Microsoft reports Square Enix's and Crystal Dynamics' Rise of the Tomb Raider selling over 1 million copies since its release for the Xbox One on November 10 last year.

According to a recent holiday wrap-up post written by Mike Nichols, the Corporate Vice President of Marketing for Xbox, the Microsoft executive said the Xbox One timed-exclusive Rise of the Tomb Raider has sold over 1 million copies. However, neither Nichols, his company, nor the developers for Rise of the Tomb Raider have yet to divulge any actual numbers or figures to back up the claim.

The news should come as a surprise to some, especially when Microsoft failed to release the action-adventure title's sales after it was pitted against Fallout 4 on launch day. With that being the case, many assumed Rise of the Tomb Raider to have been a financial flop, which would have supported a lot of gaming fans' opinions that making the game a timed-exclusive Xbox One title was a mistake.

Prior to Rise of the Tomb Raider's release, Phil Rogers, Square Enix's CEO, said its exclusivity would disappoint fans, but now it seems as if the decision to hold off on putting it out for other platforms has been somewhat successful. Not only has it been lucrative for Microsoft, but developers can look at its release on Xbox One as a sort of dry run, as they can map out what needs to be done in terms of ironing out any flaws in preparation for the title's PC release date in January and availability later this year for PlayStation 4.

Once the timed-exclusivity for Xbox One officially expires, Rise of the Tomb Raider ought to see its overall sales increase. After all, the title's reviews were positive, so it isn't as if the game's quality would deter gamers on different platforms from buying a copy. Bearing that in mind, perhaps the anticipation from hearing about how much fun RotTR is on Microsoft's current-gen console could spur PC and PlayStation 4 fans into a buying frenzy once it finally releases for the platforms.

While Microsoft can chalk up Rise of the Tomb Raider's timed-exclusivity as a success, many fans would argue that the practice should be abolished altogether, as it typically alienates people who enjoy gaming on a specific platform. If anything, companies should eschew making certain systems or consoles timed priorities for content, and ink strict exclusivity contracts. At least it would allow creators to develop products that would highlight the strengths of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC, which could in turn make for a stronger game, and increase the appeal of a particular platform.

At any rate, with Rise of the Tomb Raider being one of the top 10 best video games of 2015, there will definitely be plenty more fans in the near future who are ready to experience Lara Croft's latest adventure. Whether they choose to get it on the PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One is their decision, but those sticking with the former two platforms will need to be okay playing the waiting game for the time being.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is out now as a timed-exclusive for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, with its availability on PC set for sometime in January 2016, and a release date for the PlayStation 4 being planned for later this year.

Source: Xbox Wire (via GameSpot)