Lara Croft to get makeover for next game

By Ellie Gibson Published 12 January, 2009

Could be "more female-friendly" in future.

Eidos is looking at ways to overhaul the Tomb Raider series, including giving Lara Croft a makeover.

That doesn't necessarily mean even bigger bangers, as Gok would say - in fact, the Times reports, our heroine could end up being "more female-friendly". Scissors?

"We need to look at everything as we develop the next game," said Eidos bigwig Robert Brent. "Look at how Batman changed succesfully, from the rather sad character of the Michael Keaton era to the noir style of The Dark Knight." Making the next game "darker" then? Oh good.

The latest instalment in the series, Tomb Raider: Underworld, was released last November. In the first six weeks on shop shelves, 1.5 million copies were shifted - around 500,000 fewer than Eidos was expecting. Turns out that while us lot liked the game, our American friends were less keen.

"Europe was fine, but America was not as anticipated," said Brent. "You would normally expect Tomb Raider sales to be split half and half between Europe and North America, but this time America was considerably below that." Making the next game more appealing to the US market then? Oh good.

The previous Tomb Raider game, Legend, achieved sales of 3 million worldwide. According to the Times, Underworld will "struggle to pass two million". Eidos has warned shareholders it could run up a debt before its next big title - Batman Arkham Asylum - hits the shops later this year.

For the full lowdown on why Tomb Raider: Underworld was a bit 7/10, read our review.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Eraysor #1 3 years ago

    Slightly smaller breasts simply weren't enough!

  • peteb #2 3 years ago

    Maybe releasing it at a better time in the year would help? I would have bought it, but there was just too much other great stuff out around the same time. Sadly, those 30 people lost their jobs due to someone's great idea to release it in the rush.

  • mattigan #3 3 years ago

    Making the next game more appealing to the US market then?

    So, bigger tits and a shower scene for the next installment...

  • ZuluHero #4 3 years ago

    And just exactly what is wrong with the Michael Keaton batman? Better than Val Kilmer and bloody George Clooney.

    They should model the next TR on the Adam West* batman anyway :)

    Anyway, i think this is just a gut reaction to all that sales figures nonsense last week. Ohh a game didn't sell as expected, there must be something wrong with the fomula.

    /sigh


    (*please don't)

  • The_Inquisitor #5 3 years ago

    Maybe make the next Lara Croft black, it's proving popular in the States anyway.

  • DiscoMike #6 3 years ago

    American accent for Ms Croft is the next step.

  • DFawkes #7 3 years ago

    Firstly, Keaton is Batman. Second, they're probably making her "darker" like msot series try at some point, so she'll get a goth makeover like the Prince in Warrior Within. Not that I'd actually care, the character won't affect the gameplay much. Unless they do something like make her a paraplegic.

  • Ignatius_Cheese #8 3 years ago

    Confirmed sex change operation! Lars Croft here we come :o)

  • superjag86 #9 3 years ago

    Shower scene? Woo!

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #10 3 years ago

    But they tried going "darker" already. Angel of darkness anyone? Gothy eyes, on the run, suspect of a murder investigation?

  • ZuluHero #11 3 years ago

    yep Angel of Darkness was their attempt at Bale's Batman. Although that was still when it was under the CORE flag. Maybe CD can get it right this time?

    TBH i really loved Underworld. I thought they got it just right IMO.

  • ChaK #12 3 years ago

    I just loved underworld, from A to Z, great game to me

  • JohnnyWashnGo #13 3 years ago

    Oh dear - after a couple of pretty good games, its time for the regular-as-clockwork reinvention of the character which will no doubt be crap and lead to a return-to-basics in 5 or 6 years time.

    Maybe they should have made the game engine a bit better for Underworld. The game itself wasn't bad but the engine was horrid. I cannot remember the number of times I fell off of nothing, got stuck in a rock and slid through the ground in Underworld. It was laughable.

    Anyway, reinvent away... I wont be buying another one of those games.

  • anomagnus #14 3 years ago

    Alan croft?

  • Embra #15 3 years ago

    If it's designed to appeal to the Americans, it'll have Shia The Beef voicing a wise-cracking sidekick with an unconvincing cokerney accent, Sam Jackson playing some kind of mentor character (anything, so long as he sounds cool), Lara will move to the Hamptons, and everything will explode. Everything. All the time.

  • tomnol #16 3 years ago

    They should give the controls more weight and make them less twitchy. I was almost smashing my controller over that bitch repeatedly jumping to her death, because the threshold between reaching that pillar and dropping into the sea of acid was so narrow.

  • septimus #17 3 years ago

    More female friendly? She'll be PMS'ing and eating shit loads of choclate?

  • rhinoxious #18 3 years ago

    TR would have enjoyed boosted sales over the last few years in the US due to the movies, those are now ancient history.

    Americans are more conservative purchasers, they buy a lot of tie-in crap.

  • dominalien #19 3 years ago

    So, they made the game darker once in Angel of Darkness (I know I'm in the minority, but I really liked that one - crap controls, but smashing levels - barring some missing polygons) and then made it darker a second time in Underworld. So, the next TR will be what, Pitch Black?

    @Embra
    I'm afraid you may just be right about the sidekick, mentor and explosions :-( I really find it hard to swallow that Americans decide what most content on the planet looks like, what with their taste, sophistication and everything else.
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/09 @ 10:43

  • Schiraman #20 3 years ago

    I'd have said the main problem with the latest TR game not selling well is down to a poorly-planned release date.

