Changes

==History==

==History==

[[File:286415-tombr3 super.png|left|200px|thumb|Lara Croft gets part of the Scion of Atlantis in ''Tomb Raider'']]

[[File:286415-tombr3 super.png|left|200px|thumb|Lara Croft gets part of the Scion of Atlantis in ''Tomb Raider'']]

''Tomb Raider'' first began as a series of drawings and an idea by Toby Gard, a video game designer for Core Design, a small studio created in 1988 in Derby, England.  By 1989, the company had created and sold their first game, ''Rick Dangerous'',<ref>http://rickdangerousflash.free.fr/</ref> a side-scrolling adventure in which the title character goes after hidden artifacts.  But the game was meant primarily for computers (the PC and Amiga), and a new game console was making its first appearance in stores: the Sony PlayStation.  A meeting convened by company founder Jeremy Heath-Smith began with what Core Design could do to take advantage of the PlayStation's features and graphics.  "Toby stood up and said I've got this idea about doing a game based on pyramids", Heath-Smith recalled.  "I've always wanted to do a game based around pyramids to.  For some reason I really fancied this idea about pyramids with a Pharaoh, and having to go tunnel under the pyramids.  It was just as silly as that.  It didn't have characters, it was more just conceptually let's do a game based on pyramids".<ref>http://www.tombraideranniversary.com/throughtime_01.asp</ref>

''Tomb Raider'' first began as a series of drawings and an idea by Toby Gard, a video game designer for Core Design, a small studio created in 1988 in Derby, England.  By 1989, the company had created and sold their first game, ''Rick Dangerous'',<ref>http://rickdangerousflash.free.fr/</ref> a side-scrolling adventure in which the title character goes after hidden artifacts.  But the game was meant primarily for computers (the PC and Amiga), and a new game console - the Sony PlayStation - was making its first appearance in stores.  A meeting convened by company founder Jeremy Heath-Smith began with what Core Design could do to take advantage of the PlayStation's features and graphics.  "Toby stood up and said I've got this idea about doing a game based on pyramids", Heath-Smith recalled.  "I've always wanted to do a game based around pyramids.  For some reason I really fancied this idea about pyramids with a Pharaoh, and having to go tunnel under the pyramids.  It was just as silly as that.  It didn't have characters, it was more just conceptually let's do a game based on pyramids".<ref>http://www.tombraideranniversary.com/throughtime_01.asp</ref>

''Tomb Raider'' went to the layouts in 1993.  Side-scrolling was not considered; they wanted a 3-D perspective.  They considered, then tossed out, the first-person shooter concept that was a part of ''Doom'' and ''Wolfenstein 3-D''.  This meant a "third-person" perspective, allowing the player to see and interact with the character in a 3-D environment.  The project would not be with some hurdles.  "Although Jeremy liked the idea, there were no programmers that would touch it," Gard said.  "They all thought it was too difficult because at the time no one had done anything like it.  Nobody in the company had done anything 3D.  The whole idea was just terrifying to programmers".<ref>[http://www.tombraideranniversary.com/throughtime_01.asp]</ref>

''Tomb Raider'' went to the layouts in 1993.  Side-scrolling was not considered; they wanted a 3-D perspective.  They considered, then tossed out, the first-person shooter concept that was a part of games such as ''Doom'' and ''Wolfenstein 3-D''.  What they settled on was a "third-person" perspective, allowing the player to see and interact with the character in a 3-D environment.  The project would not be with some hurdles.  "Although Jeremy liked the idea, there were no programmers that would touch it," Gard said.  "They all thought it was too difficult because at the time no one had done anything like it.  Nobody in the company had done anything 3D.  The whole idea was just terrifying to programmers".<ref>[http://www.tombraideranniversary.com/throughtime_01.asp]</ref>

The designers called for a game with elements of puzzle-solving and exploration, fitting in with the "pyramid concept" - naturally, the lead character would be an archaeologist.  They also wanted plenty of action and an epic storyline to tie everything together.  And the lead character was changed to a woman, after the first initial drafts bore too much of a resemblance to Paramount's "Indiana Jones".  At first rejecting "muscle women" and militants with a blond, "Nazi" look, Gard settled upon a tough South American with a long braid he initially named "Laura Cruz".  Hitting resistance from Eidos, Core Design's parent company, Gard went with their request that the character be British, and soon, "Lara Croft" - with the riches and pedigree of an English lordship - was created.<ref>http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p1.html#</ref>  The addition of in-game cinematics tied to the storyline was another first, and in November 1996 ''Tomb Raider'' was released, becoming a number 1 hit within hours and staying in that position for months.<ref>http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p2.html</ref>

