tomb-raider-2011
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Tomb Raider plots journey to Mac
Feral Interactive is bringing the Crystal Dynamics reboot of Tomb Raider to the Mac later this year. Mac specialist Feral wasn't any more specific than that, but the good news is there are only 84 days left in the year, so the wait can't be all that much longer. We were fond of Tomb Raider when it hit PS3, Xbox 360, and PC earlier this year, doling out a healthy four stars in our review. Square Enix was infamously less fond of Lara's adventure, despite the game shifting more than four million copies as of August. Maybe the Mac port's [x] millions of sales will help to satiate the publisher's hunger.
Steam weekend deals: Tomb Raider, Rogue Legacy, Activision games
This weekend's frugalfest on Steam is quite tempting. Tomb Raider is down to $12.49 for the standard edition and $14.49 for the Survival edition, which includes select DLC such as ten ditties from the soundtrack, a digital comic, a map, a digital mini art book, an in-game "Guerrilla Skin" outfit for Lara and three weapons plucked from Hitman: Absolution. Punishing retro-inspired roguelike platformer Rogue Legacy is also on the discount block this weekend, down 40% to a mere $9. Finally, there's the Activision publisher sale, which sees discounts for just about every Activision game on Steam: Singularity, Prototype 2, numerous Call of Duty games and Deadpool are all vying for your weekend dollar, so feel free to hop on over and peruse the list. As always, the Steam weekend deals expire on Monday morning at 10am PT.
Tomb Raider worldwide sales exceed 4 million units
Darrell Gallagher, head of product development and studios at Square Enix, says Tomb Raider has sold over four million copies worldwide since its debut earlier this year. "We now sit in a great position where the decisions we made and the willingness to embrace a new direction resulted in the fastest selling game in the history of the franchise and the most critically acclaimed title ever produced from the studio," Gallagher writes in a blog post on Gamasutra. Outside of Tomb Raider, Gallagher calls out Sleeping Dogs and Just Cause 2 as successes for the company. Sleeping Dogs has become "profitable" for Square Enix and both games enjoy a monthly active community of over half a million players each. Tomb Raider is a game we thought catered well to both series diehards and new fans alike, in a story arc depicting Lara's ascent from amateur globetrotter to toughened adventurer. A sequel is currently "well into development" for next-gen consoles.
Layoffs hit Crystal Dynamics, Tomb Raider unaffected
Square Enix has laid off around a dozen staff at Crystal Dynamics, the publisher confirmed in a statement to Joystiq. "We've made some decisions at Crystal Dynamics this week around the second project we're working on, which has resulted in a small number of roles (roughly 12) becoming redundant as we re-scope the project," the statement reads. "We're a close-knit team at Crystal and wouldn't be making these changes if we didn't feel it was absolutely necessary," the publisher said. The staffing changes do not impact the subset at Crystal Dynamics that is working the next-generation Tomb Raider sequel, which was confirmed by Square Enix's CEO Phil Rogers earlier this month. Square Enix will "help those affected as best we can" and asks that anyone currently searching for talented developers contact 'mtrout at crystald.com.'
Tomb Raider sequel for next-gen confirmed by Square CEO
Square Enix CEO for the Americas and Europe Phil Rogers has confirmed a sequel to the acclaimed Tomb Raider reboot is "well into development." The overall concept that a sequel was in the works leaked a couple weeks back with the announcement of a comic book that would bridge the gap between games. Writer Gail Simone, who is working with publisher Dark Horse on the comic, said, "In continuity, it will be Tomb Raider canon, and lead DIRECTLY into the sequel." Darrell Gallagher, former Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics' studio head, now head of product development and studios at Square Enix, added today, "It's still early days, so I'm afraid I can't provide any further details for now save my assurance that we're not resting on our laurels and acclaim from Tomb Raider's recent successes, but working hard to raise the bar even higher and re-affirm the faith you've shown." The Tomb Raider reboot was a critical and retail hit, no matter what Square Enix political machinations caused the publisher to say on the subject.
Square Enix explains former CEO's current role within company
Early this morning Square Enix clarified the role of former Chief Executive Officer Yoichi Wada within the company, after his name popped up as "Chairman" on company forms a couple of days ago – a surprising turn given Square's financial condition. A spokesperson explained The Square Enix Group's entire business and operations are managed and executed by Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd, the parent company. "Yoichi Wada has left the management of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd and no longer has any role in the parent company," the statement to Joystiq reads. "Currently, he is overseeing a portion of the business within Square Enix Co., Ltd (Square Enix Tokyo), one of the subsidiaries of the parent company. These businesses include emerging markets as well as social and mobile businesses." Wada's current job title is Chairman for Square Enix Tokyo. He does not hold the right of representation for the company. The note concludes: "He has no authority in terms of the management of the Group." Wada left the CEO position in March after the company's "extraordinary" loss; he was replaced by former company director and CFO Yosuke Matsuda.
