I don't.

TOMB RAIDER GIRL IN LATE NIGHT HOTEL CORRIDOR SPYCAM SHOCK [UK:R]

Perhaps British folks keep losing their copies of Brain Age and keep buying replacements? Perhaps they're just crazy for brain games? Perhaps.

Sales Figures [Chart Track via Eurogamer]

As game site Go Nintendo points out, the DS and GBA Crofts are among the missing titles.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider I to Underworld [Aeropause via Go Nintendo]

It's an amazing opportunity. Lara is strong, athletic, confident and independent so it's a huge responsibility to take on her role... Lara Croft is an iconic gaming character. She just goes from strength to strength... She's got everything that a woman aspires to be like and everything that a man would like to meet.

So there you go. Alison Carroll on her new role as Lara Croft. Just check out how she handles those guns in front of random London shops.

New Lara Croft squares up for fight [BBC]

TOMB RAIDER MODEL'S "CROTCH SHOT" SHAME [UK: Resistance]

Looooong trailer for the subject matter (and being entirely a pre-render.) But it's out Nov. 8, on PC, the next-gens, PS2 and DS. And I suppose then, or before, we'll get the story of why she went and blew up her own manor.

Tomb Raider: Underworld E3 Exclusive Trailer [Gametrailers]

Rather than masquerade a single video as an entire post, here are some highlights of what's available from other sites in the way of movies and screens:

• Above is the new trailer for Lego Batman. We picked it up from Gamers Hell. It's got Poison Ivy building some evil-looking plant mini-kits, and Bruce Wayne kicking ass with a briefcase.

• Some more screens from Tomb Raider: Underworld. (Also Gamers Hell)

• Also the World Exclusive Debut Trailer for Blitz: The League II. It's at Gametrailers, because everything over there is a world exclusive.

The first 100 Tomb Raider: Legend inspired figures are going on sale today at the Wizard World Chicago show, with the remainder now available for preorder via Tonner Direct at the relatively reasonable price of $124.95, shipping in the third week of July. As an action figure junkie, I am currently surveying my apartment for things to sell. Anyone need a couple cats?

Lara Croft Figure Preorder [Tonner Direct]

A description of the game from the official Tomb Raider site:

"For generations, stories have been told of the fearsome weapon of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Legend holds that Thor’s hammer had the power to smash mountains into valleys and to destroy even the gods. For more than a thousand years it has existed only as a myth ... until now.

In an ancient ruin on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea, Lara Croft uncovers proof of the Norse underworld and the mythical hammer. As she attempts to unravel the secrets behind these myths, Lara’s perilous journey leads her toward a forgotten power that, if unleashed, could lay waste to all civilization."

Well, I know that Kotaku intern Adam Barenblat had a harrowing run-in with a Norse mythology course at the University of Colorado this past semester. So that probably ruins this game for him. And if we're dealing with the Norse underworld, I sure as hel hope it doesn't involve this sailing vessel. That's just gross.

Here are the screens at the largest size I could grab 'em. Also, on the official site, you can grab an mp3 of the new game's official theme. Not sure how new that is, but it's pretty swrrt, wish more would do that.

Tomb Raider: Underworld Confirmed for November [GamePro, thanks Mig]

Eidos' parent company announced earlier this year that it would be laying off 25% of its staff and killing fourteen projects, focusing on "cornerstone" titles like Tomb Raider, Hitman, Championship Manager and Deus Ex.

Layoffs at Eidos in Light of Warner Bros. Deal? [1UP]
Lara Croft creator SCi gets cash boost [Reuters]

Calendario 2008 Silvia Shon [Areaticino, via Fleshbot (NSFW)]

"Following our business review over the last six weeks, we are initiating a clear action plan based on three fundamental strands of activity: a radical change in our structure to a studio-led business, a top to bottom programme of product improvement and efficiency and a considerable cost reduction plan," Phil Rogers, Chief Executive of SCi Entertainment Group said, in a prepared statement. "To get SCi on track we have to act rapidly and effect change quickly. We must allow the world-class people that we have within the Group to focus on strong, profitable titles which will create the value our shareholders deserve."

