ANGEL OF DARKNESS EXCLUSIVELY ON PS2
Copyright 2002 www.tombraiderchronicles.com / Eidos Interactive Plc

[ March 22nd 2002 ]

Eidos Interactive has announced a partnership with console giant Sony Entertainment to keep the forthcoming Tomb Raider series exclusively on the Playstation 2 video-game console as well as the PC, dispelling earlier rumours of a possible Lara Croft debut on Microsoft Corp's XBOX entertainment system.

Under the terms of the agreement, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness and future installments of the world-renowned Tomb Raider series will be released only on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. Eidos anticipates a Winter 2002 release for Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness and plans to publish the product in North America, Europe, Japan and other corresponding markets.

The success of the original PlayStation and Tomb Raider are intrinsically linked, this is reinforced by the fact that Tomb Raider was the number one selling franchise on PlayStation in Europe and US at just under 17 million units," stated Mike McGarvey, CEO of Eidos. "Considering the enormous installed base of PlayStation 2 and the continuing strong growth in sales, we are confident that Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness will be the biggest and best game in the series to date."

The marriage of PlayStation and Lara Croft catapulted gaming into the mainstream market place. The release of the original Tomb Raider in 1996, transformed gaming via exceptional game play, impressive graphics and the best heroine the gaming world had ever seen. Combined with the power of the PlayStation, it won award after award. Now in 2002 Lara Croft and PlayStation renew their vows as Lara is set to embark on her new series of adventures exclusively for the PlayStation 2.

"We are pleased that Eidos chose to continue the Tomb Raider heritage on PlayStation as the success of this franchise helped propel gaming to new heights," said Andrew House, senior vice president, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. "The combination of the pervasive nature and power of our brand, and the fact that PlayStation 2 will be the only home entertainment system on which one can experience Tomb Raider is a great statement for the platform overall. As PlayStation 2 continues to break sales barriers with a ramp-up of about three times of the original platform, we are confident that millions of new and existing fans will be drawn to the new adventures of Lara Croft."

Angel of Darkness employs a new engine built from the ground up to fully utilize the power of PlayStation 2. Lara is now made up of over 5,000 polygons as opposed to just 500 in previous Tomb Raider games. She must traverse an intricately detailed world, which takes her from the back streets of Paris to the hellish depths of Prague.

Adrian Smith, operations director at Core Design says, "Our vision is to take the player somewhere dark, a place they might not necessarily wish to go, but a place they will have to venture if they are to bring Lara back. Lara will have some tough moral choices to make. It's no longer a clear-cut case of good versus evil - this is a more complex tale, which will ask more complex questions of the player. It will be a new experience for people who have played Tomb Raider in the past."