Lara Croft

 Language

1) Who is Lara Croft and when did she first appear in a videogame?
Lara Croft first appeared in 1996 Eidos Playstation game Tomb Raider and was the first computer game to feature a female character as the protagonist.

2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?
The narrative of Tomb Raider was influenced by Indiana Jones.

3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a videogame?Lara Croft has featured in films (the first starring Angelina Jolie; 2018 version rebooted the character). She has appeared on magazine covers more times than any supermodel. There have been advertising tie-ins, merchandise, comic books and  spin-offs featuring the character. The franchise has had numerous incarnations before Lara Croft Go in 2015. 

4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?
-Playstation, Mobile, Microsoft

5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?
It is an action-adventure game that involves puzzles and strategy.

6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline)?
The narrative is based on Eidos' Playstation game "Tomb Raider" where she goes through different settings in order to discover the myth of the Queen of Venom.

7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the sub-genre of videogame?
In Lara Croft Go there are trees, vines, cliffs, caves and rocks. All of these easily allow the audience to interpret that it is some kind of jungle setting and some may be able to tell that it is in fact the Amazon Jungle. This can help the audience to know that there could be a lot of enemies mostly in the form of animals as that is their natural habitat making them aware of these aspects of the game.

8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?
In the game Lara Croft Go, Lara Croft comes across quite a lot of enemies such as Lizards, Snakes and Spiders while the main villain is the Queen of Venom.
9) What is the setting for Lara Croft Go? How does this compare to previous Lara Croft or Tomb Raider games?
The setting for Lara Croft Go is the Amazon Jungle mainly inside the caves and at cliffs in order for the player to feel some thrill when playing the game. This is quite different from the far away island locations in the previous Tomb Raider games. This makes it seem much more adventurous and exciting for the player.
10) Read this BBC article on the history of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. How has the character of Lara Croft evolved over the last 20 years?  
Over the last 20 years Lara Croft has become a more respectable character in the gaming community leading the example that having a female heroine can be done well. Lara Croft was able to inspire many people encouraging many females to take control. When Lara Croft was first created she was heavily sexualised with a body that did not fit realistic human proportions and clothes that certainly did not fit her mission of finding relics these are some of the reasons why her character was antagonised. As the game continued to adapt her figure became much less sexualised.
Representation

1) How are women usually represented in videogames?
In games women are usually seen as "sexualised" figures or a "prize" for the predominately male players satisfaction.

2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?
She is an object of sexual desire. Her body features were particularly exaggerated in early versions of games. Lara Croft is designed to be attractive to the male audience as she basically acquires all the features that some men would describe as perfect.

3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?
She is an action hero – traditionally a male stereotype in gaming. She is empowered female heroine – rare in gaming industry at the time.  “The heroine, Lara Croft, is an intelligent, butt-kicking, gun-wielding, sexpot, ready to take on whatever comes her way.” Katherine Walker, Portrayal of Women in Media (Video Games)

4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?
-People believe that most games include male tyrants within them and female "sexual" figures instead of having them equally involved in the game.

5) Do you think Lara Croft is an empowering feminist icon or just another objectified woman designed to appeal to male gamers?
I think that she has now been considered as an empowering feminist icon as according to stats Lara Croft Go has predominately more female players compared to the early days.


Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?
 PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information 

2) What is PEGI's job?
It is a european video game rating system established to help consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors.

3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?
Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, it is now controlled by Square Enix after their acquisition of Eidos in 2009.

4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?
Tomb Raider and Hitman Go

5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?
There are movies and videogames as well as advertising that ultimately support the franchise.

Audience
1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?
They might enjoy playing LC as it's an interactive, puzzle and strategic game that will engage the audience.

2) Where and when might an audience play a game like Lara Croft Go? Think about the device it is played on and the times of the day someone might want to play the game.
An audience might play the game whenever they can, it is a form of escapism for them. The fact that it can be easily accessed via a mobile also supports the idea that it c an literally be played whenever and wherever.

3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?
They used Lara’s classic animations from the first Tomb Raider to fit in with the turn-based game which would be quite appealing for the audience as original fans would be intrigued to play.

4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?
-personal relationships
-escapism
-diversion
5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?
-Lara Croft Go predominately targets a more female consumer as the game has become less sexualiased and more women are involved in the industry. It could also be aimed at older people as, stereotypically, majority of them are into solving and learning how to complete puzzles. Lara Croft Go could also be aimed at an audience who enjoyed the original Tomb Raider games.