Tomb Raider Needs to Be A Focus of Sony? (PS3)

When you think of Tomb Raider, you think of Action Adventure. When you think of Pulp-Action Adventure, you think of Uncharted. When you look at these two games together, you see an extremely close resemblance. They both represent the same sort of thing mostly because the two were once all one.

Many of the developers at Naughty Dog did in fact once all belong to Crystal Dynamics and had a role in the development of Tomb Raider games. When that style of gameplay was coupled with the colorful nature and platforming prowess, Uncharted spawned from those two ideas. Even the series writer Amy Hennig, that played in a huge role with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reavor, later joined the Naughty Dog team. There's a commonality and that same blood and DNA flows through Naughty Dog's vein's. The question is, are Sony fearful of their own franchise or is that the name that was once synonymous with PlayStation that they want back.

This generation of console games is quite different that in generations past. Back in the day, it was all about picking up exclusives and defining you consoles by those developers and the talent they have in drawing on the power of your platform. Sony has quite the history as well with working with developers and having that attractive nature, irregardless of how difficult the hardware was to develop for, the PlayStation 2 being no different. It was just riding on a bigger wave and developers want to be where the fanbase was. Even after the release of the original Xbox that was much more powerful.

Today isn't much different. At least not with Sony or Nintendo. Microsoft still goes after those exclusives, but not nearly as aggressively as they once have. Even with the sort of money Microsoft pulls in. Microsoft rather goes after the additional content. Has that proven to be more effective that buying up the company?

Though its still too early to tell with as little as we've seen with Tomb Raider, that debut on Microsoft's stage at E3 2011, we almost wonder if Microsoft have gotten to Crystal Dynamics first and begun working with them to establish the Tomb Raider name moreso on the Xbox 360. Perhaps Microsoft doesn't want exclusivity for Tomb Raider as a whole, but is again shooting for the bonus content. Has Sony been in talks with Crystal Dynamics?

Its an interesting thought though as to what exactly goes on behind closed doors. A wonder as to how Sony genius works with finding those developers that they acquire that brings claim and fame to their reputation of the having the best first-party development, and how Microsoft, if they so choose, not to acquire companies and how they are able to find and negotiate the bonus content they get that really seems to boom and move units and software on the Xbox 360 while, Sony has a difficult time finding successful worthwhile exclusive content.

Again, its too early to tell, but perhaps this sort of genre is something that Sony needs to work with and keep that draw coming to the PS3. Depending on the type of game, does Sony need to get to work to secure bonus content early, or is Tomb Raider not the bang that Sony or Microsoft are even looking for, but that Microsoft wanted to have some sort of showing of that genre knowing that Sony would have Uncharted 3. Perhaps Crystal Dynamics are unhappy with Sony?

Either way, what was once strong with Sony perhaps maybe ought to remain as such. Who knows. I guess we'll find out what happens with Tomb Raider when it hits. Whether Microsoft have taken it upon themselves to obtain the similar experience, whether Sony still fights for the genre or whether Crystal Dynamics fights it alone. Its no surprise though that Microsoft approached Crystal Dynamics asking them to show whatever they've got at their Press Conference knowing the impact Uncharted 3 would have.

For all things Uncharted, all things Tomb Raider and all things gaming, keep checking back as we keep you inside the X-Gaming Zone all the time online here at the XZONE!