The console manufacturers, particularly Sony and Microsoft have been involved in a bit of a cold war over multiplatform games, one which has begun to heat up over the past several months. First, Microsoft announced that it would be the home of exclusive, as-yet-unreleased DLC for Grand Theft Auto IV, and now the company is doing it again by breaking the news that the Xbox 360 will be sporting exclusive Tomb Raider: Underwold content as well.

According to the reports, Microsoft’s console will receive two bonus chapters, available as DLC, that will add roughly six hours to the overall gameplay experience. The first of these new chapters, "Beneath the Ashes," will be available this Christmas, while "Lara’s Shadow" will appear in early 2009. Microsoft’s George Peckham was excited by the news, stating:

"We’re thrilled that Xbox owners will be able to extend their Lara Croft adventures with exclusive Tomb Raider: Underworld episodes.

"We look forward to continue working closely with our great publishing partners to deliver the most robust gaming experiences, only on Xbox 360."

Eidos and Microsoft also confirmed that this isn’t merely a timed exclusive, so PlayStation 3 and PC owners will be out of luck when it comes to having access to the special content.

I know that console manufacturers wouldn’t utilize these kinds of tactics if they didn’t work, but I for one am starting to get annoyed. Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3, and now Tomb Raider: Underworld are all subject to these exclusivity deals, and even though I don’t know if I’ll even want the extra content, the only way for me to even have the opportunity to buy it is to pick up the game for one specific console. This practice is doubly devious for gamers who don’t own both an Xbox 360 and PS3, and are thereby automatically left out if they happen to own the console with the wrong name on the front. But hey, they’ll keep doing it as long as we keep paying, so you can bet this is a trend that will get worse before it ever gets better.