500°

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Sells an Estimated 682,451 Units First Week at Retail

The action adventure game from publisher Square Enix and developer Eidos Montreal - Shadow of the Tomb Raider - sold 682,451 units first week at retail, according to VGChartz estimates.

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vgchartz.com
-Foxtrot2034d ago

"The last game in the series, Rise of the Tomb Raider, had nearly identical sales with 684,900 units sold in its first week"

Yet this game got roughly the same despite launching on the PS4 aswell? Owch. Maybe it's time Square Enix take the hint about the future of this franchise, probably why they changed the ending which hinted at more to come.

FallenAngel19842033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

No you’re misinterpreting the information wrong.

Rise of the Tomb Raider sold 301K in its first week across both Xbox One and Xbox 360 in 2015.

https://n4g.com/news/182822...

When Rise of the Tomb Raider got ported to PS4 with the 20th anniversary edition in 2016 it sold 384K in its first week.

http://www.vgchartz.com/art...

That number you’re quoting is a rough estimate of the PS4, XO, & 360 versions’ numbers being added together which is basically the same as Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s debut numbers now.

The article even makes mention of “However, it had a staggered released as it launched as a timed console exclusive on the Xbox One,” a statement that you conveniently didn’t quote even though it’s in the same paragraph.

-Foxtrot2033d ago

Oh I just misinterpret it the wrong way by accident

Fishy Fingers2033d ago

Nah you just didn’t bother to read

Profchaos2033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

I've played most of it and it is a good game I think there was a misstep with the the 2nd and most gamers weren't interested in it. I got bored of it after reaching the Soviet camp and it didn't pick up until the half way point.

But the latest is really good I'd highly recommend it

That and this window has so much competition with lots of gamers focused on Spiderman and rdr2 or fallout

Square has also always stated it's a long term seller and the acknowledged lots of people will wait for sales since it's a single player game

Gaming4Life19812033d ago

I loved rise of the tomb raider and this one so far has been really good. The new fallout game has not interested me one bit, it just looks lame and I really enjoyed fallout 4 and fallout 3. Maybe I'm mad about another fallout and not elder scrolls lol.

Masterchief_thegoat2033d ago

My only problem with Shadow was the fact you can’t pick up the enemy weapon. When she lose all her weapon

IamTylerDurden12033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

I find it funny that the team was so dismissive of Spider-man and Sony, claiming they weren't worried about Spider-man in a condescending tone as if they knew something we didn't. As if Tomb Raider was going to roll over Spider-man. But the reality is Spider-man annihilated Tomb Raider. Spider-man sold 3.3m in 3 days and Tomb Raider sold under 700k in a week. Spider-man was also on a single platform while Tomb Raider was on 3? I know SE will stretch, repackage, and resell Tomb Raider in a variety of ways in order to attain long-term sales, but i can't see it outselling Spidey. Shadow just didn't review that well (76 on PS4, 77 on PC) and it surely won't have legs like the previous two games, both of which benefited from brand new editions year(s) later.

These guys certainly haven't endeared themselves with Sony fans. Taking a shady last minute deal on Rise to keep it off PS4, taking shots at ND and TLoU II, and being dismissive of Spider-man.

rainslacker2032d ago

These games are perfect for the spring and summer releases as Sony has proven many times. They can sell more with less competition, then still have a holiday price point, instead of dropping the price really quickly when the big guns start coming out a month later.

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DarkVoyager2033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

“The last game in the series, Rise of the Tomb Raider, had nearly identical sales with 684,900 units sold in its first week"

Sales aside I like Rise of the Tomb Raider much better. I think Crystal Dynamics did a much better job with than Eidos Montreal did with Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Profchaos2033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

Each to their own I think I just really dig the setting in shadow and it just feels more polished and refined

starchild2033d ago

Rise of the Tomb Raider was my least favorite in the series. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is my favorite, followed by Tomb Raider and then Rise of the Tomb Raider. To each their own.

Dark_Knightmare22033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

Rise was mediocre and such a letdown after the amazing first. If we really look at both shadow is easily better than rises. It has bigger challenge tombs with clever puzzles with rewards at the end that actually made sense plus there were more of them,the stealth was iterated upon and is at it’s absolute best in shadow,the setting was way better than what we got in rises,the story while nothing to write home about is easily better than the garbage we got in 2,the main story has you raiding tombs almost every other mission unlike rises,it has the best setpieces,people complained about too much combat so they toned it way down and the level design was better.

