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Rumor: Leaked photos tease Tomb Raider reboot (Update)
Update: We were contacted by Nielsen Entertainment to remove the leaked image, and we obliged (though at this point, a good Google search will help you find what you're looking for). They also asked us to remove the story, adding just a little bit more credence to the rumor. Considering the source, we're guessing the images were part of a Nielsen poll to see how people would react to Lara's new look, and to see what they thought of the few gameplay details which were revealed. For what it's worth, we think it sounds awesome! Original story is below.We're usually pretty hesitant when it comes to accepting the testimony of moles at face value, but this story's got a bit of credibility -- some underground agent, working in conjunction with Four Player Co-Op, snagged some supposed screengrabs of concept art and details for a new Tomb Raider game. According to the text accompanying the art, Lara's new adventure will be open-world, will feature a reworked combat system and -- most importantly -- will serve as an origin story for the young heiress.Anonymity breeds contempt in the gaming news world -- however, this report is supported by four pieces of news that have dropped in the past two months: Eidos' president said the next Tomb Raider game will "reinvigorate the franchise." Crystal Dynamics is hiring folks to work on an installment in a "AAA franchise." Toby Gard, the series' creator, is leading a design group for an "unannounced project." Eidos is terrible at keeping its secret games under wraps.
Tomb Raider creator designing mysterious new game at Crystal Dynamics
Toby Gard, creator of Tomb Raider and Lara Croft, is the lead designer at Crystal Dynamics. Well, actually, he has been since January 2009. But the transition from "game consultant" (on Tomb Raider: Legend) to "director of cinematics" to this new role went unnoticed until today, when a member of the unofficial Tomb Raider Forums noticed the change in Gard's LinkedIn profile. Gard lists his current responsibility as "leading a design group for an unannounced project." Now, this could be pretty much anything; but it's probably the next Tomb Raider. The series is getting another reboot, Crystal Dynamics has been staffing up to develop a new game in "one of the most prestigious AAA franchises in the industry" and, well, who'd honestly be better suited? But, as of now, we must simply go with "unannounced project" (a.k.a. Tomb Raider). [Image]
Crystal Dynamics hiring for an 'AAA' game
Current Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics hasn't had much good news to report, with much of its workforce laid off, and disappointing sales of Tomb Raider Underworld. However, a job listing posted on Gamasutra's job search site reveals that the company is still at work, bringing in at least one new hire for something big."Crystal Dynamics has a rare opening for a Senior Art Director on one of the most prestigious AAA franchises in the industry," the listing opens. The obvious, exciting conclusion to be inferred from the fact that Crystal Dynamics is working on a new big-budget franchise game: Gex is coming back. We suppose there's also the remote possibility that it could beTomb Raider.[Via Develop]
Trophies: Tomb Raider Underworld
The Tomb Raider Underworld Trophy patch is finally coming! You can expect it on Thursday, May 28th, worldwide. Check out the Trophies after the break.[Thanks, Daniel!] View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
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]
Livingstone: Kane & Lynch 2 aimed for Sept., more Hitman, Tomb Raider en route
In Mumbai for the Golden Cursor Animation Awards, recently appointed Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone sat down with the folks at GamingIndians and spilled a full bag of beans. Unsurprisingly, he says the Square Enix acquisition was "a great deal in many ways" and that the various Eidos development studios would remain largely independent. "It's great news for the brand and for the people," he says. And also, apparently, great for sequels, as Livingstone confirms work on the next Hitman game, a sequel to Kane & Lynch currently targeted for a September release date and -- big shock! -- a re-imagining of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series. "The next Tomb Raider, I think, will surprise a lot of people and reinvigorate the franchise," Livingstone notes, stressing the relevance of game characters in mainstream media these days. Incidentally, he more than intimates that Eidos Montreal is working on Thief 4, though now we know that to be a fact -- the "worst kept secret in the industry," in fact.
Eidos stays independent following Square Enix acquisition
Despite having all of its hit points gobbled up by Square Enix, Eidos still expects to remain autonomous of its new parent company, saying in a press release that Eidos will continue to function as "an independent operation, as a wholly-owned subsidiary" of the role-playing giant. To drive this home, Phil Rogers will stay on as the CEO at Eidos, where he will report directly to Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada, who calls the union an "international marriage." Aww, we forgot to bring a gift. Eidos was finally acquired by the Japanese company last week for £84 million. However, despite our suggestions to the contrary, the British pub will still answer to the name Eidos instead of adopting something a bit more creative.