The designers called for a game with elements of puzzle-solving and exploration, fitting in with the "pyramid concept", and naturally, the lead character would be an archaeologist.  They also wanted plenty of action and an epic story line to tie everything together.  And the lead character was changed to a woman, after the first initial drafts bore too much of a resemblance to LucasFilm's "Indiana Jones", which had to be changed rather quickly to avoid a lawsuit.  At first rejecting "muscle women" and militants with a blond, "Nazi" look, Gard settled upon a tough South American with a long braid he initially named "Laura Cruz".  Hitting resistance from Eidos, Core Design's parent company, Gard went with their request that the character be British, and soon, "Lara Croft" - with the riches and pedigree of an English lordship - was created.<ref>http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p1.html#</ref>  The addition of in-game cinematics tied to the storyline was another first, and in November 1996 ''Tomb Raider'' was released, becoming a number 1 hit within hours and staying in that position for months.<ref>http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p2.html</ref>

[[File:Rhona mitra 01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Actress Rhona Mitra was the first model hired by Eidos to promote the ''Tomb Raider'' franchise.]]

[[File:Rhona mitra 01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Actress Rhona Mitra was the first model hired by Eidos to promote the ''Tomb Raider'' franchise.]]

As ''Tomb Raider'' became a phenomenon, critics of the game clamored for attention.  Feminists and  scientists were critical over her physique: a large-breasted, well-proportioned woman who seemed too perfect making seemingly impossible moves within the game, never mind the fact that her chest size was the result of an accidental mouse click which was ordered to stay before creator Toby Gard could revert it.  Animal rights activists also had their say, complaining of too-much animal-involved killing, despite the fact that some of the animals gunned down by Lara were represented by the mythological (mummified cats, [[centaur]]s, and [[dragon]]s), or the extinct (''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]''), or the impossible (monstrosities of human experiments).  Eidos easily ignored the criticisms as their profit margin jumped to over $14 million in less than a year as a result of ''Tomb Raider''; prior to that, they were looking at over $2 million in deficits and possible bankruptcy.<ref>http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p2.html</ref>

As ''Tomb Raider'' became a phenomenon, critics of the game clamored for attention.  Feminists and  scientists were critical over her physique: a large-breasted, well-proportioned woman who seemed too perfect making seemingly impossible moves within the game, never mind the fact that her chest size was the result of an accidental mouse click which was ordered to stay before creator Toby Gard could revert it<ref>http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/01/ign-presents-the-history-of-tomb-raider</ref>.  Animal rights activists also had their say, complaining of too-much animal-involved killing, despite the fact that many of the animals gunned down by Lara were represented by the mythological ([[centaur]]s, and [[dragon]]s), or the extinct (''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]''), or the impossible (mummified cats and monstrosities of human experiments).  Eidos easily ignored the criticisms as their profit margin jumped to over $14 million in less than a year as a result of ''Tomb Raider''; prior to that, they were looking at over $2 million in deficits and possible bankruptcy.<ref>http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p2.html</ref>

====Protecting the brand====

====Protecting the brand====

Hackers were also attracted to the game, but in a more sinister fashion.  About 1998 a "nude raider" patch was released which allowed to gamer to install and play an undressed version of Lara Croft for several levels in the first three games of the series.  In a move to protect the integrity of their character, Eidos had initiated a crackdown against websites which had hosted the patch, threatening or actually bringing legal action.<ref>http://www.woa.tv/articles/ae_croftl.html</ref><ref>http://pc.ign.com/articles/067/067427p1.html</ref>  In a similar move, Eidos successfully demanded the removal of the ''Tomb Raider'' logo and the name of Lara Croft from the cover of a 1999 edition of ''Playboy'' after that magazine published a photo featuring the third model of the franchise, Nell McAndrew, whose contract with Eidos was promptly terminated.

Hackers were also attracted to the game, but in a more sinister fashion.  About 1998 a "nude raider" patch was released which allowed to gamer to install and play an undressed version of Lara Croft for several levels in the first three games of the series.  In a move to protect the integrity of their character, Eidos had initiated a crackdown against websites which had hosted the patch, threatening or actually bringing legal action.<ref>http://www.woa.tv/articles/ae_croftl.html</ref><ref>http://pc.ign.com/articles/067/067427p1.html</ref>  In a similar move, Eidos successfully demanded the removal of the ''Tomb Raider'' logo and the name of Lara Croft from the cover of a 1999 edition of ''Playboy'' after that magazine published a photo featuring the third model of the franchise, Nell McAndrew, whose contract with Eidos was promptly terminated.