MadLad2033d ago

You've, at this point, been corrected on the numbers, though I believe, as many probably do, you just wanted to crap on the game and display a personal bias towards it.

Here's the thing; this is the third game in the series, and it's been a successful one. Let be the ridiculous numbers SE wanted in order to be a "success".
But the games score and sell very well. People hating on it for being unlike the originals, or inspired by Uncharted design philosophy, doesn't change that.

2033d ago
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Rude-ro2034d ago

The issues I feel that effected tomb raider for me at least is... it was trying to be something else.. a goal of a sales pitch rather than what tomb raider was.
What I loved about tomb raider was what you unfolded as a player. Never knowing what is next. It could be kayaking in a huge underground river, or staining at an alien body at Area 51...
Now, it is a cave over here.. great, you found something ancient.
Go 15 feet to find a branch.. go another 20 feet to find the other thing you need...
Horde area of pathway.. repeat
Then action cut scenes to compete with uncharted...
Where are my double pistols, my t-Rex, my puzzle way out or towards the next area.
It just feels like a shadow of what it was mixed with what looks good per other games.

Gamist2dot02032d ago

I miss the mysterious chime when you discover a hidden treasure.

Rude-ro2032d ago

And the music in general.
But yes, 100% this
The over all feeling of intriguing and discovery of more than just the next area.

caxa2032d ago

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http://tiny.cc/9ygp0y

masterfox2034d ago

The main issues of this game is the character representation of Lara, the Story, and other characters involved in the story, this has been the issue imo since the very first game, hell I couldn't finished the first one and second one because of Lara is so annoying.

LucasRuinedChildhood2033d ago

Wholeheartedly agree. She's a terrible character.

-Foxtrot2033d ago

In the new ones anyway

The Original and Legend/Underworld Lara's were awesome.

Teflon022033d ago

I have all 3 as a tomb raider fan. But it's so hard to play them because in 2013 Laura went from badass, to the victim of life completely ramming her with no remorse. That's not what I played and loved tomb raider for. Hated how her abilities were all changed too from being a girl with maneuvering skills and acrobatic to being Nathan Drake Jr. I love Uncharted and loved Tomb Raider but they were loved as different series. Tomb Raider needs to go back to the old style honestly. Only think I like better about 2013 and Rise (not much in Shadow). Laura's look, I think she looks alot more appealing than her old design

Gamist2dot02032d ago

Haven't finished Shadow yet (almost) but I really hate the character development and story line so far. That Jonah guy is so boring and pointless and lets just say i was happy at one point only to be greatly disappointed later. Ugh.

FallenAngel19842033d ago

So basically on par with its previous entry then

Rise of the Tomb Raider -
Xbox One sold 230K first week
PS4 sold 384K first week

Shadow of the Tomb Raider -
Xbox One sold 196K first week
PS4 sold 486K first week

Eonjay2033d ago

Why would the xbox version go done and the PS4 version go up though?

Profchaos2033d ago (Edited 2033d ago )

When rise debuted on the ps4 it was a full price game but the same game on the Xbox and PC could be had for $15 or so. Which caused lots of people to just wait for the inevitable sales which came quickly.

Odds are that behaviour stayed with the fanbase and olny the die-hards brought it immediately which caused so anger when not even a month later it's on sale for 40% off.

Still I'm happy I brought it I've enjoyed it so far.

Teflon022033d ago

Pro
You literally got it down. With Rise, I waited for a price drop. It happened quick so I said I'd do the same with Shadow and boom in Oct I seen it 40% off and got immediately

FallenAngel19842033d ago

Most likely because since SoTR released simultaneously day one on both consoles, more people naturally bought it on PS4 in the first week

Teflon022033d ago

Basically think of it like this. Tomb Raider fans are mostly on PS, it did more this time around because it game a day one release and not a year later. Xbox went down, because the fans had a choice to play it where they preferred to. Tomb Raiders fans mostly play ps so it just ended up being that they got to buy on that platform this time around, dropping Xbox sales. Atleast how I see it

PhoenixUp2033d ago

Pretty strong first week sales, although I’m still going to get it on discount later on because I’m overwhelmed with too many games at the moment

Inzo2033d ago

Strong sales? On two platforms? I have to disagree.

Akarogg 2033d ago

You are spoiled by AAA blockbusters. This is much better than most games sell

PhoenixUp2033d ago

Yeah. It sold as much as its predecessor, the same one that went on to be 2nd or 3rd best selling game in the series.