Court approves Square Enix buyout of Eidos
We're really beginning to understand why more corporate buyouts don't happen. It was reported yesterday that a court has approved the Square Enix purchase of Eidos -- the third and (hopefully) final approval the Japanese publishing house needs before officially acquiring UK-based Eidos. According to Gamasutra, Eidos' board of directors confirmed the transfer of the company's titles Tomb Raider and Deus Ex (among others), while the court has acknowledged its delisting in the company's native country, effective as of last night.And so it seems all there is left to do now is make silly combinations of the companies' names, as per the image above. Squeidos? Square Enixos? Kane & Enix: Dead Square? Alright, we're reaching a bit much with that last one ... we'll admit it.
15 Minutes of Fame: Abotu shapes up a custom figure
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.Last week, Mike Schramm introduced Abotu (Emerald Dream-US) and his to-die-for custom Troll Rogue action figure. Abotu has been sculpting custom figures as long as he can remember. "When I was little, if there was a toy I wanted that I didn't have, I'd try to make it myself out of modeling clay or construction paper," he remembers. He's done exactly that here by creating Abotu, his own World of Warcraft figure – puts Figureprints to shame, doesn't it? 15 Minutes of Fame visited with Aboto this week, not only to find out more about the player behind the talent but also to get inside scoop on exactly what went into making his Abotu custom. Our two-part look at Abotu the sculptor, the making of Abotu the action figure, plus photo galleries of the Abotu figure and other creations from this talented player ... after the break.
Custom-made Troll Rogue action figure by Abotu
We posted that fan-made Draenei Barbie last week, and a few commenters sent us a note about this figure, custom made by Abotu over on Emerald Dream. The Barbie was just something funny that a few fans did while bored, but this Troll Rogue is the real thing -- custom leather armor fitted onto what used to be a Tomb Raider figure, heavily modified with Sculpey, wood (for the daggers) and even boot laces (for the braids). It's really, really impressive, not only in the way it looks, but in what it took to make: the whole thing took about two months' worth of work (Abotu guesses it might cost over $1000 to make selling these worth it), and many parts of it are completely fabricated. The head is sculpted from scratch, and the hands and feet are from an X-men Nightcrawler figure, but even those have been shaped to look completely different from what they used to be.Quite a piece of work. We've put all of the image in an easily browseable gallery below, to save you from the trouble of cutting and pasting Photobucket links. Our own 15 Minutes of Fame column has also scheduled an interview with Abotu, so stay tuned for more information on how this all came together (and how you too might be able to immortalize your character like this). And as always, if you've heard of some amazing fan art like this, feel free to send it along on our tipline -- we always love seeing what World of Warcraft fans are putting their crafting skill points into.%Gallery-49393%
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.
Square Enix buyout of Eidos approved
The Square Enix purchase of Eidos will go through, as 85% of the Eidos shareholders voted in favor (big surprise there) of their new overlords at a recent court hearing and passed the motion of acquisition at the EGM afterward. It is estimated that Square Enix will take over operating duties some time in late April, when it's assumed all of Eidos' shares will be delisted. We imagine Square Enix's first order of business will be to start work on Final Fantasy X3: Lara's Shadow, in which Yuna, Rikku, and Lara work together to solve a mystery surrounding a sunken ship. Also, they try to find Tidus again.
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.
'Lara's Shadow' out today, new trailer heaps on the drama
Hot on the (high) heels of last week's developer documentary, Eidos has released the first "official" trailer for Tomb Raider: Underworld's second -- and, presumably, final -- 360-exclusive DLC expansion, "Lara's Shadow." The add-on mission is out today for 800 ($10) and the rest of this post is one big spoiler, so turn back ye who do not wish things ... spoiled.The footage -- dubbed the "final trailer," despite being the only trailer, but whatevs -- shows a whole lot of the main game (Lara's doppelganger blowing up Croft Manor, their battle in Helheim) along with plenty of talking before getting to the goods: the titular Shadow in action, slowing down time -- speeding up time! -- and kicking enemies. Lots of kicking. Well, and running up walls. Actually, just the one wall. So, will you be slapping down the points for this one, or are you all Lara'd out?Look for our review of Lara's the doppelganger's adventures tomorrow.
