Tomb Raider (2013)

The Tomb Raider game following Underworld will be the tenth on the PlayStation consoles, the ninth if one counts TR1 and TR:Anniversary as the same game, and the thirteenth if one includes the Tomb Raider games for the Game Boy.

Quotes and Rumours

• In an interview with Eric Lindstrom at The Gathering 08, MS XBOX World reports that the Creative Director for Tomb Raider Underworld has hinted that Crystal Dynamics has considered incorporating multiplayer in future Tomb Raider games.[1]

• It was in November last year (2008) when we first heard of the possibility of multiplayer for the ninth (sic) Tomb Raider game. Fast-forward to February ‘09, asked if Crystal Dynamics has finally decided to go through with the feature, a CD rep only had this to say: Multiplayer is always considered for each game, difficult as it is, and I imagine it always will be, but it’s too soon to say anything about the next game.[2]

• So far, the Tomb Raider franchise has contained only Teen-rated games, but was a Mature title still a possibility? One of the more interesting factoids to emerge ... 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 (Eric) Lindstrom "... in the end it didn't matter because publishing wanted it to be Teen...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. [3]

• "Lara Croft faces female-friendly makeover after poor sales in US bring profit warning from Eidos".
  Lara Croft is to get a makeover after the digital heroine’s waning popularity in the United States forced its publisher to admit that sales would fall about £20 million short of what had been hoped. Eidos is considering revising the look and play of her Tomb Raider adventures, which may see efforts to make her more female-friendly, in an attempt to revive sales of games starring the pneumatic archaeologist. Robert Brent, the chief financial officer of Eidos, said: “We need to look at everything, as we develop the next game. Look at how Batman changed succesfully, from the rather sad character of the Michael Keaton era to the noir style of The Dark Knight.”[4]