Former Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada listed as Chairman of the Board
Former Square Enix Chief Executive Officer Yoichi Wada, who announced he would be stepping down as CEO in March after the company's "extraordinary" loss, has moved on to become... the company's Chairman of the Board. Square Enix's Japanese site has made note of the change. To give this a little perspective, if the CEO is the captain of the ship, then the Chairman of the Board is the admiral of the fleet. It's the job of the board to work in the best interest of investors. Given recent events, this is the part where you totally have permission to laugh or cry. Your choice. We've reached out to Square Enix for confirmation and comment. [Image: Chirtsova Natalia via Shutterstock]
Square Enix's three initiatives to reform its AAA business
With the epiphanic clarity that comes at the bottom of the third strawberry milkshake, Square Enix is reimagining the way it interacts with customers and the very definition of "AAA" games. As part of a recently translated results briefing, originally presented on the day the company announced a $134 million loss for the fiscal year, Senior Exec. Managing Director Yosuke Matsuda detailed three new strategic initiatives for the company's AAA business. Square Enix plans to construct a portfolio tailored to consumer tastes in respective regions, after finding it "extremely difficult" to sell major titles worldwide. The company will focus on tablets and mobile. And, finally, it will overhaul large-scale, long-term development to increase asset turnover (i.e. get games out the door). Regarding that final point, Matsuda brings up Kickstarter and Valve's Steam Greenlight/Early Access as models to interact with customers while a game is in development.
Tomb Raider on sale for $14 at Green Man Gaming
Frugal survivalists can enlist in Lara Croft's prequel adventure, Tomb Raider, for $13.60 today. The deal is over on PC digital distribution outlet Green Man Gaming, which has the Crystal Dynamics reboot currently listed at $17 - simply add coupon code "GMG20-LLASD-D8WBQ" (without quotes, boldness is entirely up to you) in the checkout screen and you'll get the extra-reduced price. In our review of Tomb Raider, we cited the joy of exploration and story's revelatory crescendo as catalysts for our love of Lara's coming-of-age tale. "The arc is drawn perfectly, with the edges of the old Tomb Raider starting to poke through as the story comes to a close, teasing what's yet to come." Several DLC packs have been issued, adding new maps and modes to the multiplayer side of the game. Crystal Dynamics has said it has no plans to offer single-player DLC.
Everything Tomb Raider 50 percent off on Steam this weekend
Steam is offering a 50 percent discount on assorted Tomb Raider games this weekend. The sale drops the price of the latest Tomb Raider game to $25, with the Survival Edition knocked down to $28. The Tomb Raider Collection, which features 10 games from the series (including this year's entry), is also part of this weekend's deal. That sizable bundle of games can be bought for $35. Steam's weekend sale ends at 10am Pacific time on Monday, May 6. PS3 owners can still pick up Lara Croft's recent adventure on PSN for $30 this weekend.
Tomb Raider $30 on PSN this weekend, $20 on GMG
There are some killer deals on Tomb Raider this weekend. On the console front, the downloadable PSN version has been chopped to $30. The deal runs until this Monday at noon PT.On PC, you can snag the Steam version of Lara's latest adventure for $25 from Green Man Gaming. What's more, applying the code "GMG20-GGN5D-FC3NA" will knock another five bucks off the price, dropping it down to $20.That's like a penny for every arrow-related fatality in Tomb Raider.
Japanese voiceover pack coming to Tomb Raider PC ... for $30
Rather than waiting to localize Tomb Raider into Japanese, Square Enix will sell a Japanese voiceover pack for the Steam version already available in Japan through the Western stores. That part is cool and kind of forward-thinking.The part that's less cool: the pack costs $30, on top of the full-price purchase of the game. The massive upcharge brings the US Steam version into price parity with the Japanese retail release, which shares an April 25 release date with the VO pack, and retails for ¥7,980 ($80). Yes, video games are always too expensive in Japan. And Square Enix is artificially ensuring that's the case for Tomb Raider.It's hard to figure out who this Japanese Language Pack is for, if it comes out the same day as the localized PC release for the same effective price. We suppose it's for people in Japan who want to play Tomb Raider now, but don't mind missing out on all the dialogue for a couple of weeks.
Tomb Raider 1939 multiplayer maps out now, other DLC dated
Tomb Raider is bolstered by more multiplayer DLC today: the 1939 multiplayer map pack, a pair of maps including Dogfight – a concrete bunker forgotten since World War 2 – and the open spaces of hunting ground Forest Meadow. The map pack costs 320 MS Points ($4) and is available for download on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC right now.Last month's Cave and Cliffs map pack was a timed Xbox 360 exclusive. Today, Square Enix revealed that it's coming to PS3 and PC mid-April, while the Shipwrecked multiplayer map pack will debut on all platforms in early May. On top of that, some of the exclusive launch DLC for Tomb Raider is available for download across all platforms now, including those Hitman: Absolution guns and other retailer-specific content.
