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Tomb Raider stretches to 6 million sold, one year later
Has any franchise reboot endured more scrutiny and debate over its degrees of success (or is it failure?) than 2013's Tomb Raider? Perhaps it's apt fallout from Lara Croft's rugged origin story, in which she proves herself against wolves, wild cultists and supernatural weather. Tomb Raider's commercial splash has gone from "'biggest opening" to "weak," back to "profitable" and onward to exceeding "profit expectations," according to a fan-facing note from Square Enix's head of studios, Darrell Gallagher. Looking back at the year since Tomb Raider first launched, Gallagher plays the referee and makes the call fans have been waiting for: "By the end of this month we will surpass 6 million units for our Tomb Raider reboot, and, having achieved profitability back in 2013 Tomb Raider has exceeded profit expectations and continues to make significant contributions to our overall financial performance." Publisher Square Enix was never going to get an instant Call of Duty caliber hit out of the story-driven Tomb Raider, but this affirmed success becomes important when we see doom hanging over major AAA studios, investing years into a game that hits – but doesn't hit quite hard enough. For now, Lara Croft appears to be a viable business again, even if she's not yet swimming in it. And let's get some actual swimming in the next one, please?
Square Enix appoints new heads of NA and EU studios
Square Enix today announced changes in the management makeup of its North American and European studios. These announcements come after a fiscal year spent in the red, and layoffs in both North America and Europe as part of a "corporate restructuring." All North American and European studios underneath the Square Enix umbrella will now be overseen by Darrell Gallagher, the company's new Head of Studios. Prior to receiving his assuredly jeweled crown and gold-plated throne, Gallagher was Studio Head of Crystal Dynamics – a position which he will continue to fill for the time being, in conjunction with his new duties. Eidos Montreal will now be helmed by David Anfossi, former Deus Ex: Human Revolution executive producer. Meanwhile, Square Enix Montreal will be "built into a centre of excellence for game development on smart devices (primarily tablets)" under the guidance of Patrick Naud, according to the announcement.
Tomb Raider delayed until Q1 2013
The younger, dirtier and unvarnished version of Lara Croft still needs some polish, according to Crystal Dynamics. The developer is pushing back the release date of the next Tomb Raider, from Fall 2012 into the first quarter of 2013. (Yes, the same quarter that now hosts another one of 2012's former heavy hitters, Bioshock Infinite.)"Our priority now is to make sure we fully deliver the very highest quality game," Crystal Dynamics Head Darrell Gallagher wrote. In a missive posted on the game's official forums, Gallagher shared the studio's push to make Tomb Raider "the best game of our careers." The delay will boost quality up to "a level that you deserve," he said.The shift in release date has also given us an unexpected sense of optimism. If enough promising games get pushed into next year, we might actually start rooting for the world's continued existence beyond 2012.
Crystal Dynamics GM lays out downloadable games strategy
The downloadable Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light isn't just an odd one-off from Crystal Dynamics, it's the first effort in a new strategy from the developer. General manager Darrell Gallagher told Gamasutra that Crystal Dynamics is using Guardian of Light, and future digitally-distributed titles, as a way to bridge larger-scale console installments. Gallagher said that it's a plan that Crystal Dynamics intends to continue with -- and one that other publishers will also pick up. The use of a smaller, downloadable game as a promotional device or stopgap release for a console game has been catching on even before Guardian of Light was announced, mostly with Capcom, whose Dark Void Zero and Bionic Commando Rearmed were released to warmer receptions than either of their disc-based counterparts. Gallagher told Gamasutra that because downloadable games have shorter development cycles, they can be used to bring people into a franchise or keep it popular while the next major installment is still in development.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light to be an 'original digital experience'
Crystal Dynamics has announced its first new game since the completion and launch of 2008's Tomb Raider: Underworld. Set to debut in 2010, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will see the roadworthy leading lady come to undisclosed platforms -- via download. It wouldn't be the first time the posh pot-smasher and exotic animal extinguisher stars in a downloadable format, as Tomb Raider: Anniversary was digitally distributed in the form of Tomb Raider: Legend DLC on Xbox 360 before getting a regular retail spot. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, however, is a standalone title that Crystal Dynamics GM Darrell Gallagher hopes will defy expectations. "This is a really exciting project for Crystal Dynamics, we have created something completely new and very different to what people might be expecting," he said. "Lara Croft is such an iconic character in videogames, with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light we have created what we believe is a truly original digital experience." We expect to catch our first glimpse of the game at next week's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, along with an indication on what else Crystal Dynamics has in store. Since the studio is staffed for two projects, we can't imagine this being the only Tomb Raider game in the works. The other one might even have "Tomb Raider" in the title.
Crystal Dynamics staffed for two projects, talks life post-Square Enix
"Essentially it's a partnership," Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher says about working with new owner Square Enix. "We're working really together with our parent company to make sure we're achieving our collective goals." Gallagher told Gamasutra that the new ownership leads to opportunities for sharing of history and technology. What is the new Square Enix-helmed Crystal doing now? It has the staff for two projects, including an in-house brand manager and public relations staff. Neither of those two potential projects are named, though Tomb Raider -- the franchise that the developer specifically focused its studio structure on last year -- did come up in the discussion. "What I can say is Tomb Raider, as a franchise, is absolutely part of the Crystal fabric," Gallagher said. "It's a key franchise and awesome to be part of... we're excited about what we've been exploring, and we're excited to share it with the fans at some point."
