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New Tomb Raider interview w/ Meagan Marie - future of the franchise

Plumpbiscuit

Plumpbiscuit

Member
gadgets.ndtv said:
Since its 1996 debut, the Tomb Raider franchise has evolved from pin-up lad mag material to a thought-provoking series of substance, across a variety of platforms, and exploring interesting game design paradigms — from big budget epics for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, such as Rise of the Tomb Raider, to bite-sized mobile fare such as Lara Croft Go.

Along the way, it has garnered a sizeable fanbase across the world. Gadgets 360 spoke to Meagan Marie, Senior Community Manager at Crystal Dynamics to find out what makes Lara Croft's adventures so appealing to a global audience.

"Fans are inherently integral to the success of a game [and] at a basic level, a Community Manager is the conduit between the studio and fans, and vice versa," Marie says of her role. "Keeping fans engaged and interested in your game is only one part of the equation – ensuring that the studio is aware of reaction and reception is just as important."
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rise_of_the_tomb_raider_square_enix_cavern.jpg
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gadgets.ndtv said:
Translating this integral characteristic of the series to suit fans resulted in Endurance Mode — a way for gamers to play through Rise of the Tomb Raider together.

"When exploring options for fans to play Tomb Raider together, this franchise pillar needs to be taken into consideration,"she says. "That's why we loved adding co-op to Endurance Mode in Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. It allowed fans to raid tombs together in a context that worked well – a replayable, score-driven mode."

While Marie could not comment on how a multiplayer online experience could tie into the next Tomb Raider game — rumoured to be called Shadow of the Tomb Raider— she did hint at what to expect.
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Read the rest of the interview here (yeah, I left the juicy parts in the source, felt it was fair). :p

Meagan talks about the possibility of extending the Endurance Mode and looking for new gameplay opportunities beyond that, she also comments on the amazement of the modding community that has been active since 2001. I guess you can't count the reboots though since they are not mod friendly, unfortunately. There is also a question regarding how she feels toward Naughty Dog/Uncharted and gives her answer to the constant comparisons. Finally, she closes with the belief that she thinks Tomb Raider is unique because it has survival elements with Lara Croft as the main character.

Now, Tomb Raider is my favourite franchise ever, and I hate the reboots, but I do find it surprising that she did not mention anything about the possibility of
Tomb Raider Anniversary 2, given that it will be Tomb Raider 2's 20th anniversary later this year... a remake of that game has been my almost lifelong dream
. She does, however, not deny that Shadow of the Tomb Raider is fake or mistaken, so I guess there is another Tomb Raider on the way in-line with the reboot style.
 
As for the games itself, Marie declined to comment on what to expect next. With the next game being developed by Deus Ex: Mankind Divided studio Eidos Montreal, and lead writer Rhianna Pratchett leaving Crystal Dynamics, we have to wonder how consistency will be maintained for the third outing in Lara Croft’s latest reboot, which started with Tomb Raider (2013).
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Fuck consistency. Start Again.
 
UnemployedVillain said:
According to who?
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I would strongly argue that if it wasn't for "pin-up" Lara in the 90s pushing the possibility of a strong, female lead in video games, we would not be seeing female PCs in games thereafter. Lara was insanely popular in the 90s as many people know, I truly believe she was more than just a barbie doll or whatever, but is the sole reason why people to this day are still pushing for equality/representation in games, because the original games opened people's eyes to that realisation.
 
The one thing I can't stand in the new tomb raiders is Lara's constant screaming. I don't know if the VO is just overacted or her voice in general is annoying asf to me.
 
"a thought-provoking series of substance"
Yeah, I take serious issue with that.

The new games have clearly wanted to, somewhere along the line tackle something a bit more meaty, but no, the games are basically devoid of that and become shooting galleries where even Lara doesn't seem to evolve much / be the focus in the latter halves of both games, even more so in the second game.
 
I loved the old Tomb Raider games. The original Lara was a super hero. She was awesome. The reboot Lara and world are really boring in comparison.

Multiplayer seems like another step in the wrong direction. Leave that for spin offs.
 
co-op endurance mode is pretty fun for the first few hours, after that it gets repetitive because there are only 2 or 3 crypt layouts, plus only one setting (siberia). they should have included a lot more variations and multiple settings.

so i'm not really excited by any multiplayer in TReboot 3 or whatever you want to call it
 
Pilgrimzero said:
Seriously that quote is BS. I have given more thought on how to solve original TRs puzzles than anything in the last 2 games.
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I remember everyone in my class was talking about the famous nude cheat.

And boobs in every damn magazine.
 
tuxfool said:
Fuck consistency. Start Again.
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I think they can tone down the killing and shooting without having to reboot. They have solid mechanics but they're making super long games and padding them with shooting and set pieces instead of actual tomb raiding. That can be fixed without a reboot. The character is, eh, I mean, it's Lara, whatever. It's not like they irreparably damaged the character.
 
