EIDOS TO ANNOUNCE UPDATED SCHEDULE
Copyright 2003 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ June 17th 2003 ]

Amid new fears of a further delay to Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Angel Of Darkness for the Sony Playstation 2 and PCDROM, Eidos Interactive has confirmed a new release schedule will be announced this afternoon, but remains tight-lipped on which titles will be effected. This comes amid speculation the London based publisher will not meet the previously announced June 20th commercial debut for the sixth Core Design developed Lara Croft Tomb Raider adventure.

News of a possible delay has done nothing to throttle Eidos PLCs share price which has soared 5.5% to 157.00 since trade began this morning. Check back here for regular updates.

18:00 GMT. June 18th. Follow press release from Eidos Interactive.

Eidos , one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, will release the highly-anticipated Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness in North America on June 20th for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Tomb Raider is the most popular computer and console video game series of all time. Since Lara made her debut in 1996, the Tomb Raider series has sold more than 28 million units worldwide.

The Tomb Raider franchise will be supported by a massive television, print, radio and online campaign to support the release of the video game and Paramount Pictures' Tomb Raider film sequel "The Cradle of Life" scheduled for US release on July 25, 2003. Lara Croft will also have a very high-level television presence this summer via key partnerships with Paramount, Visa, Panasonic and Jeep. Print buys for Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness have been scheduled for July through September issues of men's magazines including Maxim, Stuff, and FHM along with an 18 city outdoor campaign to include bus kings, shelters, and billboards along with live radio reads on the "Howard Stern Show" in the same 18 markets. "The Cradle of Life" film will be supported by heavy advertising and promotions with partners Panasonic and Jeep's "Rubicon."

"We have created the biggest and most diverse Tomb Raider marketing campaign to date," said Chip Blundell, Director of Marketing at Eidos US. "With marketing partners including Paramount, Visa, Panasonic and Jeep, Lara Croft will not only dominate the gaming industry, but build on her status as a major pop culture icon," continued Blundell.

In Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, the gaming world's most famous heroine returns as both hunter and hunted relying on her ingenuity, athleticism and a new edge to her personality. The game also introduces a new playable character, Kurtis Trent, who works alongside Lara to help clear her name from a murder suspicion and clean up a most desperate situation. Players must traverse an intricately detailed world, taking them from the back streets of Paris to the depths of Prague.

17:20 GMT. June 18th. A well placed and reliable source has confirmed to us that Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness will release in Europe by the end of the month. U.S. gamers can expect to receive copies of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness on Sony Playstation 2 from June 20th. Eidos Interactive are expected to make an annoucement later this week.

14:00 GMT. June 18th. Still no word from Eidos. Some diversionary humour to pass the time...

A mother and her son were flying Qantas from Perth to Sydney (in seats 24E and 24F). The son, who had been looking out the window, turned to his mother and said, "Why don't big planes have baby planes?" The mother, who couldn't think of an answer, told her son to ask the flight attendant. So, the little boy asked the flight attendant, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes..?"

The flight attendant, looking rather sheepish, asked, "Did your mother tell you to ask me that?" The boy said that she had. With a clever grin, the flight attendant whispered boldly, "Tell your mother it's because Qantas always pulls out on time."

11:00 GMT. June 18th. All quiet on the Eidos Front, but JK Rowling confirms Harry Potter is good to go...

17:30 GMT. June 17th. Having spoken to Eidos Interactive this morning to clarify exactly when Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness would release, we're still waiting for the release schedule update the company said it would announce this afternoon. We're also wondering if the release schedule update has been delayed.