A chief part of that plan is a fundamental change to the way the company does business with SCi shifting from the current centrally-controlled development and publishing model to a studio-led one, similar to the labels model that EA moved to last year.

Under the new structure, SCI would have studios based around "cornerstone products" like Tomb Raider, Hitman, Championship Manager and Deus Ex. The company is also creating an Eidos PLAY studio which will "fuse together casual and new media resources." Finally, production services will form part of the studio group and be relocated to Montreal from London.

I blame the Wii... well that and a company that has essentially been living off of three franchises for nearly two decades.

SCi Corporate

Business review and half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 31
December 2007

COMPANY TO BE RE-STRUCTURED

SCi Entertainment Group plc ('SCi' 'the Company' or the 'Group'), today announces a group re-structuring plan following its business review and its interim results for the six months to 31 December 2007.

The business review led by new Chief Executive, Phil Rogers, has decided on the following actions:

Fundamental change in business structure:

* SCi's business structure will be significantly changed from a centrally controlled development and publishing model to a studio-led business focused around cornerstone products, such as Tomb Raider, Hitman, Championship Manager and Deus Ex.
* Creation of Eidos PLAY to fuse together casual and new media resources to attack growing markets.
* Flexible and efficient approach to distribution.

Product improvement initiatives started:

* Cancellation of 14 projects which the Board considers are unlikely to generate an acceptable return on investment or are not of appropriate quality.
* Studios focusing on product innovation and delivery of high quality games.
* Production services to form part of the studio group, relocating to Montreal from London.

Cost reduction plan:

* New business structure targeted to operate with a maximum of 800 people, a reduction of 25% from current headcount.
* Annual operating costs to be cut by £14 million by the end of June 2008 at a one-off cost of £7 million

Phil Rogers, Chief Executive of SCi Entertainment Group said, 'SCi is in need of immediate change.

'Following our business review over the last six weeks, we are initiating a clear action plan based on three fundamental strands of activity: a radical change in our structure to a studio-led business, a top to bottom programme of product improvement and efficiency and a considerable cost reduction plan.

'To get SCi on track we have to act rapidly and effect change quickly. We must allow the world-class people that we have within the Group to focus on strong, profitable titles which will create the value our shareholders deserve.

'I am confident our staff share this vision and excitement for the future, and determination to build a working environment where our innovation and creativity can be commercially realised.'

Of course, nothing in life is truly free, is it? You can access the game through TrialPay, an alternative payment service, but only after you sign up to try or buy an offer from one of their blue-chip advertisers. To sign up for your free subscription to Tomb Raider Anniversary, go to the TrialPay sign-up page.

See? Lara's a classy broad. She wouldn't be givin' it away for nothin'! Her momma raised her better than that!

EIDOS PARTNERS WITH TRIALPAY TO GIVE PLAYERS THOUSANDS OF WAYS TO GET TOMB RAIDER ANNIVERSARY FOR FREE

Mountain View, Calif. - February 15, 2008 - Lara Croft celebrates her
birthday this Valentine's Day and to commemorate the event, Eidos is
inviting players to enjoy Tomb Raider Anniversary for free. Eidos, a
world-leader in entertainment software, and TrialPay, the leader in
alternative payments, have partnered to make it even easier for customers
all over the world to play Tomb Raider.

Using TrialPay, players get a free subscription to Tomb Raider Anniversary
by trying or buying an offer from blue-chip advertisers. With TrialPay
everyone wins!

"I can't think of a better way to celebrate Lara Croft's 10th anniversary
than by letting loyal players get the new Tomb Raider Anniversary game for
free," said Dave Clark, vice president of new business development for
Eidos. "Through our partnership with TrialPay, more players will be able to
enjoy the Tomb Raider series, and these players get a great deal which
fosters the brand loyalty that has made Lara Croft the first lady of gaming
for a decade."

Tomb Raider Anniversary commemorates this occasion by offering a
revisualization of a gaming classic using advanced rendering technology to
bring the original Tomb Raider Game to life for today's audience. And
through this partnership with TrialPay, anyone can get the game for free by
completing one offer from the brand of his or her choice.

