Well I won't be buying the new Tomb Raider...

[TheScottishFella]

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We're getting a prequel for Gears of War. Are we going to 'want to protect' Baird and Cole?

Thats the language that bugs me badly.
We're not going to see lara 'grow and become the hero she is'. The implication is we're not interested in seeing a woman grow and become strong, we have to see someone weak and feel the urge to protect her.

Can you imagine prequels where we 'wanted to protect' Marcus Fenix, Nathan drake, Kratos, the Master Chief, Max Payne, Soap or Snake?

And again, the big crux here is the rape aspect. because Rape is being used here as the writers think its Something That Only Happens To Women. It should NEVER be used in a story unless you know what your doing, and the way its being used here makes it pretty clear they don't know what they're doing

Again I would like to point to what I said in reply to someone else.

"Here's the thing right. No-one is protecting her in game. So, it's not throwing all her traits out the window, she's just a little bit more inexperienced. She is still surviving on her own with no help and is using her intelligence to get out of situations. So... yeah."

Also who says we are not wanting to protect her at the start, but her actions and her learning and a thing called character development evolves her into a independent woman. The bottom line is, we have no idea what happens in the game so can make no knee jerk reactions what has been said, once, as trying to advertise her. They aren't trying to make her sound weak, that's a stupid move, they are just trying to say she's "likeable", poor choice of words? Perhaps. However, this one instant, of one guy saying one thing says nothing about the game and it's character.

 

[kyogen]

This reboot of Tomb Raider in general and Lara Croft in particular at least makes me curious about the franchise again. I've been ignoring it for years.

I agree with Yosharian: if Crystal Dynamics wants to try and humanize the character and deal with very tough, very uncomfortable issues, they should be allowed to do it. They may or may not do it well, but I'll wait and see the finished product before I pass judgment.

 

[Elamdri]

It seems all the people crying "OMG THIS IS SEXIST!!!" are failing to notice one simple little thing: Lara Croft is a character in a story. Guess what type of character in this story she happens to be. Yup, a weak, helpless person who goes on a journey and grows into a strong individual.
The plot wouldn't work if she was already an empowered young woman. The ones who are getting offended don't seem to realize that there isn't going to be one concrete archetype for a character. Honestly, I don't think people would be getting mad if Lara didn't just so happen to be a woman in this game. If she was, say, "Larry, the young, helpless man who almost gets raped on an island" people would be astounded at how unique of a character Larry was. But no, since it's a woman its incredibly sexist. Like women can't be interesting unique characters in videogames. Good god, some of these posts made me sick.
I just wanted to point out one post in particular for being the single most well thought out post I've seen on the Escapist. I'm sure it's been acknowledged already in this thread, but I got pissed at about page 2 and decided to post my thoughts.
This is simply here for recognition:

SNIP

Ty, it's nice to be appreciated.

 

[The Rainmaker]

People think way too much about this stuff. Just play the damn game and enjoy the characters and story for what it is.

 

[Tony2077]

I'm still trying to decide if i want it or not since i haven't seen enough of it. its amazing how quickly people resort to calling something sexist or what ever they choose

 

[Elamdri]

Lara's huge boobs are like her superman symbol she would not be the character she is without them.

to be honest men are always muscularly in games, women like muscles so that could be over sexualisation.

To all those people who dont want sexualised video game characters and want someone average and unattractive. FUCK YOU if you want average and realistic go and look round your local super market.

If you look at the screens, the new Laura is pretty damn attractive. She just doesn't look ridiculous.

 

[zumbledum]

the genius of kotarku , they have zero journalistic skill or integrity , no editorial ability and for a social commentary well you may as well listen to a cows second stomach.

But they can bait nerds like pros

character gets overhauled, new clothes new more normal shape , the story and events are made darker and everything is done to try and make us care for our protaganist.

one smaller aspect of this is the toning down of the breasts. which they leap on
"big tits makes a woman less human!"

watch the rage and the hits fly! its money in the bank and a damn site easier than being accurate clever or useful

 

[k3v1n]

And of course to have the big male ego of the gamer caring for her at every step

I see no fundamental difference between one that men only play because they want to ogle her tits and one men only want to play because they feel the need to take care of the poor little girl

In regards to this, what if it's a girl who's playing the game? why do you presume it's a guy who's playing it?

can it be that you are the one who is being sexist?

Also, related to the game, I actually think it's a good step to the saga, I never got into Tomb Raider, but I might just get this one, why?, because it looks like a better told story.

 

[matrix3509]

How to be called sexist in the videogame industry:

1. Have a female character in your videogame.

THE END

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I will be getting it and I think you are overreacting.

It's an origin story of Lara and how she got to be what we know her for, so I would expect she's going to have to deal with a ton crap heading her way. Otherwise, what's the point in all this and they're just doing it for the sake of it.

Also, the whole rape thing? Apparently ole boy Ron Rosenberg screwed up in what he was talking about and actually that little scene doesn't have any rape connotation.

http://www.tombraider.com/us/base/brandsite?refer=19&

Anyways, Lara is now just a regular old person in this story rather than what she was before and we can now relate to her character here, so I have no problem with this game.

How to be called sexist in the videogame industry:

1. Have a female character in your videogame.

THE END

Kinda sad isn't it?

 

[m19]

What I find offensive is some people seeming implication that this supposed near rape and abuse is made "for the male audience". Because clearly that's what we men like, right? It couldn't possibly be just a gritty story about someone overcoming adversity without being anyone's twisted fantasy. Clearly men are incapable of such. Get over yourselves.

