Lara Croft
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Lara Croft may have road named in her honor
They say you can find your stripper name by combining the name of your first pet with the street you grew up on. Keeping that in mind, you may someday find yourself trying to figure out how to politely decline the awkward, compulsory advances of Miss Fluffy Lara Croft. As reported in the Derby Telegraph, the hero of the Tomb Raider series in one of eight potential names for two stretches of a road in the UK city Derby, which was the home of Core Design, the original studio behind Lara. Surprisingly, Lara Croft is not our favorite option, as the idea of being badgered into buying Scruffy John Flamsteed a $13 drink is just too wonderful to imagine. Voting is currently being conducted via a poll on Derby's official website. [Via F*** Yeah, Lara Croft!, Thanks, Jose]
The many artistic portrayals of Lara Croft
[Nebeziel, deviantART user] A Google image search of Lara Croft is a lot tamer than it used to be these days, though it's still something we wouldn't suggest doing. Thankfully, we have a link to quench your thirst for inspired, non-naked, sexually-deprived-fanboy-fantasy-quasi-porn, courtesy of The Design Inspiration. There are 40 fanworks in total, all originating from deviantART (obviously). There are a lot of great renditions, including the image where Lara is fighting dinosaurs and the one where she's hiding from dinosaurs. We also have a soft spot for this odd image of her fighting Wonder Woman, but the best has to be this image where she defends herself so she can stop and eat the baked potato she brought down into the tomb with her. Tomb raiding takes a lot of carbohydrates, people! [Via Kotaku]
Toby Gard off again with Lara, Crystal Dynamics
Toby Gard has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Lara Croft from the beginning. After helping to create the character at Core, he returned to help relaunch the series with Legend, before directing the cutscenes for Underworld. In June, his LinkedIn profile revealed that he'd been working on a a secret, unannounced project since January; one that we speculated was his latest engagement with the gun-toting adventurer. It seems it's not to be, though. As Develop discovered, Gard's LinkedIn profile again tells the tale: He left the company this month to open his own consultancy business. At this point, we don't know if the project dies with his career at Crystal Dynamics, as both Gard and the development team have refrained from elaborating on recent events. [Image credit]
Square Enix and Eidos announce first collaboration
Now that Eidos lives under Square-Enix's crystalline, spire-laden roof, it makes sense that we'd see the two companies collaborating on something. We just didn't think it'd be this soon. Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada recently told Gamasutra that it was "possible" a Square team could work with an Eidos IP "but what's more important is that the two companies, for example, are going to be creating a new IP together."Not the Lara Croft RPG we were hoping for, but interesting nonetheless.
A younger Lara will star in next Tomb Raider film
Speaking to About.com, Terminator Salvation producer (for the film, not the game) Dan Lin stated that the next Tomb Raider film will feature a younger Lara Croft. Lin spoke of the "rebooting" of the franchise -- revealed earlier this year -- saying, "It's a great origin story that we're going to tell." Lin added that the film would be "very character-oriented" and that it would be "more realistic" than previous films in the series. While Lin did not reveal any information on who would be playing Lady Croft, he did note that it would be a younger Lara, so don't count on Angelina Jolie making a third appearance.Furthermore, Lin said that the films and games have become "too action-oriented," while he would rather see "action, but with character." We have to agree with Lin, action has never been Lara's strong suit, as combat is typically the worst aspect of any Tomb Raider games. Still, we suppose a movie about platforming might get a little boring.[Via Kotaku]
Steam selling Tomb Raider: Anniversary for $5
Has your recent playthrough of Tomb Raider: Underworld left you curious about Lara Croft's roots? No, not like, her hair (though she's obviously not a natural brunette) -- her history. Well, there's no better way to brush up on your Croftian comprehension than to check out Tomb Raider: Anniversary, the 2007 remake of the original Tomb Raider -- and thanks to Steam's current weekend deal, there's no better time to pick it up. Valve's download platform is offering the updated grave robbing sim for just $5 until the end of the weekend. Sure, you could just as easily purchase a foot-long sandwich with that kind of cash, but we find double-pistoled tiger homicide to be much more fulfilling in the long run.[Via Big Download]
Europe getting exclusive PSP Tomb Raider two-pack
Eidos announced today that Lara Croft's two adventures on PSP will be merged together into one package. The Tomb Raider Double Pack is exclusively available in Europe and will feature both Tomb Raider: Legend and Tomb Raider: Anniversary (uh, the only TR games released on the system). Tomb Raider Double Pack is set for release next week, on April 10. A price hasn't been set yet, but we suspect it won't break the bank. Punchline: You won't have to raid any tombs to pay for it.