"TrialPay lets millions of Tomb Raider fans get the Anniversary game for
free by trying or buying an offer from their preferred brands," said Alex
Rampell, TrialPay's CEO. "We are extremely proud to partner with Eidos for
Lara Croft's 10th anniversary."

Eidos has promoted this free method for getting Tomb Raider Anniversary
through e-mail and online merchandising campaigns and will continue adding
more touchpoints in the next few months.

To get Tomb Raider Anniversary for free through TrialPay:
http://www.trialpay.com/stores/eidos/laracroft?tid=9ahB9aF

For more information on TrialPay: www.trialpay.com

About Eidos
Based in Wimbledon, South London, Eidos Interactive Ltd, part of SCi
Entertainment Group Plc (SEG), is one of the world's leading developers of
entertainment software. Eidos consists of publishing operations across
Europe and the US and several development studios including Crystal
Dynamics, IO Interactive and Pivotal Games as well as a valuable stake in
other studios.

About TrialPay
TrialPay unites advertisers, merchants and shoppers to create the first
payment platform that benefits all parties. Using TrialPay, merchants turn
lost and indecisive shoppers into paying customers by giving away their
product for free when a shopper completes an offer from blue-chip
advertisers like American Express, Gap, FTD, eBay and thousands more.
Advertisers pay a bounty that equals or exceeds the merchant's regular price
to create a profitable transaction out of a stalled or abandoned cart.
TrialPay ensures that every shopper finds an offer that compels him or her
to purchase by pairing premium brands with the added value of a free
product. With TrialPay everyone wins: shoppers get a free product,
advertisers acquire new customers and merchants earn significant revenue
from lost or unlikely customers.

TrialPay works with over 2,500 premium merchants, including McAfee, The Wall
Street Journal, Skype and other industry leaders in software, games,
publishing, online services and retail. TrialPay currently has more than 4.5
million registered users and adds 15,000 new users every day.

The rest of the list features properties that many wouldn't mind seeing taken out back and put out of their misery—looking at you Tony Hawk—but there are a few choices I take issue with.

I'd be perfectly happy to see another (good) Tomb Raider, for one, and hope that Underworld is giving proper time to incubate. But I can't agree that Spyro the Dragon should be put to bed before yet another awful Sonic the Hedgehog game. And Guitar Hero's getting better with each iteration? Really? I guess we can agree to disagree.

These video game sequels need to be retired [San Francisco Chronicle - thanks, Matthias!]

Management credibility is rock bottom, given heavy use of questionable provisions, failure to achieve release targets, at a time when market is booming.

We chose the Crystal engine because we plan to help develop this engine more and then share it back with the rest of the company, the other Eidos studios. Having that technology from the start gives us a great advantage and foundation for our coders - there are no doubts about the approach, and we have few uncertainties.

Q&A: Stephane D'Astous, Eidos Montreal [Develop via CVG]

GAMETAP LAUNCHES RE\VISIONED: TOMB RAIDER JIM LEE FINALE

Announces Season Two will explore the worlds of Activision

GameTap launched today "A Complicated Woman," the final episode in the premiere season of its new animation series "Re\Visioned" which features story and art from legendary comic book illustrator Jim Lee of Wildstorm/DC Comics.

Launched in late August, the first season of "Re\Visioned" features ten episodes focusing on the legendary Tomb Raider franchise and the adventures of popular video game heroine Lara Croft. Academy Award-nominated actress Minnie Driver provides her unique voice for leading lady Lara Croft, while Jim Lee, Warren Ellis, Peter Chung, Brian Pulido, Gail Simone, Michael Stackpole, Ivan Reis, Cully Hamner, Christos N. Gage, Louie Del Carmen, David Alvarez, and Six Point Harness, have provided their 'Re\Visioned' view of the famous video game heroine.

GameTap has also announced that the second season of "Re\Visioned" will feature six animated episodes that spotlight games from the golden age of Activision. For the new season that launches in December, GameTap has partnered with The Hero Initiative to develop episodes that will feature the work of top industry writers, including Mark Waid (Flash, Kingdom Come, Legion of Superheroes), John Ostrander (X-Men, Punisher, Star Wars Republic) and Paul Jenkins (Spectacular Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Civil War: Front Line).