You know what other iconic strong female characters suffer but still come out on top? Sarah Connor and Rippley for example. Sarah Connor gets sexually harassed in T2, I dare you call her a weak character. Those characters are actually interesting as opposed to the bland 'Mary Sue' types.

Don't jump to conclusions before you actually see the final result. I'm personally interested in TR for the first time now that it is getting away from the 'Mary Sue' sex doll Lara and are trying something new.

 

[Thandran]

How to be called sexist in the videogame industry:

1. Have a female character in your videogame.

THE END

Actually, you're sexist if you don't have a female in your game, as well.

Hahahaha... this somehow reminded me of my conversations with my girlfriends.

Boils down to whatever I do or say, nothing's right.

 

[XMark]

You know... if a game with a male lead character had the same amount of torture and damage inflicted on them, nobody would blink an eye. Since the new Lara isn't overtly sexualized (like certain stripper nuns), we're simply seeing a story in which a main character runs into painful adversity, plain and simple.

 

[xPixelatedx]

So, just to clarify here... Now it's a problem that Lara DOESN'T have enormous and ridiculous breasts!? I like this newer more realistic take on Lara, those boobs were kind of obnoxious and silly before.

But I won't be buying the game either... they have long since forgot what made tomb raider fun. I will stick to the original three, thanks.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

"And then, Rosenberg says, those scavengers will try to rape her. "She is literally turned into a cornered animal," Rosenberg said. "It's a huge step in her evolution: she's forced to either fight back or die."

Wow.

And I thought I was maybe reading too much into the trailer when I saw it last week, but this, coming from one of the producers of the game, just raises it to a new level of creepy.

I'm dreading this. I don't want to see Lara pick up her iconic handguns as a reaction to an attempted rape. That's not a strong believable female character - that's just sleazy, and I am really concerned that this is the kind of exploitation movie thinking that's driving the reboot.

Lara was the iconic female video game hero of the 90s. She didn't need a justification for going on adventures and kicking ass any more than her male counterparts did. Now it's a reaction to an attempted rape. How can this possibly be seen as a step forward?

This is going to be worse than Other M.

Unfortunately a huge part of any game getting released these days is having some kind of "controversy" that people can ***** about or try to boycott the game over. MW2 did it and look how well that turned out.
Since MW2 however, theres not much else you can do to get someones attention. This isn't to say that rape should never be featured in a game. It's a powerful card to play in any story involving a female protagonist. But when they advertise the rape before the actual game release...yeah, they just want to get the attention for it.

 

[lacktheknack]

Yes, you make a woman more realistic by ensuring she's less sexually empowered

Um... yes? Lara's undercurrent of sexuality in previous games was VERY unrealistic. In the new one, it appears to be all but gone, which sounds good for a survival story.

Anyways, they're paying lip-service to the hordes who were saying that previous Lara Croft was too ridiculously badass. It's nothing to freak out over. What exactly is wrong with "wanting to protect" the new Lara? Who said it's specifically because her breasts are now possible and she can't currently triple handspring out of a quad-boulder clap? Maybe you'll want to protect her because she IS relateable.

Anyways, I refuse to ever take trailers at face value, so if the game consists of more than a few incidents of actual torture, I'll eat my hat. Most of the game (from a practical standpoint, anyways) should consist of getting from point A to point B while staying alive. With that in mind, it's still one of the two games from this E3 that I've got my eye on.

 

[Sixcess]

Also, the whole rape thing? Apparently ole boy Ron Rosenberg screwed up in what he was talking about and actually that little scene doesn't have any rape connotation.

http://www.tombraider.com/us/base/brandsite?refer=19&

From the Crystal Dynamics statement, today:

"Sexual assault of any kind is categorically not a theme we cover in this game."

From Penny Arcade, 1 week ago:

"You see that in the beginning of the game, where we begin to build her up and give her confidence to cross the ledge, cross the plane, she forages for food and she?s feeling really successful," Rosenberg said. "Then towards the end we start to really hit her, and to break her down. Her best friend is kidnapped, she's taken hostage, she's almost raped, we put her in this position where we turned her into a cornered animal."

So what they're saying is that the team that put that scene together in a way that definitely implies sexual assault didn't mean to do that? That the producer of the game uses words as charged as 'almost raped' by mistake? When talking to Penny Arcade?

I'm facepalming so hard it'll give Patrick Stewart a concussion.

The most charitable spin I can put on this is that Crystal Dynamics are a pack of idiots who have no fucking idea what they're doing and (like most developers it seems) should be forbidden to talk to the gaming press.

But that's not what's happening. They've tried to be edgy and 'dark' and all the rest of what passes for maturity in mainstream gaming, and they didn't get the reaction they wanted.

This is damage control, pure and simple.

 

[Kahunaburger]

http://www.tombraider.com/us/base/brandsite?refer=19&
From the Crystal Dynamics statement, today:

"Sexual assault of any kind is categorically not a theme we cover in this game."

From Penny Arcade, 1 week ago:

"You see that in the beginning of the game, where we begin to build her up and give her confidence to cross the ledge, cross the plane, she forages for food and she?s feeling really successful," Rosenberg said. "Then towards the end we start to really hit her, and to break her down. Her best friend is kidnapped, she's taken hostage, she's almost raped, we put her in this position where we turned her into a cornered animal."

I love the smell of industry backpedal in the morning. Smells like victory.