Videogames: Tomb Raider Anniversary

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

Gold brown, colours suggest an adventure theme, the guns obviously convey action. She wears tight clothing 

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

Her posing is incredibly feminine , as is her costume, its overly sexualised. This appeals to a predominantly male audience. 
3) How might the cover be read as empowering for female gamers?
Lara is in a dominant pose, her body language also suggests dominance and being powerful. 

1) What does the gameplay for Tomb Raider Anniversary involve?

Mostly jumping, and figuring out puzzles. There's also portions of combat slid in here and there but most likely for the sake of avoiding repetition and put some more excitement in the game. 

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.

Lara croft is constantly put in life threatening situations where she manages to escape. The Action-Adventure genre comes from similarities from popular pop culture such as Indiana Jones films. The settings are all fairly similar, run down aztec style ruins. 

3) Analyse the clips for audience pleasures, applying audience theory and considering media effects.


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.
Lara Croft has been featured on more than 1,100 magazine covers and sold over 58 Million copies worldwide

2) How does the article describe the cultural change in society and the media since the early 00s?
The article mentions changes such as a popular 'Lad Mag' which was misogynistic and sexist being ditched, and the #MeToo movement. 

3) How was the original 1996 Lara Croft received by audiences and critics?
The idea was praised and audiences enjoyed playing as a female protagonist as it was something new and fresh. 

4) What did the 2013 re-launch do differently – and how successful was it?
This time Lara actually looked the way she should, more blood and scars were seen on her, and her overall aesthetic was changed to make her look more rugged. She was reimagined as a character and it was well received by audiences. 

5) How is ‘woke Lara’ defined in the conclusion of the feature?
She is defined as determined, courageous, and physically able. 


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

1) Why is Lara Croft considered a “polarising figure among gamers”?
Because she is either seen as a sex icon, or a powerful role model.

2) How did the limitations of game construction in the 1990s help to establish the way female characters were animated?
Due to technological limitations in those times her 'feminine' body parts had to be overly emphasised to make it easier to distinguish her from males. 

3) Why were Lara Croft’s physical attributes emphasised in the original games?

Due to technological limitations in those times her 'feminine' body parts had to be overly emphasised to make it easier to distinguish her from males. 

4) How does Anita Sarkeesian describe Lara Croft?
An iconic female character in the gaming industry.

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

As technology got better, gaming developers came to notice her voluptuous figure simply didn't fit her as a character especially with the quests and tasks she is set, therefore they changed her appearance to make her fit in with her environment more. 

Industries

1) Why is Lara Croft such an iconic figure in the gaming industry?

She's one of the first full independent playabale main characters in gaming making her an instant icon. This was an undiscovered concept at the time meaning it grabbed the attention of many people, especially female demographics. 

2) What products and spin-offs have featured Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider brand?

Commercials such as Lucozade, Board Games, mobile games. 

3) Why might Lara Croft be considered a postmodern icon?

She appeals to modern ideologies such as female independence. 

4) Why is Tomb Raider Anniversary a 'case study in conglomerate ownership'?
Because the company behind the game is part of a conglomerate of other smaller companies. 
Grade A/A* extension tasks

Link Tomb Raider Anniversary to our work in the unit so far:

1) What examples from the Tomb Raider franchise are included in Anita Sarkeesian's video series 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'?


2) How can we apply Liesbet van Zoonen's work to Lara Croft and Tomb Raider?