'Lara's Shadow' exposed in new Underworld DLC footage
Wrongly thinking it could slip past us unnoticed, the first glimpse of Tomb Raider: Underworld's upcoming, Xbox 360-exclusive "Lara's Shadow" DLC on video has ventured ... out of the shadows. Narrated by members of the add-on episode's dev team, the footage features Lara Croft's doppelganger, a.k.a. the character you'll be playing as should you download the content in question. She's stronger and faster than Lara, according to the devs, who've decided to focus more on hand-to-hand (and foot-to-face) combat for the Shadow's turn in the spotlight. The doppelganger has the ability to speed up and slow time, as well as amplify the power of any weapon she's carrying. The episode appears to be quite platforming-heavy; watch for snippets of Lara's look-alike running up walls and shimmying along ledges with inhuman speed. (Maybe because she's ... not human?)
Eidos revenues up 26%, Lara says 'You're welcome'
GI.biz reports that Eidos has posted financial results for the six-month period ending December 2008, and things are looking up for the publisher. Revenues for the period were up a full 26% at £80.3 million, up from £63.4 million during the same period in 2007. The cut to the publisher's losses was even more dramatic, down to just £1 million compared to £81.4 million in 2007. Eidos also managed to lower its debt from £5.7 million to £3.2 million.The uptick in revenues is largely the doing of Lady Croft and her recent Underworld adventures, which sold 2.6 million copies (with 1.5 million sold through to consumers). Eidos noted that Tomb Raider: Underworld has outsold both Legend and Anniversary, though the company reiterated that sales were still lower than expected.This has got to be good news to Square Enix, which recently crammed more Eidos stock into its portfolio and is gunning to acquire the publisher. It has to be even better news for the growing number of stockholders that support the acquisition.
Joystiq Review: Tomb Raider Underworld: Beneath the Ashes (DLC)
Sometimes, I worry about Lara Croft. Sure, the bloody vendetta against endangered animals and that egregious contempt for ancient pots were both neon-lit warning signs, but the writing on the walls has never been so clearly etched as on those found in her latest raid-worthy tomb. It's not the fact that she's willing to clamber, crawl and cartwheel through the decrepit crypt, her collapsed mansion as its gravestone, that makes me fret about her mental health. It's that she's willing to do it all in a camo bikini.Unsurprisingly, the gaudy garment, no doubt picked up at a tacky souvenir shop on Normandy Beach, represents the more adolescent additions offered by Tomb Raider Underworld's first DLC episode, Beneath the Ashes. The rest of it -- a large, unexplored environment, a new enemy and some fresh puzzles -- should appeal to those who see beyond Lara's figure and appreciate a game of clockwork exploration and platforming.
Tomb Raider 'Beneath the Ashes' DLC now on XBLM
Archaeology buffs take note: New Tomb Raider: Underworld DLC is now available. Entitled 'Beneath the Ashes' the DLC has Lara Croft exploring yet more expansive caverns and crypts conveniently buried under Croft Manor. In addition to the new playable content, the DLC includes six new outfits for Ms. Croft and 125 achievement points to earn. Should you wish to explore 'Beaneath the Ashes,' the price of admission is 800.
Tomb Raider's 'Beneath the Ashes' DLC coming Feb. 24
After an "unexpected technical issue" delayed her basement expedition, Lara Croft is back on track for her Xbox 360-exclusive Tomb Raider Underworld add-on, Beneath the Ashes. According to an official forum post by Eidos' head of mastering, Jason Walker, the download has cleared Microsoft certification and should be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace next Tuesday, February 24. We've reached out to Eidos PR for additional confirmation.A title update addressing several game bugs (fixes listed after the break) will be released alongside the download, which is expected to weigh in at 948MB. The second downloadable chapter, Lara's Shadow, still retains its original March 10 release date and promise of a "new" playable character. Expect each pack to cost 800 ($10).