The Hero Initiative is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators in need. "We're thrilled that GameTap is continuing to support comic book creators with this second season of the 'Re\Visioned' series, especially since so many creators are video game fans," said Jim McLauchlin, President of Hero.

Episodes in Season Two will revolve around the worlds and characters featured in Activision's most iconic titles such as Pitfall, Kaboom and Pressure Cooker.

"Re\Visioned" is exclusive to GameTap and visitors can watch the finale and previous episodes from the first season absolutely free. For more information and to see the latest episode of Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider, visit www.gametap.com/tombraider.

I completely understand them, just because this is a genre which is not that widely used in videogames for whatever reason — people tend to focus more on science fiction. This more realistic, treasure hunting, pulp action adventure genre really hasn't been tried by that many. So I think just by the very fact that both Nathan Drake and Lara Croft are treasure hunters, there will be comparisons. But beyond that, they diverge pretty rapidly. From a character standpoint, Nathan Drake is an everyman who struggles to get by, who you can see on his face that he's stressed out as he's flinching from bullets ricocheting off the cover he's hiding behind, while Lara is the more stone-faced acrobat, perfect landing every time. And then the game play, obviously we were very focused on third person cover-based play, while theirs is more auto-aiming and a little more heavy on the puzzle-solving.

SCi Entertainment, now officially going down in flames as they confirm a net loss of GBP 29.1 million in the past fiscal year, say that Ubisoft isn't the only company interesting in snatching up the company and their rights to the Tomb Raider series.

Electronic Arts, an unnamed Chinese company and Time Warner are all rumored to also be preparing bids for the company.

Analysts blame, in part, the slow build up for the PS3 install base as part of the reason SCi is hemorrhaging so much cash.

"The larger-than-expected provision against capitalised development costs reflects the fact that the installed base for Sony's PS3 has taken longer to build than expected," said Panmure Gordon analyst Richard Newboult, maintaining a buy rating. "If a significant price reduction for the console boosts sales, then there is a good chance that at least some of this provision will prove to be unnecessary."

Yes, thats entirely why SCi is going down in flames... the PS3.

3rd UPDATE: SCi Receives More Bid Attention, Reports Fiscal Year Loss [CNN Money]

Final score: A-

I'm sorta digging GameTap's Re\Visioned series. The idea is that they choose a iconic video game and hand the character over to ten teams of artists and writers to reimagine different elements of the icon. The ten-part Tomb Raider Re\Visioned animated series includes a number of interesting takes on the most famous video game heroine, including a humorous story of her untold young adulthood and more serious takes on her adventures, but by far the most interesting is Gail Simone's "Pre-Teen Raider" a look at Lara Croft as a young boisterous and sticky-fingered private school student.

The look of the young Croft and the short's script are both the product of Gaile Simone, who worked with Six Point Harness to put the six minute video together.

Simone, perhaps most known for her work on Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman, said she was approached by the GameTap folks because they were looking for someone with comic book experience. It was an added bonus that Simone also happens to be a big fan of the Tomb Raider video games.

"The very first Tomb Raider that came out, I played all of the way through," she said. "The last one, Legends, I played all the way through too. It was the first game I've played all the way through in a long time."

Simone, a feminist writer known for her talented comedy-action stories, said she was drawn to Croft because she wasn't the typical heroine.

"She's an adventurer, educated, classy, strong doesn't need to be rescued by someone else," she said. "She goes all over the world."

GameTap "asked me to pitch them a few concepts and (Pre Teen Raider) was my favorite," she said. "I thought it would be fun to explore what she would be like as a kid. I thought it would be a blast to show her that way."

And the end result it, an animated short that Simone describes as having a "lot of velocity. I'm excited about the visual look of it. It's very fun, it moves very fast, the jokes are funny."

Instead of trying to go back to the creative minds who initially gave life to Croft, Simone said she looked to the adult Croft for insight into what she would be like as a child.