Joystiq Review: Tomb Raider Underworld: Lara's Shadow (DLC)
Acting as a cracked mirror, reflecting the obsession and ruthlessness that has come to envelop Lara Croft in her most recent adventures, the Doppelganger makes for an interesting choice of protagonist for Tomb Raider Underworld's second downloadable expansion. As Lara's shadow so curtly explains, she's an exact duplicate of Tomb Raider's lithe leading lady -- minus all the flaws. Unfortunately, Lara's Shadow is anything but, serving only to highlight and exacerbate one of the biggest problems that has plagued the Tomb Raider series since its inception. It's vaguely appalling that developer Crystal Dynamics has managed to introduce even more combat this time around, even after removing most of Lara's guns.
Eidos confirms 'Beneath the Ashes' price, playable character in second DLC pack
Eidos has finally confirmed that Tomb Raider Underworld's Beneath the Ashes pack -- releasing tomorrow -- will cost the expected 800 ($10). Lara's exploration of what existed beneath her 12-room (2-bath), fully furnished wine cellar is the first piece of DLC, to be followed by Lara's Shadow, which offers a "new" playable character.Given the disappointing sales of TRU, we're going to guess that quite a few haven't played the title yet. As this playable character is a spoiler, we'll place that info after the break.
Square Enix behind Eidos takeover bid
Dear Diary,I've finally learned the identity of the man I've come to describe as "my secret admirer," or "my irritating stalker" whenever he attempts to serenade me with one of those dreadful J-pop ditties. You know ... this revelation explains his questionable taste in high-pitched music, not to mention the fact that he wears a suit made entirely of Tetsuya Nomura belts. Oh, Mr. Square Enix, how long have you loitered outside my manor window, hoping to catch a glimpse of my recently sagging assets?According to a letter sent to my lawyer type persons, Mr. Enix has offered to purchase Eidos (the company I helped build in the '90s) in an 84.3 million pound bid -- that's roughly 38 million kilograms $120 million. I find it immeasurably flattering, especially with him labeling my Tomb Raider plays as one of the most successful franchises "of all time." While my people have yet to come to a final agreement with his people, the deal values my company's shares at 32 pence a piece -- that's quite a premium! He calls the courtship a strengthening of his "broad portfolio of market leading franchises," but I think he's really just lonely, stuck with all those "RPGs."Speaking of which, Winston just told me there's an exotic and highly endangered marmoset running about the mansion courtyard. Better grab some explosives and blow its legs off before it gets away.-- Lara
Tomb Raider Underworld 'Beneath the Ashes' DLC delayed
It appears Lady Croft will have to explore her basement at a later date, as Eidos has once again delayed Tomb Raider Underworld's DLC. StrategyInformer received word from the publisher that the hold up is being caused by an "unexpected technical issue." There is currently no new release date for the DLC.We wonder if this "technical issue" would have been dealt with by now if Crystal Dynamics still had its staff intact? We've contacted Eidos with questions regarding this delay and will update if we hear anything.Update: An Eidos rep. has responded to our questions by reaffirming the delay and stating a new launch date will be revealed as soon as it's confirmed.
