Tomb Raider Anniversary: blog tasks

Language and Audience

Analyse the game cover for Tomb Raider Anniversary (above).

1) How does the cover communicate the genre of the game?

The genre of action/adventure is communicated through the covers use of props. The gun indicates that there will be moments in the game in which Lara will be fighting different enemies who are out to kill her therefore she needs a weapon (action code). Additionally the use of the backpack identifies the adventuring aspect of the game as it is a common convention of adventure games and films. 

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

Lara Croft is positioned in a way so that her female assets are facing the audience, particularly her bum and breasts for the male appeal (male gaze). Her costumes is very sexualised as well as it reveals a lot of skin which is quite impractical.
3) How might the cover be read as empowering for female gamers?

The  cover may be empowering for female gamers as she is the protagonist of the game and so for a woman to be playing a major role in a form of media is a huge achievement. Also the fact that she is the only character on the cover presents her as an independent character.                                          

Gameplay analysis

Watch the following gameplay clips again:




1) What does the gameplay for Tomb Raider Anniversary involve?
The game-play for Tomb Raider Anniversary offers a third person perspective in which you run around in a platforming fashion to traverse throughout the environment.

2) Write an analysis of the media language choices in the construction of the game: e.g. genre, narrative, mise-en-scene, camera shots etc.
In terms of Mise-en-scene we see Lara's costume to be very revealing and extremely impractical considering she works in harsh environments. She wears a tight tank top and shorts to emphasise her body features, presumably to the male audience (male gaze). There is also hints of intertextuality throughout the game as we see subtle links and hints to other action/adventure franchises, for example Indiana Jones. The Sound fx is also used to its full extent as the sounds she makes when manoeuvring emphasise the realism aspect of the game.

3) Analyse the clips for audience pleasures, applying audience theory and considering media effects.
Intellectual challenge - puzzle solving
Intertextuality - Indiana Jones 
Cultivation Theory - normalisation of women being sexualised
Action and Enigma codes - narrative is driven by these two aspects. Both mystery and fighting
Male Gaze - Objectification of Lara
Diversion - Playing this game will immerse you into a world of adventure


Representations

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

1) Note the statistics in the opening paragraph.
-Tomb Raider has sold over 58 million video game units worldwide
-Lara Croft has been on the cover of 1,100 magazine covers

2) How does the article describe the cultural change in society and the media since the early 00s?
The article talks about how conversations surrounding women's equality has changed entirely. Men's magazines that tend to sexualise and objectify females have been taking from circulation and now women have called out sexism. One example of this is the '#MeToo' movement as it's encouraged women to call out and raise awareness on the sexism and harassment women have to face.

3) How was the original 1996 Lara Croft received by audiences and critics?
Many females at the time were inspired due to the fact that Lara was the first female protagonist in a video game. It showed a change in the way females were represented. People were excited and amazed at Lara's strength, intelligence and her position as a role model.

4) What did the 2013 re-launch do differently – and how successful was it?
In the 2013 relaunch we saw Lara Croft gifted with an entirely new look as she was shown to be more fitting of her environment sporting cargo pants instead of shorts which sexualised her. The game didn't go the usual route of glamorising her but instead showed the complexity of her character. 

5) How is ‘woke Lara’ defined in the conclusion of the feature?
Woke Lara is defined as someone noticed her for
-lightness
-intelligence
-recklessness
-courage
-physical ability


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

1) Why is Lara Croft considered a “polarising figure among gamers”?
Lara Croft is considered a polarising figure among gamers as she's a paradox regarded as either a digital pin-up girl or a feminist role model, sometimes even acting as both.

2) How did the limitations of game construction in the 1990s help to establish the way female characters were animated?
Lara's appearance being heavily sexualised was due to a drawback from the early days of video game development as women were hard to distinguish from men on 32 bit consoles. Also, flowing hair was difficult to design so Lara has to wear her hair in a single braid, the emphasis on a woman's hips, legs and breasts became an easier way to feminise her. 

3) Why were Lara Croft’s physical attributes emphasised in the original games?
Lara Croft's physical attributes were originally played up to market the franchise. In the game she was sexualised in order to encourage audience to have an interest in the game, focusing on her body rather than the actual gameplay.

4) How does Anita Sarkeesian describe Lara Croft?
Anita Sarkeesian states, "She is one of the most iconic representations of women in gaming, but that doesn't mean it's a good thing". She then goes onto describing Lara Croft as a, "hyper-sexualised character that promotes a deep objectification of women".

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

Lara Croft's appearance gradually changed as more women were drawn to video games, research even shows that nearly half of all players are women. Community and communications manager at Crystal Dynamics, Meagan Marie states, "The goal was to make her a relatable character, one that was believable". In 2013 Crystal Dynamics rebooted the franchise and gave her a more natural look. 

Industries

1) Why is Lara Croft such an iconic figure in the gaming industry?
Lara Croft is an iconic figure in gaming history as she was one of the first female protagonists to ever hit the video game which was revolutionary on its own. From this her character has evolved into something much more, from TV shows to Movies, Merchandise and much more. The amount of controversy around her character will forever remain as a part of history as it played a huge part in how women are now represented in video games. 

2) What products and spin-offs have featured Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider brand?
There have been feature films which Angelina Jolie plays the female protagonist, TV series, many advertisements which include Lara Croft like her featuring on Lucozade bottles. Lastky there have been mobile spin off games like 'Lara Croft Go'.

3) Why might Lara Croft be considered a postmodern icon?
Lara Croft may be considered as a postmodern icon as she is a  hugely well known figure in the media industry so much that she is used in different advertisement products. We even see people cosplaying her character at massive events like Comicon and so on. She has even been on magazine covers.

4) Why is Tomb Raider Anniversary a 'case study in conglomerate ownership'?
Tomb Raider Anniversary is a case study in conglomerate ownership as the game has been owned by many different companies throughout its time. Moving from Core Design who made the original 1966 game to then being bought by Eidos Interactive which was then bought by Square Enix publishers in Japan who are a massive company.