"I just thought about how her character is as an adult," she said. "In order to grow up and have that personality what ideas she would have as a pre-teen."

I asked Simone if she was bothered by the seeming duality of Lara Croft's popularity. On the one hand she is popular because she is a representation of a smart, strong feminine hero, but on the other she is worshiped as a bombshell.

"I'm used to working with that," she said. "I write a lot of female strong feminine heroines. I'm not distributed by a female character being beautiful. I get disturbed by a bunch of video games that all look the same and all have the same focus."

While Pre-Teen Raider was a one off created for GameTap, Simone said it would make sense to turn into into a regular animated show.

"I think it would be fun."

Tome Raider

Jewel Raider, with NSFW tush shots, after the jump.

Adult Treasure Expo [Moeyo!]

Writer Austin Grossman has lent his talents to over a dozen games, including System Shock, Deus Ex and Tomb Raider: Legend. He's recently published his first novel Soon I Will Be Invincible — a humorously bittersweet look at the emotional goings-on of comic book characters. Hollywood is calling, and there's already talk of a film adaptation. But what does Grossman think of game writing?

Video games have their own emotional vocabulary, their own language. Maybe they just don't do character.

Dare to Suck [Wired via Alice]

That's why we're so excited about $29.99 Tomb Raider: Anniversary for PS2, PC and PSP. Not only has the famous original title gotten a pretty makeover, but mechanics have been refined and...why don't you just hit the jump for our Frankenreview and hear more from people who've actually played the game?

Spong
As in Legend, Lara has a grappling device, this time it's a mechanical one, not the high-tech magnetic one she had last time. This is meant to be 1996 after all! However, Lara can now use her grappling hook to perform wall runs, which are great fun and a nice change to the normal jump-based navigation that we are all used to.

Computer And Videogames
While each level is bigger and more complex than those from original, you never feel lost or disorientated. The re-designed levels and puzzles have all been well thought out and implemented perfectly to suit Lara's smooth new moves.


Eurogamer
Although you can generally win out by diving around randomly and taking advantage of the generous lock-on, it's more fun...by performing the slo-mo 'adrenaline dodge'. It's not the usual lazy bullet time crap, but a genuinely tense, exciting way of capping a determined enemy just as they're about to pounce. Just as Lara dives out of the way, two reticules slowly move over the target, and once they're together you can loose off a deadly shot...

IGN
Plenty of times you'll be faced with a seemingly easy leap from a ledge to a landing, but the camera — which is almost always in too tight — will restrict you from being able to take in the whole scene. Most of the time it's just a nuisance, but sometimes it's going to be the motivator behind Lara's grisly demise. But, hey, that's Tomb Raider, right? Crystal Dynamics has done an excellent job at staying true to the original game — for better or worse.

Pro-G
If you imagine the 1996 game as a student film, this PS2 and PC modernisation is a big budget spectacular...Whereas the 32-Bit classic struggled to convey the size...Anniversary has no such problem...so large you'll wonder where to start....

Some reviewers can be SO distasteful. Still, Tomb Raider: Anniversary looks like another reason to dust off the PS2 (unless you have a decent PC because that version is nothing but better). Mark Wilson

10 Years of Tomb Raider [GameTap]

At this moment in time it's still not green-lit, but the signs are there. Paramount have talked about the film for a long time, and I've had meetings with them. They're willing to put a scriptwriter on board. Angelina Jolie has an option to do a third movie. I think when they see how successful Anniversary will be and realise that the world is still in love with Lara, they'll be more inclined to exercise their option.

So another Tomb Raider movie is a post-it note on some intern's cubicle wall over at Paramount and it might be turned into a movie. I feel a big "meh" emerging from the depths of my lungs. Mmmmm-eh. Kim Phu

Jolie to star in third 'Tomb Raider' film? [Digital Spy]

Our future next generation console titles include new versions of Tomb Raider, Hitman and Championship Manager plus exciting new IPs including Kane & Lynch and Crossfire. In the light of the launch of the Sony Playstation 3 in North America in November 2006 and its planned European launch in Spring 2007 we are assessing the timing of when to launch these titles on the appropriate next generation platforms.