Even if SoTR doesn’t sell as well as RoTR in the long term, it’ll still move a considerable amount of units in its lifetime

Profchaos2033d ago

Square has always looked at the game as a long term seller. It's never pushed for launch window sales but makes its money over the years

PhoenixUp2033d ago

Tomb Raider ‘13 sold 3.4 million in its first four weeks and somehow still failed to meet Square Enix’s expectations.

https://www.eurogamer.net/a...

Even as Tomb Raider ‘13 quickly broke sales records for the records it took a while until Square Enix expressed satisfaction with its commercial success.

KTF262033d ago

"still failed to meet Square Enix’s expectations"
because it was the first reboot and they were in desperate need for money at that time

+600k in retail (digital not included) is good for an incremental upgrade

PhoenixUp2033d ago

Well actually Tomb Raider ‘13 is the series second reboot.

Square Enix had some unrealistic expectations for their western games at the time compared to their eastern games. Hitman: Absolution had sold 3.6 million and Sleeping Dogs sold 1.75 million when they expressed their dissatisfaction that quarter.

Not every sequel will sell as well as its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean it’s not something to be proud of. TR’13 sold 1 million in its first week compared to RoTR’s 685K, and TR’13 sold 11 million so far and RoTR sold 7 million so far. Doesn’t mean ROTR’s big numbers aren’t something to be proud of. Same principle would apply to SoTR with its opening.

Thatguy-3102033d ago

You have to realize that a lot of the sales come after a lot of the price cuts that the publishers put the game through. At the end of the day the publishers want to make as much money as possible and want to avoid these price cuts. They aren't happy that this game is new and already have to be dropping the price to keep it in ppl's minds.

PhoenixUp2032d ago

What does that have to do with opening week sales

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250°

The Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy's Take on Lara Croft Deserved More Recognition

The Survivor Trilogy was a drastic reimagining of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider, and it provokes changes for the character that are truly fantastic.

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gamerant.com
isarai500d ago (Edited 500d ago )

Deserves less IMO, i think the 1st in the new trilogy was a perfect 1st step for the new direction. The next 2 games were half steps at best. Not only that, every character in the series including Lara is just annoying and doesn't make sense in terms of motive, like yes they have a motive, but none of it seems proportional to the lengths they are willing to go through for it. The most annoying thing is every one of the games say "become the Tomb Raider" yet 3 games later and we're still not there? No thanks. Then there's the mess of the 3rd game, massive skill tree that serves almost no purpose as there's literally only like 3-4 short encounters in the whole game, and they took till the 3rd game to finally manage some decent puzzles even remotely close to previous games in the series. Nah, the trilogy infuriated me to no end as a long time fan of the series, i hope we get better going forward cause that crap sucked.

Army_of_Darkness499d ago

The first in the trilogy was my favorite. I thought they were going into the right direction with that one until the second one came out and seemed like a graphical downgrade but the gameplay was okay. As for the Third, Graphics were really nice but it was kinda boring me to death with its non-stop platforming and exploring with not enough action! Well, for me anyway...

DeathTouch498d ago

Graphics on the 3rd one were abysmal. It’s more colorful and has more variety, but everything else was a noticeable downgrade.

The more open world with NPC quests was also handled very poorly, to the point I missed Angel of Darkness.

thesoftware730499d ago

I know it is your opinion, but she did progress as a character in each game, she even got more muscular and seasoned.

That is the thing, people first complained that there was not enough platforming and actual tomb raiding in the first and second games. Shadow remedied that and kept the combat elements.

3-4 encounters? huh? did we play the same game? there was plenty of combat and, the skill tree did matter, like being able to hang enemies from trees, set explosives traps on bodies, being able to counter, and that are just a few of the combat skills. The skill tree also had things like being able to hold your breath underwater longer, crafting upgrades, zipline upgrade, and climbing upgrades that all changed how you can approach situations.

Not knocking your opinion, but we definitely had different experiences. I had 98% completion on the shadow.

SoulWarrior499d ago (Edited 499d ago )

Sorry but i'm with him about the low number of encounters, the game throws loads of weapons and skills you're way with a comparatively low amount of places to actually use them, so they felt under utilised.

-Foxtrot500d ago

Yeah...no

It was awful, for THREE GAMES it was "become the Tomb Raider" where she went back to square one after each game. Not to mention after a huge reaction of killing someone for the first time she then becomes Rambo straight after and goes on a slaughter spree without a single other reaction. Her development was all over the place.

