Crystal Dynamics defends Tomb Raider sales

Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher has a different outlook when it comes to the sales of Tomb Raider. The newly released action-adventure reboot of the classic series starring Lara Croft has sold approximately 3.4 million units (not including digital) since its launch. For most publishers, that's a respectable number. For Square Enix, it's not enough, as the publisher noted in its latest financial reports that the game failed to meet company expectations.

Earlier this week, Square Enix described Tomb Raider has having "weak sales," although much of the blame was placed upon the North American sales force which accounted for 2/3 of the number units sold in Europe. Gallagher, on the other hand, is more than pleased with how the game is performing.

"It's been the biggest week one sales in franchise history, and we're only a few weeks into that launch right now, and it's been the biggest opening so far in 2013," Gallagher told GDC attendees. "So, we're happy with the outcome. It's certainly in a place where we feel like we're on the road to achieving everything we wanted to."

"Actuals and expectations, I guess, are two slightly different things. What I'm telling you is the actuals, and they're communicating expectations," Gallagher later told Joystiq privately.

The disagreeing views between developer and publisher certainly raises some interesting questions. Were the expectations placed upon Tomb Raider unfair? We still don't know what Square Enix's target goals with the game were, but it wasn't just Tomb Raider that failed to live up to sales expectations. Alongside Tomb Raider on the weak sales slide were Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs, two fairly well-received games that sold decently.

[Joystiq]