MICROSOFT: Gamescom 2014 roundup

It’s almost 20 years since Lara Croft made her video games debut yet the star of Tomb Raider has today proved she’s more relevant than ever.

Microsoft’s announcement that Rise of the Tomb Raider will be an Xbox One exclusive – or to put it another way, that it has paid Square Enix to withhold the game from PS4 and PC owners – has been the shock of the show thus far, and sent the gaming fandom into meltdown.

The decision results in an old-fashioned face-off between Lara Croft and Nathan Drake.

On Microsoft’s side, a cherished IP with a proven track record of success that has recently successfully reinvented itself. On Sony’s side, a critically adored game that has never quite enjoyed the sales to match the hype but now has the power of a far greater install base than its rival behind it.

Microsoft had more up its sleeve than just Tomb Raider, however. The first gameplay from Quantum Break looked solid (if a little cover heavy) while the reveal of a 1TB machine is a welcome surprise.

Xbox One’s indie line-up is super solid, with games like Goat Simulator and Super Hot due to make their console debuts on the machine. There was more exclusive IP, too, in the form of Frontier’s ScreamRide.

And then there’s Kinect which… wasn’t mentioned once, was it?

What has Sony got in response? Find out at 6pm tonight.

Here’s a roundup:

• FIFA 15 Xbox One bundle up for pre-order – LINK
• Goat Simulator among indie games coming first on console to Xbox One – LINK
• 1TB Call of Duty Xbox One announced – LINK
• Rise of the Tomb Raider is an Xbox exclusive – LINK
• See Quantum Break Xbox One gameplay – LINK
• Crystal Dynamics explains Xbox One exclusivity for Rise of the Tomb Raider – LINK
• Xbox exclusive ScreamRide is like a twisted RollerCoaster Tycoon – LINK
• White Xbox One bundle announced for Sunset Overdrive – LINK
• The Halo Channel coming to Xbox One – LINK
• Xbox One players will now be able to pre-load games – LINK