She was whiney, weak and in later game a little arrogant and selfish

Oh and the voice actress compared to the previous ones was not as good

Lara Croft deserved better and while they are decent games as they are, we deserved actual Tomb Raider games, we could have had better survival games if they just stuck with the original Lara Crofts origin about her plane going down. Surviving 2 weeks in the Himalayas...I'd have liked to seen that, who knows what mystical threat she could have faced in the mountains or underground some secret concealed cave.

Tacoboto498d ago

I thought Shadow of the Tomb Raider had better gameplay than Rise, but it annoyed me the most of the trilogy when I stopped to think about the story.

It's like they deliberately decided to make her unlikeable and did nothing to make the character you're playing as likeable or have even one sign of humility.

SoulWarrior500d ago

2013 I thought was a fine entry, but Rise and especially Shadow were painfully mediocre follow ups imo, I really didn't like how selfish and angry her character was in those two.

Terry_B499d ago

No. Please forget the crap completely.

northpaws499d ago

First one was decent, played through it twice.
Second one was okay, played through it once.
Third one was really bad, tried twice a year apart, still can't get through the first two hours, it is just really bad.

thesoftware730499d ago

Honest question, what did you find bad about it? the opening 2 hrs of Shadow were fantastic imo.

The opening was very similar to the first 2, what did you find really bad?

Not looking for an argument, just an honest question.

Starman69499d ago

3rd one just didn't feel like a tomb raider game. Possibly because the development was passed to another development team. Big mistake! Microsoft killed tomb raider making the first game a timed exclusive. Never recovered after that.

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50°

Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Submerged, Knockout City bundle free at Epic Games Store

Starting today, Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Submerged, and a Knockout City bundle are free at Epic Games Store. The free game offers run until September 8 at 11 AM Eastern. Once you claim them, they're yours to keep.

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gamefreaks365.com
330°

What a New Tomb Raider Game Can Learn From the Tomb Raider Reboot Trilogy

If a new Tomb Raider game is in development, there is a lot that Eidos Montreal could learn from the highs and lows of the reboot trilogy.

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gamerant.com
masterfox869d ago

please bring back voluptuous Lara and change her annoying voice for god sake!, I started playing all three games from my PS4, PS5 and PC (yeah found those dirt cheap in price), but still never finished a single one of them cause the main character is soooo damn annoying!, well at least for me. :D

NerdBurglars869d ago

You just sound like a teenager with too many hormones

MadLad869d ago (Edited 869d ago )

Half the comments section is acting like they made her this 0/10 looking character wearing seven layers of clothes.

The games were well reviewed. The new Lara would be a model in real world terms. If the biggest recurring issue is she wasn't just modelesque, but also abnormally large breasts and skin tight/virtually no clothing, that's just sad.

"She wasn't made to be the literal idea of a blowup doll. It's the PC police at it again."

Fntastic869d ago

That's probably most of the ppl on here tbh, many have atrocious grammar too so it makes sense. Guess their parents let them run loose on the internet.

H9869d ago

Honestly everyone here talking about her appearance is annoying, as if the game is perfect and just needs a fix in the character model and that's it, both people who are with and against her new design care more about how female character looks than her character

dumahim868d ago

and short attention span.

moriarty1889868d ago (Edited 868d ago )

That’s the whole problem….people like you calling out someone else for having an opinion about an original character design like Lara Croft’s. She was designed in a more sexy form and it was part of her look.It was also part of the attraction for many gamers who actually liked her for whatever way they may have. Nothing wrong with wanting her to resemble her original form at all. Unless you don’t like other people enjoying characters for what they are to them. That is the definition of close minded. This is video games after all. NOT reality.

Elantregaless868d ago

Why do you hate teenagers ?

bloop868d ago

I thought the reboot trilogy were good games, but I'd like to see the old, original Lara back too. I don't care what she looks like, but I'd like the character to go back to the assertive, confident and kick ass original character. All Lara seemed to do in the reboot games was complain, and the voice actor was painful to listen to.

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TricksterArrow869d ago (Edited 869d ago )

I couldn't care less about Lara's boobs or lack of them. The game is just boring, and even the first, which is by far, the superior and most fun one of the bunch, is atrociously written. That campfire scene of Lara and her friend with a strange islander after she witnessed murder and was chased almost to death by another islander was so badly conceived it hurts my brain... Holy molly.

Get a better writter. It's that simple.

moralsup869d ago

lmao this is sad, what are you, 14?

MrChow666868d ago

Are you a prudish Goody two-shoes?

Binarycode868d ago (Edited 868d ago )

Totally Agree. I've played everyone ever made. Original 3 were by far the best.

