TOMB RAIDER TAPS TOP FRANCHISE GONG
Copyright 2007 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ January 10th 2007 ]

British newspaper The Independent has crowned the Tomb Raider adventure game series from Eidos as the sixteenth best selling video-game franchise of all time. The paper also courts Eidos' creative director Ian Livingstone on what the firm must do to stay ahead of competition.

According to Ian Livingstone: "Games companies need more and more working capital. Twenty years ago, two blokes in a garage could make a game for £10,000. Now, it takes 100 people, including programmers, specialists in physics and artificial-intelligence writers, artists and animators."

Ian Livingstone also touches on the deal which saw Paramount Pictures produce two blockbuster Tomb Raider motion pictures with Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie playing the part of Lara Croft. A third picture is currently being negotiated with owners SCi Entertainment Group.

"We wanted to maintain the integrity of Lara Croft and didn't want Hollywood turning her into someone we didn't want her to be. But when they suggested Angelina Jolie, we said, 'That's OK with us.'" Ian Livingstone said.

The interview in full can be collected here.