Watch Lara explore her basement in 'Beneath the Ashes'
Eidos has released a developer diary video talking up the soon-to-be-released, Xbox 360 exclusive "Beneath the Ashes" episode for Tomb Raider: Underworld. For those just joining us, the new level sees Lady Croft discovering that her home's basement has ... a basement. And that, in addition to being very large, it's also chockablock with traps. We're guessing her realtor wasn't big on total disclosure.The video offers up our first good look at the DLC, with principals on the project revealing that it contains puzzles even more ... puzzling than those in the retail game. It's also quite "creepy," "spooky" and "scary" -- as the viewer is told, oh, a dozen times or so. See for yourself ... unless you scare, spook or get creeped out easily.
Report: Warner Bros. rebooting Tomb Raider film (sans Megan Fox)
Warner Bros. is preparing to restart Lara Croft's celluloid career, reports ComingSoon.net. The rights to a Tomb Raider film were reportedly included in the deal when Warner acquired approximately 20% of publisher Eidos last year. How this particular franchise reboot -- overseen by producer Dan Lin -- ties in with Eidos' alleged plan to redesign the iconic protagonist (again!) remains to be seen.Chances are she won't be played by Megan Fox, though. According to a rumor making the rounds yesterday, the Transformers star was poised to succeed Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in a third Tomb Raider film. However, according to What They Play, Fox's spokesperson says the actress is "not involved in the movie at all."Sorry, Fox fans; looks like the role of Lara still belongs to Angelina.Source -- Warner Bros. Rebooting Tomb RaiderSource -- Megan Fox is not the new Lara Croft
Uncharted dev: Nathan Drake already as big as Lara Croft
And by big, we don't mean his chest size.Naughty Dog's Uncharted made quite an impression when it debuted on PS3 in 2007. Nathan Drake was an incredibly likable character that resonated quite well with critics and gamers alike. "I think people like him because he's compelling, and a much needed breath of fresh air in an industry that's been a bit stale for a while, in terms of characters," Bruce Straley told CVG.When asked if Drake will ever be as popular as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, he responded: "Why, do you think he's not already there, if not beyond that point already, in terms of popularity?" The lackluster sales of Lara's latest may suggest that gamers have found a new, better hero to raid tombs with.[Image Credit; Via Joystiq]
Nathan Drake beyond Lara Croft's popularity?
Oh Nathan, is it cold there in Lara's shadow? Not according to Naughty Dog's Bruce Straley, who told CVG that it's Lara Croft who should be shivering beneath the Uncharted hero's cover, not the other way around. Asked if Nathan could ever be as popular as Eidos' British spelunker, the Uncharted director responded with a question of his own, asking "Why, do you think he's not already there, if not beyond that point already, in terms of popularity?" He added that Drake adds a "much needed breath of fresh air in an industry that's been a bit stale for a while, in terms of characters." So cheeky, Mr. Straley, though Lara Croft was fresh once too, and time has a way of making even the most standout luminaries passé.
M-rated Tomb Raider a possibility?
