TOMB RAIDER LAUNCHES
ON SKY GAMESTAR
Copyright 2002 Sky Digital Press Release
[ December 18th 2002 ]
The world's
most famous videogame character. Lara Croft makes
her interactive TV debut in the UK and Ireland
today, following an exclusive agreement between
BSkyB and Eidos Interactive, publisher of the
Tomb Raider series. Tomb Raider: Apocalypse, Episode
1: The Eye of Osiris has been developed by Minds
Eye Productions specifically for Sky Gamestar
- Sky digital's TV games portal. It is the first
episode in a series, with parts two and three
launching throughout 2003. Sky digital viewers
take on the role of the all-action heroine Lara
Croft as she embarks on a death-defying adventure.
Players
must guide Lara through ancient Egyptian temples
where she has to recover the mythical Eye of Osiris,
which holds the key to immortality. Explore 10
levels of complex catacombs and corridors in search
of rare artefacts and hidden exits whilst keeping
a watch out for lethal traps and deadly enemies.
Key elements
include a 2D platform game - a first for Sky Gamestar
- 10 game levels including a specially designed
training area, Gamestar functionality enabling
players to make Lara run, turn, step, crouch,
roll, climb up and down, shoot, and jump! Blue
button reveals Lara's inventory and handheld map,
red button receives message texts with handy hints
and tips, pass-codes enabling gamers to jump straight
into a completed level and save crystals allowing
players to restart partially completed levels.
Sky Gamestar
will follow up with a highscore version of Tomb
Raider: Apocalypse, Episode 1: The Eye of Osiris
that will feature a huge, specifically designed
level that will be compatible with the Sky Gamepad
enhanced functionality. Adrian Pilkington, Head
of Games at Sky Interactive said: "The Tomb Raider
series has enjoyed phenomenal success worldwide
and I'm sure it's going to be a great hit on Gamestar.
This is an entirely new genre for Sky Gamestar
and the first episodic series. Viewers can really
experience a true action adventure game, demonstrating
the next stage in the evolution of interactive
TV games."
Mark
Stanger, Commercial Director - New Media at Eidos
Interactive adds: "One of the main aims within
Eidos' New Media division has been to look at
how new technologies can add value to our existing
intellectual properties. Our deal with Sky enables
us to hit a mass-market audience by taking Tomb
Raider into 6 million homes in one hit."
Martin
Batten, Managing Director at Minds Eye Productions
comments: "Tomb Raider is by far the most challenging
project for Sky Gamestar that Minds Eye have developed
to date. The result is the first iTV game which
creates a large play area, consisting of over
250 locations, with 3D rendered backgrounds and
hundreds of frames of animation. Even more exciting
is the fact that Tomb Raider is also the first
ever episodic interactive TV game which will keep
gamers coming back for the next instalment."
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