FunkyPajamas said:
I think they can tone down the killing and shooting without having to reboot. They have solid mechanics but they're making super long games and padding them with shooting and set pieces instead of actual tomb raiding. That can be fixed without a reboot. The character is, eh, I mean, it's Lara, whatever. It's not like they irreparably damaged the character.
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Aren't you just suggesting the same thing I was? If character doesn't matter then why does continuity matter?
 
Reboot again please.
I want adult Lara back. Now that an other team is developing the next game is the perfect time.
 
evolve9 said:
Nice to see a TRLE shoutout! I used to spend ages playing community levels, there's some truly fantastic creations there. I urge anyone who is a fan of older Tomb Raider games to check that site out if they haven't, it's great.

http://www.trle.net
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Love TRLE, also downloaded the tools and made a few of my own maps for personal use. I love the fact that it came free with TR Chronicles on PC (physical copy only). Some of these TRLE levels are better than Core Design's.
 
tuxfool said:
Aren't you just suggesting the same thing I was?
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Sorry, I may have misread your post. I took "Start again" to mean "reboot". I don't think a reboot is necessary, as I don't want Eidos to spend time in trying to establish the character again, setting up an origin story, trying to change direction in writing/level design/etc.

What's been there in terms of gameplay mechanics works for me. It's the balance of those mechanics (too much shooting and set pieces vs tomb raiding and puzzle solving) that's been an issue for me, and which I think needs to be addressed. But I don't think that necessitates a reboot.

But in general terms I guess we agree that the series needs to change directions again.
Saw your edit.
tuxfool said:
If character doesn't matter then why does continuity matter?
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Fair enough, it doesn't matter so if they want to reboot I'm fine with that. I just don't want the reboot to focus on the character instead of the game design/balance. Meaning that if they reboot and go back to the original stoic Lara but keep the gameplay balance as it is right now, I'll still think the game is not ideal for me. If they just change the balance in those elements (shooting vs exploration, set pieces vs puzzles) then I'm good. If they reboot and hit the right notes with the character AND the gameplay balance then that's great. I just don't give much thought about Lara as a character as long as it doesn't get in the way of the Tomb Raiding.
 
Plumpbiscuit said:
Love TRLE, also downloaded the tools and made a few of my own maps for personal use. I love the fact that it came free with TR Chronicles on PC (physical copy only). Some of these TRLE levels are better than Core Design's.
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Yeah I have that physical copy of Chronicles, got the first 6 games for dirt cheap in some supermarket. And I agree, some levels are crazy stuff, especially for fans of good level design.

I remember a lot of them being hard as nails though, you could really see that they were made by TR enthusiasts.
 
Plumpbiscuit said:
I would strongly argue that if it wasn't for "pin-up" Lara in the 90s pushing the possibility of a strong, female lead in video games, we would not be seeing female PCs in games thereafter. Lara was insanely popular in the 90s as many people know, I truly believe she was more than just a barbie doll or whatever, but is the sole reason why people to this day are still pushing for equality/representation in games, because the original games opened people's eyes to that realisation.
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It's also what caused Toby Gard to leave Eidos when they wanted to push for more sex appeal in the marketing. You may not believe she was a barbie doll but the general public thought of her as one before they talked about the gameplay.
 
tuxfool said:
Fuck consistency. Start Again.
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Indeed.

The 2013 reboot Lara simply had more story focus and dialogue. As an actual lead character though, she has all the depth, personality and charisma of a mostly dried up muddy puddle.

Now take that focus on dialogue and story, and use it with the actually interesting, unique and far more femenist old independent, thrill seeking, sexy Lara, along with the same puzzle focused gameplay and globe trotting adventures with actual Tomb Raiding, and you'd have a masterpiece on your hands.
 
NeoRaider said:
Lol at ppl writing: "reboot again" and "i want old Lara back" after success both reboot and ROTTR had.
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Success is a subjective argument I feel, as financial gain isn't always best for an entity in the long run. Alot of modern Hollywood movies are smash hits, yet are received as average or even bad, so the term 'success' can be argued here as it depends on what the motives are for said product. Personally, I wouldn't say Tomb Raider selling alot of copies is a guaranteed success since the series has for the most part sold quite high numbers given the context of each game's release. The reboots were complete failures to me as they did not offer me anything Tomb Raider-esque as a lifelong TR fan. Sure, it made money, but they received alot of flack as do modern movies. The reboots brought nothing new, nothing innovative or challenging to the table, just seemed like it tried to be Uncharted but with a female lead to sell copies.

And what of those who bought both games suddenly don't like the third? The game'll lose both money and trust.