Since we already know that Tomb Raider: Anniversary and a next-gen Tomb Raider are in the works, this shouldn't be a surprise. I'm in for Anniversary and hope that the next Lara outing will keep the quality up. Michael McWhertor

The saddest entry on the list though, in my opinion, is the Viewtiful Joe franchise. After an amazingly creative debut, my enthusiasm for the character and the gameplay plummeted at record speeds.

Read on for an appropriately jaded look at the best games that have simply worn out their welcome. Michael McWhertor

The Top 7... series run into the ground [Games Radar]

Remember the confusion we had determining whether the 10th Anniversary Tomb Raider Collector's Edition was coming or not? Well, it is coming (for the PC, PSP and PS2), and it's coming in the form of a "re-imagining" of the original game. Eido's Kathryn Clements says:

We've taken all of the key moments from the original game and put them into the context of a brand new Tomb Raider adventure which will make fans of the franchise extremely happy but also attract a completely new audience.

If it's like how the new Batman movie re-imagined Batman, then it'll be awesome. If it's like the new Superman movie with Kevin Spacey/Lara Croft's boobs overacting, then not so much. Jason Chen

Tomb Raider remake details [Eurogamer]

Eidos Ian Livingstone is threatening another Tomb Raider film. There have been two previous film versions, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, and both were utter trash. I had the misfortune of catching box office flop The Cradle of Life on a flight to New Orleans. In a recent interview, Livingstone says:

Nothing's been signed yet and we still need to hire a script writer. The film's not been green lit yet, so for me it'd be ideal to tie in a movie script with a game script at the same time, to have them both in harmony rather than out of kilter—which has happened in the past.

Why don't we concentrate more on that script and less on tying it in with a game, okay? Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Eurogamer]

Currently flagged as questionably neutral over at Wikipedia, the List of Video Games Considered The Worst Ever may not be an authoritative, judgmentally ascetic resource of bad games to be passed down via ebony marble time capsule to future generations, but it sure as hell is a lot of fun to read.

For example, this snippet describing Dangerous Vaults:

The game epitomizes many common design flaws such as extremely poorly made 3D graphics, problematic controls, ridiculous premises, with the most obvious being that it is a poor clone of the Tomb Raider games and a poor excuse for seeing Lara Croft raped in various situations. The player controls Tara through a jungle, where she can easily be injured by just moving around or, more frequently, from being raped by various creatures such as gorillas, 3-meter tall tribesmen and giant lizards

And that's where the questionable neutrality comes in. "Worst game ever?" Come on... best game ever is more like it. Rape, of course, isn't funny... unless it involves Lara Croft and a horny Tyrannosaurus Rex flaunting a saurian erection. Florian Eckhardt

List of video games considered the worst ever [Wikipedia]

The video was done by Core for E3. It was shown at E3 and got people excited. The game was about 50% complete. The video was straight from a PSP engine built by Core - not a PC render or anything. The game could have been completed for Christmas.

Eidos then told Core they didn't want the project, and to cease work on it immediately.

Also...

This week it was revealed that Eidos have sold off Core Designs [to Rebellion] and that Crystal Dynamics have been working on a game of the same name for the past 6 months using their own Tomb Raider: Legend engine. It is believed this announcement was forced out due to the large amount of negative press and forum posts about Eidos after fans discovered they had cancelled the Core Designs project. Eidos is still using the Core video to publicize that Crystal Dynamics are working on a similar game. Core did not know about the Crystal Dynamics project until this week, the same as everyone else.

Compare the Core Tomb Raider 10th Anniversary Edition video to the Tomb Raider: Legend PSP videos and decide which one looks better, runs smoother, and stays truer to the original Tomb Raider franchise.

Interesting. Sounds like Eidos didn't have much faith in Core's vision of the game, for right or wrong, and that the team will most likely never have their hands on Lara again.