The recent ones have too much whiney vocals, I don't need to hear everything she is doing every second.lol.

I'm surprised they never included her tummy rumbling in the audio. Or having a dump in the bushes.

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Christopher869d ago

Modern trilogy based on a real-world woman for voice and design.

Older games based purely on imagination regarding design.

Yeah, censoring "women."

gamer7804868d ago (Edited 868d ago )

That is not really true or it’s misleading. All Lara Croft characters were based on imagination. None have been based off a real woman. Toby created Lara Croft to break stereotypes about females needing to be a damsel in distress. So he created her to and being tough and self reliant and can still be beautiful and attractive. There have been so many cosplays of all versions of Lara Croft so any could be a real world woman and is besides the point. But she has moved a bit further away from Tony’s original version and there are many who would like to see Lara return to form being all of those things.

At the very least give her her shorts, acrobatics and dual pistols back. That would be a start.

Christopher868d ago (Edited 868d ago )

*** All Lara Croft characters were based on imagination.***

Camilla Luddington was the base for both the voice and look of the new Lara. So, no.

@below: This is obviously about looks, not actions in-game. Your post is nonsensical as it relates nothing to the discussion. Let alone I said "for voice and design" and didn't say "for in-game combat and actions."

The back bending some of you are doing to try and have a point is ridiculous.

bunt-custardly868d ago

"based on a real world woman for voice and design".

You have got to be joking surely? Did you play any of the games? The feats this "based on a real world woman" accomplishes are fantastical from start to finish. I am glad you said "based" more like loosely based in a purely imaginative way.

gamer7804868d ago (Edited 868d ago )

Additionally, Sure they both had voice actresses, Kelley and Camilla, (personally preferred keeley) but they weren’t modeled specifically after an actual woman’s looks, just voice and mocap. ( ie your comment on design).

bunt-custardly868d ago (Edited 868d ago )

Obviously not Christopher. "Design" covers the entire spectrum as far as I am concerned, and in context of the article, quite relevant. You should have defined what you meant by "design" better. If you had said "looks" or "appearance" then there would be no confusion.

Christopher868d ago

Sure, bunt, sure. We're talking about a character, we obviously mean game design as well. Sounds logical to me.

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Bathory666869d ago (Edited 869d ago )

I beat the trilogy, but the first reboot on ps3 was the best. Camilla luddington was amazing as lara. Rise and shadow were good, but something just felt off. They didn’t have the spirit of the reboot. Really hoping the next game is good and it moves forward.

LucasRuinedChildhood869d ago (Edited 869d ago )

I thought Camilla luddington's performance wasn't great, tbh. In real life, she sounds like an American doing a REALLY bad English accent (rather than the other way around) because she moved to America when she was young.

That also translates to the accent in the game. haha. It just didn't sound right at all and is obviously fake. The over-emphasis on certain words makes her sound ... at best strange, and at worst a bit dumb. The pronunciations are often wrong as well.

Honestly though, I could accept all that if the characterization and story were compelling (that's not her fault). I had no investment in the character.

I didn't play Shadow, but I thought these games tortured her without any real purpose. The GCI trailer for Rise acted like the game would delve into her psychological state (therapy session scene) which would be interesting but it never does. She doesn't feel like a fully developed character, she feels more like a prop for the game to mess with and gruesomely put through Mortal Kombat-style fatalities if you make a mistake and die. Let her be a person and give her some good dialogue.

These are also the only games where ludonarrative dissonance is obvious to me when I'm actually playing because the games draw attention to it.

Knightofelemia869d ago (Edited 869d ago )

I didn't mind the trilogy except for Shadow of the Tomb Raider the ending was honestly probably going to ruin it but it was shit. I mean Uncharted Lost Legacy had a better ending and it was a shorter game. Too make Lara great again you have to rebuild her from the ground up listen to fan input learn what works and what doesn't work and take it from there with her.

zsquaresoff869d ago

Make it more like the 1st game of the trilogy and don't make the map unnecessarily big with tons of collectibles.
And make Lara sexy again.

moriarty1889868d ago

Yes make her sexy the way she originally was. Nothing evil or wrong with that at all. She is a video game character after all ……..ffs it’s not a real person. Video games are meant to be for fun and for the imagination. This new anti sexy anti feminine movement in games against female characters who originally were made that way is ridiculous. People need to stop taking everything so serious and looking for problems with everything in life. That’s why we are at this point in gaming with characters like Lara.

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