[Katie]

[laralover100]

I don't think it was nessesary at all to change almost all of Lara's biography. From 1996 to 2006 Tomb Raider fans had bonded with the original (and in my opinion better) Lara. Toby Gard, the creator of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series had devised the leading heroin in his own vision, she was his creation and something that we have all come to love. In 2007 (the release of Tomb Raider Legend) Crystal Dynamics took over the series and crafted their own perception of who she is. And I believe that the result of changing her biography added to the decrease in sales.

As Katie has gladly shown us in her beginning video, Tomb Raider Legend sold 4.4million less copies than the original Tomb Raider. Now was this because of the way they changed Lara's background for their storyline.

- laralover100

P.S. Crystal Dynamics calling the original Tomb Raider biography utter rot has just put them to shame in my mind. I wish Core Design would re-emerge and take back the Tomb Raider title like they intended to for Anniversary.

[Matt Freaking Miller :D]

laralover100, on 01 October 2011 - 09:31 AM, said:

I don't think it was nessesary at all to change almost all of Lara's biography. From 1996 to 2006 Tomb Raider fans had bonded with the original (and in my opinion better) Lara. Toby Gard, the creator of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series had devised the leading heroin in his own vision, she was his creation and something that we have all come to love. In 2007 (the release of Tomb Raider Legend) Crystal Dynamics took over the series and crafted their own perception of who she is. And I believe that the result of changing her biography added to the decrease in sales.

As Katie has gladly shown us in her beginning video, Tomb Raider Legend sold 4.4million less copies than the original Tomb Raider. Now was this because of the way they changed Lara's background for their storyline.

- laralover100

P.S. Crystal Dynamics calling the original Tomb Raider biography utter rot has just put them to shame in my mind. I wish Core Design would re-emerge and take back the Tomb Raider title like they intended to for Anniversary.

I believe the cause of lesser sales is because Tomb Raider as become less socially relevant in the time from its first release. The first game was a breakthrough and not many games where like it in 1996, but now there are a lot of games out there like Tomb Raider and for the most part are better games than whats in the series. Core Design should not have kept the franchise because they were running out of steam and originality with the series, AOD was too out there and too much of a departure from the original series, there was no way they could continue Lara's story from there, and simply carrying on & forgetting the AOD story would have totally thrown the cannon off.

If I was with Crystal Dynamics, I would not want the responsibility of carrying on the series cannon from AOD, and as a studio would want to put their creative stamp onto Tomb Raider making it their own. Don't forget Toby Gard was involved in the story of the Crystal Dynamics trilogy, who originally made Lara, so a lot of Lara's newer background would have came from him. And the utter rot thing sounds like it was from a joking publicity statement from "The Croft Estate" as if Lara was saying it herself, maybe covering her background.

Overall the series has been forced to evolve over time, to become more relevant, Core and Crystal's Laras are two totally different people, and i'm happy that there is that clear distinction between those studios. I am more than happy with the direction the series is taking, having a totally clean slate and a new direction.

[Naids]

I'm fifty fifty with this one. I think it was unnecessary for Crystal to change Lara's bio and which meant changing her as a character, but then I think it is necessary because quite frankly, the series needed new direction after AoD and the departure of Core Design. Although there could have been many changes justified other than changing all of Lara's bio, I think that her new bio made her appeal more to a twenty first century audience of gamers.

[Katie]

(Sorry I'm so late replying to this!)

laralover100, on 01 October 2011 - 09:31 AM, said:

Crystal Dynamics calling the original Tomb Raider biography utter rot has just put them to shame in my mind. I wish Core Design would re-emerge and take back the Tomb Raider title like they intended to for Anniversary.

I was actually shocked when I read that. They certainly used some harsh words to describe it. I'm surprised this has never been brought up before??

Matt Freaking Miller :D, on 01 October 2011 - 06:03 PM, said:

I believe the cause of lesser sales is because Tomb Raider as become less socially relevant in the time from its first release.

I agree with this, but also I'd like to add that should Crystal have at least finished the AOD storyline, they would have been better received by the fans. To this day people still complain about the Core/Crystal thing. Crystal didn't really join into the community very smoothly. No communication, no "hello" from them, just "we're taking over now, here's the new game, go buy it. Oh, and we made it into our version of Tomb Raider".

They're only JUST realizing that they HAVE to care about the community (hence all the new community stuff lately). They never wanted to. It's a little late to be jumping on board, but at least they're making an attempt now.

Had they approached their first TR differently I think it could have been received in a better light!

Naids, on 07 October 2011 - 01:55 PM, said:

I'm fifty fifty with this one. I think it was unnecessary for Crystal to change Lara's bio and which meant changing her as a character, but then I think it is necessary because quite frankly, the series needed new direction after AoD and the departure of Core Design. Although there could have been many changes justified other than changing all of Lara's bio, I think that her new bio made her appeal more to a twenty first century audience of gamers.

What about keeping her old bio but adding to it? They could have freshened her up while avoiding hacking her old bio?

[Dismuke Kun]

In my opinion the complete rewrite of Lara's biography was by no means needed (or welcome) what-so-ever and quite frankly Crystals blatant jabs at the original Tomb Raider games is utterly shameful. While they were perhaps trying to make it easier for new comers to the series to empathize with Lara, I think that they took away her soul, the very essence of what made Lara who she was to so many gamers for so long, all in favour of what could be seen as a far more toned down, perhaps even more "politically correct", heroine who could perhaps (based on biography alone at least) be considered somewhat drab and mediocre in comparison to the original.

- Rick C

[leepaynetombraider]

CD have done a bad thing with what they said about the original series and I dont think they realise it. Well at the end of the day the 2nd game will always be the best to me.

[trps1]

I realise that I am coming in way late here (hey - I was away!!) but...

Here's an alternative view: Did Crystal Dynamics change Lara's biography? Or was it someone else?

The big thing that happened between the classic Core games (1996-2001) and the new Crystal Dynamics games (2006-2008) was the movie. It was the movie that first changed the biography. In the Core games, she was from a wealthy family who had disinherited her and she travelled the globe alone. In the movie, she was orphaned as a child and her father was the archaeologist that started her travels. Not to mention the different mansion, different butler, etc.

Movies are always messing up the biographies of well-established and well-loved characters. You can probably think of at least 10 examples of TV series, comics, etc. that have had their stories turned upside-down when they were made into movies. Transformers, Batman, Ironman, etc. Anyone seen the Mario Bros movie? Bizarre! Hollywood says the changes are necessary to modernize the stories and get them across in a 90 minute movie. Personally, I think that the Hollywood types just want to put their own creative stamp on everything and that they have little regard for the existing fans or the reasons why the characters became so popular in the first place.

When Crystal Dynamics took over Tomb Raider, they had a big decision to make. Take on the biography from the classic games, or the new biography from the movie. Movies have a far greater reach and audience than games, so I guess by 2006 there were more people out there in the general public that knew the movie story Lara than there were people who remembered the old Lara, and CD just ran with it. Maybe CD didn't even get to make the choice, maybe it came from higher up?

Anyway - am looking forward to the next debate. I guess the topic will be officially announced soon!