====The Croft "biography"====

====The Croft "biography"====

==Games==

==Games==

====Tomb Raider (1996)====

====Tomb Raider (1996)====

[[File:Lara and TRex.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Lara facing a ''T-rex'' in ''Tomb Raider''.  Her trademark flowing braid - kept in a bun for much of this game to save polygon space - would make its first appearance in the next game.]]

[[File:Lara and TRex.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Lara facing a ''T-rex'' in ''Tomb Raider''.  Her trademark flowing braid - kept in a bun for much of this game to save polygon space - would make its first appearance in the next game.]]

Lara is alive, and somehow made her way back into Paris; almost immediately she is suspected in the murder of Von Croy, as well as several other grisly murders.  The only one with the answers is a mysterious man known as the Alchemist, a man who is desperate to possess five paintings from the 14th century, and part of an alliance shrouded in mystery.<ref>http://tombraider.ugo.com/games/tomb_raider_angel_of_darkness/</ref><ref>http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/tng/press.html</ref>

Lara is alive, and somehow made her way back into Paris; almost immediately she is suspected in the murder of Von Croy, as well as several other grisly murders.  The only one with the answers is a mysterious man known as the Alchemist, a man who is desperate to possess five paintings from the 14th century, and part of an alliance shrouded in mystery.<ref>http://tombraider.ugo.com/games/tomb_raider_angel_of_darkness/</ref><ref>http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/tng/press.html</ref>

Although the graphics were heavily improved, ''Angel of Darkness'' suffered from bugs as well as poor game play; the control of the character on screen was radically changed from previous games and difficult to master.  Fans were also left with no explanation as to why and how Lara emerged from the pyramid accident which ended ''Last Revelation''.  This, as well as poor sales - timed to coincide with the release of ''The Cradle of Life'' into theaters - led Eidos to end its contract with Core Design.

Although the graphics were heavily improved, ''Angel of Darkness'' suffered from bugs as well as poor game play; the control of the character on screen was radically changed from previous games and difficult to master.  Fans were also left with no explanation as to why and how Lara emerged from the pyramid accident which ended ''Last Revelation''.  Additionally, the game's poor sales - timed to coincide with the release of ''The Cradle of Life'' into theaters - led Eidos to cancel a planned sequel already in production (''Tomb Raider: The Lost Dominion'') and end its contract with Core Design.

====Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)====

====Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)====

Lara Croft returns, this time to battle an old friend believed lost in a Bolivian tomb as both search in various countries for the remnants of [[Excalibur]], the sword of legendary [[King Arthur]].  Her missing mother and a misplaced friendship served as plot devices connecting this game with the two games which followed.

Lara Croft returns, this time to battle an old friend believed lost in a Bolivian tomb as both search in various countries for the remnants of [[Excalibur]], the sword of legendary [[King Arthur]].  Her missing mother and a misplaced friendship served as plot devices connecting this game with the two games which followed.

   

   

The first game of the ''Tomb Raider'' franchise created and published by a new contract with the American company Crystal Dynamics, Lara Croft and her surroundings were given a seamless look and feel, with revamped controls providing fluid character movement and an animation system giving Lara the ability to handle obstacles easily.

The first game of the ''Tomb Raider'' franchise created and published by a new contract with the American company Crystal Dynamics, Lara Croft and her surroundings were given a seamless look and feel, with revamped controls providing fluid character movement and an animation system giving Lara the ability to handle obstacles easily. In addition, Toby Gard was hired back into the franchise to act as a creative consultant, eventually adding into this and the next two games the ideas and concepts he had intended for the first games of the franchise.

====Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)====

====Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)====

====Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)====

====Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)====

In ''Underworld'' Lara deals with an investigation into Norse mythology, and in her quest to unlock some of the secrets of those myths, she discovers that a weapon powerful enough to level mountains may fall into the wrong hands: the Hammer of Thor.

In ''Underworld'' Lara deals with an investigation into Norse mythology, and in her quest to unlock some of the secrets of those myths, she discovers that a weapon powerful enough to level mountains may fall into the wrong hands: the Hammer of Thor.

==Films==

==Films==