FROM THE ARTICLE -------

Before Rise of the Tomb Raider released, Aaron Greenberg said that the challenge with Tomb Raider’s release was that “you have to look at the production schedule. You want to make sure that you don't rush the game so that it's not done or not of high quality," adding "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're against Call of Duty Black Ops III; you go two weeks earlier you're against Halo 5."
 
However, it turned out that releasing on the same day as what is regarded by many as the game of the year 2015 was also a bad decision just as many had predicted and led to less impressive sales numbers for a game with a triple A budget and critical acclaim. Releasing first on the Xbox platform also did not help matters.

On its month of release, it sold 201,000 copies on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 in the US compared to Fallout 4’s 2.5 million copies in the US based on NPD figures.
 
Timing really is everthing.

Read full article: http://www.etlifestyle.com/articles/sales-of-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-undermined-by-release-window

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Can we all agree the release date was terrible [no-sugar-coating]

It would have sold even less in a different release window

This thread will not end well.

Holding out to Q1 2016 would have been better for sales IMO. Games can sell well outside the holidays but MS seem to think only the last two months of the year matters.

X1 is just not selling non MS games all to well, also TR achieved its best sales on PS platforms. aka it was on the wrong platform, PS exclusivity it would have done 5 to 6 times better sales easily.

Highly unlikely, Fallout 4, Halo 5, Call of Duty, Star Wars etc.. all in the same period.

of course it would have sold more if it was on PS4 but as a MS exclusive. pushing it out of the holidays and releasing simultenously on the PC would have been much better.

I think it was that plus other factors as well.

The release date was the only problem. Two weeks later and I believe it sells more. I've no idea why you want to go up against multiplayer games like Star Wars and COD. Then same date as Fallout. Also mentioning that it's coming(exact timeframe) to other platforms before it's even released didn't help. I don't even know what was up with that.

All that being said it's probably going to be one of the best games released for a few years. Thought Batman was going to have the best game but the Batmobile usage turned the game to shit

I think it could've released on PS as well and still sell less than Fallout. Like it's been stated MS seems to think it's best to bunch all the good games up into the holidays just to boast about a good lineup instead of keeping a steady stream of good games throughout the year.

Blame Fallout 4.