Square Enix finally explains why they sold Tomb Raider and Crystal Dynamics

metro.co.uk:

Concerns about the cost of making modern games and cannibalising sales from their own line-up are behind Square Enix’s recent actions.

The fact that Square Enix sold Tomb Raider and almost all its Western franchises, along with the two highly talented developers that made them, for an absurdly low $300 million seems so peculiar it’s hard to imagine there’s any sensible explanation for it.

One of the main theories so far is that Square Enix sold them in order to be a more attractive acquisition target for Sony, but while that may be true in part it’s not the official reason being given.

Speaking to investors during a recent financial call Square Enix made the peculiar suggestion that they did it because they were worried that the games would cannibalise other Square Enix sales.

The idea of cannibalising sales is a real, if uncommon, phenomenon, with perhaps the most famous example being that time EA released both Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 within the same two week period (and just a week before Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare).

It’s a mystery though, as to what Square Enix thinks could be conflicting within their own schedules, given the long gaps between major releases and how different games like Tomb Raider and Guardians Of The Galaxy are to each other, let alone anything made by their Japanese studios.

The other rumour as to the true reasoning behind the move is that both studios were simply too expensive and difficult to maintain, and Square Enix no longer thought they were worth the time or trouble. With the implication that Sony would come to the same conclusion and Square Enix would seem a less desirable acquisition as a result.

So while the output of Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal in terms of games was generally