Lara Croft : Go

1) Who is Lara Croft and when did she first appear in a videogame?
Lara Croft or 'Tomb Raider' is the hero of the adventure game franchise 'Tomb Raider'. She first appeared in the original 1996 'Tomb Raider'
2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?
The 'Indianna Jones' franchise's generaL AESTHETIC AND COLOUR SCHEME CLEARLY INFLUENCED THE TOMB
3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a video game?
Tomb Raider became a movie, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft and it is due for a reboot in 2018, she also has been on magazine covers more frequently than any 1 supermodel. This shows that the franchise has become part of all pop culture not just video games.
4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?
Lara Croft Go can be played on both phones and tablets.
5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?
Lara Croft Go is a turn based puzzle game
6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline)?
Lara Croft Go is divided into 3 stages and the basic story line is that Lara Croft is on a quest to defeat the evil Queen of Venom.
7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the sub-genre of videogame?
There are levers and tombs in the classic action adventure colour scheme of gold and green.
8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?
Snakes and spiders are the other characters that appear in Lara Croft Go (except the title character L:ara Croft.) the main antagonist 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 of Lara Croft Go 
Lara Croft Go is set in the ancient ruins of the Amazonian jungle in earl
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? Lara Croft's original name was Lara Cruz and at first her body was very exaggerated to attract male audiences, then the vast majority of video game players.However, over 40% of players were female because women were not often represented in the main roles in videogames, fighting men and using weapons were typically acts only reserved for men.


Representation

1) How are women usually represented in videogames?
 Women are usually secondary characters in video games, if they are represented at all and are either in the 'damsel in distress' role where they are saved by a male protagonist like the Legend of Zelda games or any of the Super Mario franchise.
2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?
Lara Croft reinforces female stereotypes with her tight fitting clothing and exaggerated physique. Some may argue that she is not a representation of a strong female but rather a digital sex symbol made for the enjoyment of men.
3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?
Lara Croft is strong, she hangs from cliffs and fights enemies, sometimes male ones, and is independent as she never relies on anyone but herself to save her.
4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?
The original target audience of video games were exclusively male and the video game industry is predominantly male so games often cater solely to male interests and if women are featured in games they are often sexualised, their body proportions wholly unrealistic and exaggerated and they usually just add visual pleasure ansd add little to the overall plot except to be sexualised or saved from danger
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 Lara Croft is neither a feminist icon nor is she an objectified woman because I agree that show is strong and fearless which are attributes of an icon but in versions of the game, her trips are funded by her father, thus diminishing the independent aspect of her character and in regards to her costume, in some ways it is practical as she is in hot weather however I am almost certain that male protagonists wouldn't be dressed this way.


Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?
Pan. European. Gaming. Information

2) What is PEGI's job?
PEGI is the European video game rating system who's job is to help costumers make informed decisions when buying video games and to make sure they are appropriate descriptors.

 3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?
Lara Croft Go was developed by Square Enix who developed Hitman Go, the game that inspired Lara Croft Go, a few years earlier.4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?
The Hitman and Tomb Raider franchises.5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?


Audience

1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?
Older audiences may have the pleasure of nostalgia as they may have played the original 1996 game or on of its many sequels and reboots.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.
Lara Croft Go is a puzzle based phone and tablet game and since older audiences may play the game due to the nostalgia, they may play on the commute to work or waiting for the bus.3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?
Lara Croft is wearing clothes that match the action adventure colour scheme of gold and green which may remind the audience of films like Indiana Jones or the Mummy franchise and her hair is tied back in her signature ponytail.4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?
Diversion or entertainment, to distract yourself from your surroundings and pass time. Personal identity, being an independent woman and personal relationships, having an attachment to the character of Lara Croft and wanting to see what happens to her.5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?
The target audience for Lara Croft Go is 25 to 45 year old men and women (perhaps more women than men as when casual gaming is concerned, more women than men play video games). They are old enough to remember the origins of the Tomb Raider franchise and are more likely to have loyalty to the franchise as they grew up with the character of Lara Croft.

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Language
1) Watch some Lara Croft Go gameplay online or, even better, play the game yourself. How is the game constructed to attract and maintain the engagement of an audience?

2) How is narrative, character, iconography and setting used to create intertextuality? (Links to other genres and media texts)

Representation
1) Read this NME feature on the history of the Lara Croft character. Do you agree that she is now a 'feminist icon' rather than a 'trapezoid-boobed pinup'? What do these terms mean? I neither agree nor disagree that Lara Croft is now a feminist icon rather than a trapezoid boobed pinup because I don't believe that she is a particularly positive role model or just a digital sex icon. feminist icon- someone young girls should look up to because they're independent, strong and smart and subvert traditional female stereotypes. A trapezoid boobed pinup means someone that is just viewed as a mannequin with no substance and an exaggerated body shape, perpetuating outdated female ideals.
2) Have later versions of the Tomb Raider/Lara Croft franchise featured a less-sexualised version of the character? Does this suggest society is changing in its attitude towards women?
In the more recent models of Lara Croft/ Tomb Raider, she is depicted wearing trousers for the first time ever and her weapon looks more realistic and larger which shows that her being an action hero now overrides her original physical appeal.Industries
1) Why do videogame producers prefer the self-regulation of PEGI to government regulation? Why is videogame regulation increasingly important in the 21st century? Video game producers prefer PEGI over a government regulated scheme because it means that the regulations are less harsh and if one of their games goes against one of the regulations, the can fix it quietly without suffering the consequences of getting their game pulled from the market. Self regulation has increased in the 21st century because

2) Watch the full lecture embedded above: Distilling a franchise - the making of Lara Croft Go. How did the designers make conscious decisions based on previous franchises to create a successful game?

Audience
1) How has the marketing of Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise changed over the last 20 years.

2) Does Lara Croft Go target a female audience? Why do you think female gamers dominate the phone/tablet market?