VIDEO GAMES CSP: Tomb Raider; Anniversary

Language and Audience

How does the cover communicate the genre of the game?

• The cover communicates the genre of the game through action codes such as props like the gun, holsters, casual clothing and her hair is up with an enigma code through the tunnel she's positioned towards. The font is also a convention of the action/adventure genre referencing Star Wars, Minecraft and other video games such as Assassin's Creed. The same with the symbols used with the neutral/camoflage colour scheme to create enigma codes and reinforce the genre conventions. 

How does the pose and costume of the character appeal to primarily male audiences?

• The costume arguably appeals to a male audience through the use of a gun, which is a phallic symbol and the lingerie chic clothing. Her feminine attributes such as her chest frame the title and are accentuated by the lighting and pose, as well as her 'coke bottle' athletic figure. It could also be argued as an appropriation of conventionally masculine attributes however the sexualisation through the over exaggerated features is undeniably been constructed with a heterosexual, male player in mind. 

How might the cover be read as empowering for female gamers?

• The cover may be read as empowering for female gamers as Lara Croft's sexualisation is a secondary element to her identity, first and foremost she is a heroine. The low angle emphasises her power, whereas the clothing acts as a reclamation of sexuality and femininity and enforces the idea that she can be ALL rather than having to choose between appearance and success. The James Bond intertextual reference, links with Neale's ideas about genre and her protagonist role is arguably empowering especially through the solo cover. 

Gameplay analysis

What does the gameplay for Tomb Raider Anniversary involve?

• The gameplay involves a third-person perspective, gunplay- close to Lara's POV [Almost FPS], cut scenes and action scenes that contain reaction shots and close ups, ancient ruins and an extremely conventional setting for a quest narrative. 

Write an analysis of the media language choices in the construction of the game: e.g. genre, narrative, mise-en-scene, camera shots etc.

• Lara Croft is a third person game with a hyper realistic soundscape and extreme digital realism. The 360 degree camera angle control gives the player complete autonomy whereas the soundtrack and sounds allow the game to be almost completely immersive, working with the colour scheme and dim lighting to highlight the conventions of an action/adventure game. The lighting accentuates the character and the sound effects highlight the checkpoints and journey along with graphics, this highlights the quest narrative aspect if the game.

Analyse the clips for audience pleasures, applying audience theory and considering media effects.

• The clips offer sadistic, visceral pleasures through the violence and can be argued as cathartic for players whereas in alliance with Rigby this game offers competence, autonomy as well as aspects of Personal Identity and Personal relationships with Lara Croft's role as a cultural icon. There's also undeniably erotic pleasures and nostalgia connected with the franchise.

Representations

Read this NME feature on the evolution of the character of Lara Croft. Answer the following questions:

Note the statistics in the opening paragraph.

• 'gracing more than 1,100 magazine covers'
• 'selling over 58 million game units worldwide'

How does the article describe the cultural change in society and the media since the early 00s?

• The conversation around women's equality has 'changed entirely' with movements such as #MeToo giving women a voice and the rise in female protagonists allowing women in the action/adventure genre to be known for their intelligence, athleticism and attitude rather than their unrealistic body proportions. 

How was the original 1996 Lara Croft received by audiences and critics?

• She was seen as 'strong, smart and a role model'. Alternatively, described as a 'distorted, sexually ambiguous, male fantasy' by Germaine Greer- the response was definitely upon a spectrum as a character she was undeniably empowering, but as a 'sex symbol' in a feminist climate it seemed like a step backwards.

What did the 2013 re-launch do differently – and how successful was it?

• Instead of shorts, she wore cargo trousers and had scars, dirt and an athletic figure rather than the pinup aesthetic favoured in earlier versions. She was given an emotional background and a best friend and her character was developed beyond her aesthetics. It became the best selling game in the history of the franchise.

How is ‘woke Lara’ defined in the conclusion of the feature?

• 'determined, courageous and physically able' - she is a feminist icon. 

Now read this feature – Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft: feminist or femme fatale? 

Why is Lara Croft considered a “polarising figure among gamers”?

• There has been many debates regarding whether Lara Croft is actually an empowering role model or simply an object for the male gaze.

How did the limitations of game construction in the 1990s help to establish the way female characters were animated?

• It was far easier to accentuate female characters body parts to help with the distinction between genders within video games, It was easier to over exaggerate a female characters breasts than to give them longer hair, or makeup or other stereotypically feminine characteristics. 

Why were Lara Croft’s physical attributes emphasised in the original games?

• Lara Croft's physical features were emphasised to help market the game and appeal to an assumed heavily heterosexual, male audience. Audiences were encouraged to be a voyeur throughout the gameplay through angle changes and camera movement and sound effects as Lara Croft had overly sexualised movements and physical attributes.

How does Anita Sarkeesian describe Lara Croft?

• Sarkeesian describes Croft as a 'hypersexualised character that promotes the deep objectification of women' and even comments on how Lara Croft's role as an icon and her depiction of women in video games 'doesn't mean it's a good thing' 

Why has Lara Croft’s appearance and characterisation changed over time?

• Lara Croft's appearance and characterisation has changed over time to keep up with the dynamic social zeitgeist as well as the everchanging video game industry and it's revolutionary technologies and changing representations for profitable successes. This can be seen through the last decade, as female gamers and blogs such as Jezebel called for fairer representation of women in online games and how the unrealistic depictions can be harmful for both women viewing them and the society surrounding us, in reference to Killbourne's 'Killing us softly' although objectification occurs for both genders, it is far more dangerous for women as objectification has a body count. 

Industries

Why is Lara Croft such an iconic figure in the gaming industry?

• She was one of the first female protagonists within the gaming industry as well as being one of the first quest narrative games to incorporate 3D technologies. She captured the feminist zeitgeist of the 1990s and became a feminist heroine.

What products and spin-offs have featured Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider brand?

• Comics, Animated TV series', Feature films, Lara Croft GO! mobile game, advertising campaigns such as Lucozade and Cars

Why might Lara Croft be considered a postmodern icon?

• She is a simulacrum of celebrity, she has feautured on magazines such as 'The Face' and with growing popularity such as models and music stars dressing as Lara Croft for music videos or ad campaigns [Blackpinks 'Kill This Love'] she has become part of the 'real world' and the contrast between reality and construction has become blurred as she becomes more of a cultural icon. 

Why is Tomb Raider Anniversary a 'case study in conglomerate ownership'?

• It began being developed by independent British company 'Core Design' who was bought by Eidos Interactive and consequentially by Square Enix, who through vertical integration using subsidiaries 'Buzz Monkey' and 'Crystal Dynamics' developed the Anniversary game and managed to gain up to $56 million in global sales, arguably showing the influence of conglomerate ownership.