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Crytek: "We Are Not 100% Happy With Xbox One Sales"

CEO Cevat Yerli also says Ryse 2--for Xbox or PlayStation--might be considered if current-gen sales improve.

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Amid the recent reports of financial troubles at Crytek was the suggestion that a sequel to Xbox One launch title Ryse: Son of Rome had been canceled. This is not necessarily true, according to CEO Cevat Yerli, who says in a new interview that Crytek is waiting until more current-generation consoles are sold before it might start talking about Ryse 2.

"We have a good relationship with Microsoft. We are constantly looking at what we can do together," Yerli told Eurogamer in his first interview since the tough times at Crytek came to light last month. "We are not 100 percent happy with Xbox One sales right now. So we want to wait till the current-gen and next-gen catches up. For Ryse 2, we aren't saying it's cancelled. It's our IP. It just has to wait for the right timing. And the right timing means higher installed base across next-gen."

The Xbox One launched in November 2013 and sold more than 3 million units before the end of the year. Microsoft has not shared a new sales update since, but we know the console has shipped more than 5 million systems overall.

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Yerli also said that Microsoft does not have the rights for Ryse 2, meaning the game could be released on the PlayStation 4, potentially. "We can do whatever we want with it with whoever we want," Yerli said.

Though Ryse: Son of Rome did not get the best reviews, Yerli said he has received "a lot of positive feedback" about the game. What's keeping Crytek from seeking a publishing deal for the game right now is "focus and attention," he said. "We're considering it. But at this point there is nothing official I can talk about."

Yerli also addressed two other well-known Crytek franchises: TimeSplitters and Crysis. He said he personally loves the TimeSplitters series, and there could be a "good chance of something" in the future," but he tempered those comments by adding, "at this point we don't have any plans with [Timesplitters] because we are focused on our development and operation of our current projects" like Warface, Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, Arena of Fate, and a PC version of Ryse: Son of Rome. "We will figure out something definitely for TimeSplitters, but the time has not come yet," he said.

Regarding Crysis, Yerli said the franchise is "dear" to him, but again, he explained that Crytek is going to focus on its current projects before it branches out and potentially revives the series. "We will definitely consider looking at it," he said. The most recent Crysis game was 2013's Crysis 3. Asked directly if Crysis 4 was in development right now, Yerli said, "Don't know. Just saying, no comment. We're just focusing. That's what I'm saying."

Finally, Eurogamer's interview with Yerli goes into depth about the company's recent "transformation," which saw it downsize and sell the Homefront series to Deep Silver. "That transformation was painful. We paid the price," he said. "Now we come out of it much stronger. I hope people will see through our games these are not just empty words."

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