Maybe the series does need another reboot if you take money out the equation, because as history has told us so many times, there will be a day where people will be fed up with the same kind of thing and they will lose out on money because so. So, I wouldn't even consider the two reboots a success because money can only buy time, getting people to like your game on the other is another story. The classic games were the true meaning of success, it made money, it made fans, it innovated, Lara, a video game character, was the first to be featured in actual porn magazines. She was on British TV alongside adverts with real actors, partnered with Lucozade, made people who didn't even like video games play the games.

Tell me, what has the reboots done to top this? Nothing.
 
Plumpbiscuit said:
Success is a subjective argument I feel, as financial gain isn't always best for an entity in the long run. Alot of modern Hollywood movies are smash hits, yet are received as average or even bad, so the term 'success' can be argued here as it depends on what the motives are for said product. Personally, I wouldn't say Tomb Raider selling alot of copies is a guaranteed success since the series has for the most part sold quite high numbers given the context of each game's release. The reboots were complete failures to me as they did not offer me anything Tomb Raider-esque as a lifelong TR fan. Sure, it made money, but they received alot of flack as do modern movies. The reboots brought nothing new, nothing innovative or challenging to the table, just seemed like it tried to be Uncharted but with a female lead to sell copies.

And what of those who bought both games suddenly don't like the third? The game'll lose both money and trust.

Maybe the series does need another reboot if you take money out the equation, because as history has told us so many times, there will be a day where people will be fed up with the same kind of thing and they will lose out on money because so. So, I wouldn't even consider the two reboots a success because money can only buy time, getting people to like your game on the other is another story. The classic games were the true meaning of success, it made money, it made fans, it innovated, Lara, a video game character, was the first to be featured in actual porn magazines. She was on British TV alongside adverts with real actors, partnered with Lucozade, made people who didn't even like video games play the games.

Tell me, what has the reboots done to top this? Nothing.
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We're getting a movie based on the reboot. Don't know why fame is important considering that whole era where the mainstream media would feature video game characters is over, outside of Mario.

Harlequin said:
That doesn't really mean much of anything.
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It means GAF isn't represented of what the general public thinks.
 
Kind of agree with the nuLara complaints. I really don't miss the massive tits or the skimpy clothes (design-wise, I think nuLara is pretty good) but some of that sassiness and charm wouldn't hurt at all. As she currently is, she's just an "eh" character for me, completely flavourless (a symptom I've found in a lot of Rihanna Pratchett's characters).

The main problem of the new TR games for me is that there's a really big focus on the story and characters which are unoffensive at best, and that makes the flaws all that more apparent. I mean, the older TR games had a weak story too, but they were aware of that and just used the story as an excuse to have Lara travelling around exotic locations. Level design was Core Design's forte and they completely tailored the games around that aspect. I'd like for the new TR to trim the fat story-wise and focus on what it does well (and to add more tombs and not make them side-quests, damnit!)
 
ElBoxyBrown said:
It means GAF isn't represented of what the general public thinks.
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No shit, Sherlock, but an opinion or assessment doesn't automatically become more valid just because it's shared by a lot of people and your average mainstream media consumer isn't exactly known for their distinguished taste.

I'll concede that reboot Lara's visual design may be better (at least in terms of her outfits, stuff like her hair and facial features are rather more debatable) but when it comes to her backstory and personality, I find both reboot Lara and LAU Lara to be absolutely woeful, inferior iterations of the character clearly made by people who didn't know the subject matter they were working with (or didn't care about it). And yes, I know that Toby Gard worked as a consultant on Legend but as far as I'm concerned, he forfeited any goodwill he earned by "creating" the character the second he suggested the terrible mummy in Avalon plot for Legend which completely negated some of the very core aspects of Lara's character.
 
Plumpbiscuit said:
I would strongly argue that if it wasn't for "pin-up" Lara in the 90s pushing the possibility of a strong, female lead in video games, we would not be seeing female PCs in games thereafter. Lara was insanely popular in the 90s as many people know, I truly believe she was more than just a barbie doll or whatever, but is the sole reason why people to this day are still pushing for equality/representation in games, because the original games opened people's eyes to that realisation.
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I'd say that representation of Lara in marketing was really worlds apart from what Core Design conveyed about her character in the games themselves. That made a difference too, when many people played the games the title character resonated with them beyond sex appel.


And Crystal Dynamics take on the franchise is hardly better, if any better, in the narrative sense. They have been trying to humanize Lara Croft so much that it directly clashes when they try to create a game around that.
 
Garrett Hawke said:
It does, because the games sell well and are received well outside of gaf, which is a niche hardcore gaming community.
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Fair enough, what I meant was that it doesn't really say anything about their quality or the quality of their stories or reboot Lara's characterisation.
 
Fuck the reboots. New Lara is boring, garbage Lara. Just pull a New Coke and say that you'll be bringing back the classic that people actually like. Make it over the top like it wanted to be, but couldn't due to the graphics of the time. Keep the M rating, but get rid of the gore and over the top violence.
 
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