Our tipster also mentioned more mini-drama may be coming soon, so stay tuned for updates. Michael McWhertor

It had been the subject of rumors for weeks, with a leaked video containing a scratch soundtrack showing off the graphically improved, original Tomb Raider hitting the Web, which was then promptly pulled from just about everywhere. Then, on Thursday, Core Design, original Tomb Raider dev house released the following statement:

The video of Tomb Raider: 10th Anniversary Edition that appeared on certain sites was an unauthorised release of an internal presentation of a game that was being developed by Core Design until very recently. It was running on PSP and used a Core-developed engine. However, following a recent review this project has been officially cancelled by SCi.

That seemed to pretty much wrap it up for the Tomb Raider remake. That's a shame. It was looking so good.

But then...

...parent company and publisher Eidos revealed that the game was still coming, courtesy of current Lara Croft reign holders Crystal Dynamics. They're the ladies and gents responsible for the generally well-received recent Tomb Raider: Legend. They'll be bringing the "one-off" title to the PlayStation 2, PSP and PC, but what exactly this game will contain is still somewhat of a mystery. The previously available video was apparently the work of Core Design's vision of the game, so what Crystal Dynamics will have to offer is, like the release date, to be determined.

Maybe someone from either CD would like to send us a tip and shed a little more light on the story?

Here's the full, somewhat clunky, press release:

Eidos Confirms 10th Anniversary Edition of Tomb Raider

June 16, 2006 - Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, confirms today that they are developing a special '10th Anniversary Edition' of Tomb Raider.

The new game is being developed by Crystal Dynamics, who recently launched Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend on Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, PC and PSP, with versions on Nintendo DS, GBA and GameCube later in 2006.

"Our '10th Anniversary Edition' of Tomb Raider, is a one-off title to celebrate both Lara and Tomb Raider, it will appeal not only to the loyal fans of the Tomb Raider series but will also attract a totally new audience." Said Larry Sparks, Head of Brands Management at Eidos.

Tomb Raider originally launched in 1996 and is still one of the best selling videogame franchises of all time, with over 30 million copies sold.

The special '10th Anniversary Edition' of Tomb Raider will be available on PlayStation 2, PSP and PC.

Take Two, publisher of Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, received it's ruling from the Federal Trade Commission over the infamous "Hot Coffee" hidden sexual content incident. What was the punishment? Nothing really. Just a warning from the government. Still, Take Two did incur almost $25 million in losses in conjunction with the product's recall.

Footage of the Tomb Raider remake for PSP snuck out this week, much to the ire of publisher Eidos. First, the original Google Video was pulled, then all YouTube videos. It's looking good, but this was surely not how the Eidos marketing department wanted to reveal the game.

In other handheld news, every Nintendo fan's ultimate fantasy has been realized. Legend of Zelda alum Tingle is getting his own RPG, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Pink-Coloured Rupee Land! Surely, the title will be Americanized for its Western release, but we still expect the same effeminate mannerisms and copious prancing about for which Tingle is famous.

Sure, it's fun (and easy) to hate on 50 Cent's video game, Bulletproof. So fun, in fact, that the lead designer of the game let slip his distaste for working on such titles. Hey, I don't like showing up for my weekday job either, but these $200 jeans aren't gonna buy themselves.

What's the benefit to owning a PlayStation 3 on day one? Bragging rights, of course. Also, you may be the owner of a fully backward compatable PS2 playing device, sans software emulation, as the PS2 chipset may be included in earlier versions of the next-gen console. Suspect? Maybe, but who can guess what Sony will do these days?

Do you, or someone you know, have a World of Warcraft addiction? Now, there's help. Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants are set to open a detox center for console and PC gaming "addicts". Doesn't anyone just do heroin anymore?

Finally, it seemed that last week was full of DIY content. From the Xman portable to this homemade DDR pad to the Freetar beta release to this mutant Lego-Xbox-SNES monstrosity, it seems that gamers are more content than ever to make their own fun.

Thanks to John D. for sending us a link to this Tomb Raider trailer that purports to be footage from the canned PSP remake. If this is legit, the game looks good. Oddly enough, it's all set to Star Wars music... perhaps indicating the first draft of a trailer with some placeholder music canned when the title was.

Of course, why in god's name would they cancel a sure thing like a Tomb Raider PSP remake? Florian Eckhardt