    But if they're looking for problems with the game to blame, then personally I'd point my finger at the shaky gameplay rather than at Ms Croft herself. Perhaps try beefing up the combat? Or maybe making the platforming fun, like in PoP: Sands of Time?

  • sneetch #21 3 years ago

    @ZuluHero
    "And just exactly what is wrong with the Michael Keaton batman? Better than Val Kilmer and bloody George Clooney.

    They should model the next TR on the Adam West* batman anyway :)"

    Back in my day, we didn't need molded bodysuits.
    /taps chest
    Pure West.

    @Ellie
    Making the next game more appealing to the US market then?

    Oh good. They don't seem to 'get' the US too well assuming that they want the same shite in a different suit again and again. So she'll be from the rough side of New York, need tattoos and piercings and a totally in-your-face attitude! With side action on the guns. Or whatever the kids want! She can swear too! A 3rd person shooter like Gears of War with a cocky young asian girl sidekick so they can have sexual tension laden banter and maybe an on-screen kiss (or a full-on, mo-capped lesbian sex scene, hmmm... can we get away with that? Ah, what the hell, give it a shot, call it art). And more swearing! Just like 'Warrior Within'; that was exactly what everyone wanted. With more swearing, cause that's 'edgy'!

    It'll sell about 1.5 million copies! I'll pass though. ;)

  • dominalien #22 3 years ago

    did the prince actually swear in WW? I don't remember that.

    He was on edge, though. Probably because a big, tentacly beast was on his trail.

  • The-Bodybuilder #23 3 years ago

    "I really find it hard to swallow..."-dominalien

    hehe

    /is immature

  • sneetch #24 3 years ago

    @dominalien
    "did the prince actually swear in WW? I don't remember that.

    He was on edge, though. Probably because a big, tentacly beast was on his trail."

    Actually, I'm not sure now, I thought he did but I might be wrong. I believe he called some women 'bitch' though. Does that count as swearing? Not sure on the rules. If not then he should have sworn more! :)

    I'm not apparently sure about a whole lot but hey, I know how to design a 1.5 million selling game!

    Still my favourite: http://ww w.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/1...

  • Andytails #25 3 years ago

    Probably just another excuse to re-imagine the TR: trilogy. Only, this time, Natla doesn't inexplicably show up in the third one. This seems to be going the way of the Angel of darkness' edgy thematic - which was an unforgivable pile. What's next? Flame-licked hedgehogs with guns?

    America tends to like the British accent. I doubt they would change that. They'll probably just change her outfit again and turn her into a James Bond style action hero with Union Jack accesories. Probably add a dog that can find treasures... probably.

    Falling short of expectations shouldn't mean ANOTHER reboot though - this isn't television...

  • dominalien #26 3 years ago

    @The Bodybuilder

    Is this an archaism now?

  • dominalien #27 3 years ago

    @sneetch

    Yeah, he was calling Kaileena bitch (the other girl - Shahdee? - probably too). Or maybe the other way around? Well, someone was calling someone else bitch.

    His fight against Kaileena (the cut-scenes in-between) are still one of my favourite moments in gaming. Classic, even on the PSP, where the sound was like 2 seconds behind the image.
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/09 @ 12:04

  • dominalien #28 3 years ago

    @Andytails

    So there was a TR "trilogy"? I didn't know that... But then, I never finished TR3 or 4.

    EDIT: Am I the only one left posting here? I must go do something productive, then.
    Edited by 1 at 12/01/09 @ 12:12

  • TuftyMcTavish #29 3 years ago

    So Legend was released, as I recall, nearer the start of the year and sells 3million while Underworld hits in the incredibly busy season, when there is so much stuff being released that I for one jettisoned loads of titles from my wishlist for common sense reasons, and ends up selling half that volume. But apparently female gamers are the answer because it "could be more female-friendly in future"?

  • RickHard #30 3 years ago

    The game not selling as much as expected is clearly a timing issue. It has been a few years now that the rule applies : all the good games should be released alltogether at Christmas.

    Personaly, I would love to get a few good ones in march (right in time for when i am done with my x-mas stock), or in june (prior to these long summer days and evenings) or september (as a cure for this back to work blues).You get the idea.

    PS : look forward to that shower scene btw, even with smaller breast ;)

  • Super_Zee #31 3 years ago

    The previous Tomb Raider game, Legend, achieved sales of 3 million worldwide.

    Wasn't the previous game Anniversary, or does that not count as it was a remake?

  • captain-future #32 3 years ago

    oops, I read more "family-friendly"...

  • Slipstream #33 3 years ago

    Making the next game more appealing to the US market then? Oh shit.

    Fix'd

  • ga5ket #34 3 years ago

    Perhaps they should concentrate on making the game last longer than 17 hours, or maybe cut the exclusive DLC twaddle that we got saddled with

  • Mr-Bozzey #35 3 years ago

    tomb raiders a dead series it should have been stopped in the glory days of ps1 while it still had a great reputation !!

    it's all about nathan drake now and uncharted he's the new explorer and uncharted 2 will probs sell 5x more in the 1st week than tomb raider underworld sold in atleast a month.

  • metalangel #36 3 years ago

    My missus regularly sees female characters in my games and games mags and says "ooh, she's cool, I want to be HER!" She has never said this about Lara Croft, who is a completely one-dimensional character (apart from her ludicrously huge tits, of course) and has nothing interesting or charismatic about her.

  • Oh-Bollox #37 3 years ago

    Try releasing it in Japan? Or do the Japs not get on with the Tomb Raider games?