Crystal Dynamics: Tomb Raider had best week one sales in franchise history
Tomb Raider has achieved the highest week one sales in the franchise's history, according to Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher. Speaking at a GDC panel alongside creative director Noah Hughes, Gallagher also revealed that Tomb Raider had the most successful launch of any game this year."It's been the biggest week one sales in franchise history, and we're only a few weeks into that launch right now, and it's been the biggest opening so far in 2013," said Gallagher. "So, we're happy with the outcome. It's certainly in a place where we feel like we're on the road to achieving everything we wanted to."The claim seems to be at odds with the feelings of Tomb Raider's publisher, Square Enix, which recently cited "weak sales" of its major titles, including Tomb Raider, as a reason for the company undergoing restructure. When asked about the apparent disconnect between Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics regarding Tomb Raider's performance, Hughes told us, "Certainly we're proud of what we achieved, and I think for the most part, the whole organization is happy with what we did." And for Gallagher, "Actuals and expectations, I guess, are two slightly different things. What I'm telling you is the actuals, and they're communicating expectations."That raises the question of just what Square Enix was expecting. To put things in perspective, Tomb Raider had higher initial sales than the 1996 original, a game that went on to sell over 6 million units in its lifetime. And yet, despite receiving critical acclaim and breaking franchise records, it would appear that Tomb Raider just isn't number one enough.
Tomb Raider £20 this weekend on PSN EU
If all of the short-burst Easter Egg deals are as good as this one, then PlayStation Europe's PSN spring sale is one to watch. According to the PlayStation Blog, Tomb Raider is just £19.99/€29.99 on PSN in the continent until the end of March 31, making it comfortably one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest PS3 version in the UK at the moment.Dozens of other games are discounted on Europe's PSN until April 9, including Persona 1-3, Child of Eden, and Driver: San Francisco.
Tomb Raider single-player DLC isn't in Crystal Dynamics' current plans
Tomb Raider's DLC will be multiplayer-orientated only, based on developer Crystal Dynamics' current plans. Speaking in a Reddit AMA, director Noah Hughes and global brand director Karl Stewart said there are no planned single-player DLC expansions."Currently there are no plans regarding single-player DLC," said Hughes when first asked about upcoming DLC. "Now that Lara is more experienced, we are excited to take her on new adventures that challenge her new strength and confidence. It is important that even as Lara grows as a character, so do the challenges she must face.""There are currently no plans in place for any single-player expansions." Stewart later followed up. "All of our DLC is based around the multiplayer experience for now."Tomb Raider received its first expansion this week in the form of the 'Caves and Cliffs' pack, which added three new arenas to the game's multiplayer. That arrived on Xbox 360 yesterday for 400 MSP, and remains as yet undated for PS3 and PC.
PSA: Tomb Raider gets another patch, Nvidia updates beta drivers
Tomb Raider on PC got another patch this weekend, launched in conjunction with new beta drivers from Nvidia for GeForce GPUs. Download the latest GeForce 314.21 drivers direct from Nvidia.Since its launch, GeForce Tomb Raider players have seen "major performance and stability issues" trying to play the game at max settings. Complaints include problems with TressFX and tessellation tripping the game up, at least for those with 600-series cards. There are more Tomb Raider patches incoming from Crystal Dynamics, based on ongoing player feedback.
Square Enix dishes some Tomb Raider stats
Square Enix recently shared some interesting stats it gathered on the way gamers are playing Tomb Raider. As of the developer's posting, players have killed 5,294,879 deer and 1,417,750 crabs.Lara Croft has narrowly avoided death 13,742,891 times and has dodged the attacks of 11,067,764 enemies, killing 147,675,058 enemies with a bow. Roughly 13.95 percent of those kills were with fire arrows (20,601,083 to be exact). Keeping with the game's namesake, Croft has also raided 3,570,956 tombs in total. That's a lot of tombs.
Tomb Raider PC patch addresses hairy Nvidia issues
Tomb Raider received a PC patch this weekend, with fixes for the Nvidia-associated stability issues high on the agenda. The patch notes mention corrections for "some stability and startup issues on machines that have both Intel and Nvidia graphics hardware" and "some small improvements to TressFX hair rendering." These chief issues led to Nvidia apologizing for the game's unstable performance at maximum settings on its GeForce cards.Going by the Steam and Eidos forums, the patch does provide significant improvement for some of the stability issues, although by the sounds of it TressFX is still somewhat flaky.
Crystal Dynamics: 1 million playing Tomb Raider two days after launch
One million raiders are already exploring rebooted tombs, developer Crystal Dynamics revealed last night. Global brand director Karl Stewart tweeted that a million people were playing Tomb Raider less than 48 hours after the game's launch on March 5.We're not taking that in the literal sense, though; a million concurrent players would be very impressive, but the game selling one million units in two days is a tad more likely, albeit still impressive.It's also surely sweet music to the ears of Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix following the performance of the series' last major entry, Tomb Raider: Underworld. That game took over a month to sell a disappointing (apparently) 1.5 million units, with layoffs at Crystal Dynamics occurring soon after. At this rate, the Tomb Raider reboot will hit that figure by the end of the week.