Eidos recently laid off 30 employees at Crystal Dynamics, including Tomb Raider: Underworld creative director Eric Lindstrom. Understandably bitter about Eidos' cost-cutting, Lindstrom is now answering fan questions on a popular Tomb Raider fan forum, giving an intriguing and frank insight into the development process (including details Eidos probably didn't want publicized).One of the more interesting factoids to emerge from Lindstrom's open Q & A session is that Crystal Dynamics was held back by Eidos from making Underworld an M-rated title. "I wanted to do things that a Teen rating prevented," explained Lindstrom, "but I also wanted it to get the players the first unrated games, did. In the end it didn't matter because publishing wanted it to be Teen."So far, the Tomb Raider franchise has contained only Teen-rated games, but was a Mature title still a possibility? Says Lindstrom: "The managers who said it had to be Teen left some time ago, so maybe that could change sometime." We assume such a game would either include more violence, or, as some sites have been quick to suggest, a more risqué depiction of Lara.Though something evidently has to change after Underworld's disappointing sales, does anybody else find such a prospect depressing? We'd prefer it if Eidos concentrated on shipping games that, y'know, functioned correctly. Also, while we're discussing Underworld, we figured this would be an appropriate place to mention the Zero Punctuation review, which just popped up in our RSS feeds -- catch the video after the jump!%Gallery-29889%
Tomb Raider: Underworld creative director speaks out on his layoff, DLC rumors
Now-former creative director of the Tomb Raider franchise at Crystal Dynamics, Eric Lindstrom, has broken his silence about recent layoffs at the developer -- including his own -- and rumors that the upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive DLC for the game was "held back" from the final release for profit's sake.Posting on the site Tomb Raider Forums, Lindstrom says that he was let go as the result of there being "too many captains for the number of ships" at the studio, suggesting that the new, leaner Crystal Dynamics won't be working on multiple concurrent projects. Linden likened the layoffs to "musical chairs," saying that, "when the music stopped all the seats were taken."Lindstrom also used his new "free agent" status to dispel rumors about the 360's two additional, downloadable missions, which are coming soon to XBLM. "We had a production issue that was going to make us miss our ship date," he wrote, revealing that, "It was my idea to cut what was cut, and I did hope that it would one day be made available as a download mission ... but on the day we made the cut, it was made purely for Underworld production reasons."
Retail: Tomb Raider Underworld DLC coming Jan. 21
Finally, some Tomb Raider news that's about, you know, tombs. Specifically, the downloadable kind meant to extend Lara Croft's latest -- and commercially disappointing -- adventure, Tomb Raider Underworld. Eidos had promised two Xbox 360-exclusive episodes, with the first initially scheduled to arrive by Christmas. Sadly, the only things to be released by developer Crystal Dynamics thus far are thirty employees.Though an official post-delay date has yet to be confirmed by Eidos, retailer GameStop currently lists a Tomb Raider Underworld "Expansion Token Pack," which is said to contain two Xbox Live Marketplace Token cards. According to the product page, the pack will cost $19.99 and ship on Wednesday, January 21st. If we were prone to bouts of speculation, we'd say that the presence of two cards indicates that both DLC packs ("Beneath the Ashes" and "Lara's Shadow") will be released simultaneously on Xbox Live at a combined cost of 1600.If we were prone to such silly things -- we'll let you know what Eidos has to say as soon as possible.
Eidos looking to reinvent Lara Croft (again)
Forget that Lady Croft's reinvention -- by the recently downsized Crystal Dynamics -- in Tomb Raider: Legend brought new life to a franchise that was on life support, Eidos wants to do another makeover of the heroine after "disappointing" Underworld sales of only 1.5 million units in the six weeks following the game's release. Eidos expected the latest Croft adventure to hit 2 million sales during this brutal holiday season. Speaking with The Times, Eidos CFO Robert Brent says they need to look at everything when developing the next Tomb Raider title. He uses Batman as an example of a "sad character" from the Burton films, who became more "noir" in The Dark Knight. This would be a good time to note that Croft tried going "darker" before; it was called Angel of Darkness.Eidos would also like to make Lara more female-friendly, which is understandable -- a good first step might be showing her eyes on the box art. It's worth pointing out that Eidos is apparently using Legend's 3 million sales to gauge its disappointment with Underworld. Key difference: Legend released with breathing room in April of 2006, not in the war zone of 2008's climax.
Free skintight Lara Croft wetsuits now on the XBLM
There's new Tomb Raider: Underworld downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace today, free content that'll add two new costumes to Lara's wardrobe. But these aren't just any boring old costumes, these two free outfits are skin tight, spandex-like and curve enhancing wetsuits. Mmmhmm. We aren't exactly sure what they look look (probably something like the pic above), but the DLC is free so there isn't much of a decision to be made. Download away!
