28 release on PS4 and Xbox One.
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