Tomb Raider Trailer to Debut Next Week

The first video trailer for the new Tomb Raider game will air Thursday night on Spike TV, but fans may get a sneak preview if the Tomb Raider Facebook page can attract 100,000 fans.

The trailer, titled "Turning Point," will be shown as part of Spike's Game Trailers TV E3 coverage beginning at 10:00 p.m. PST June 2nd (7:00 a.m. GMT June 3). The video will then go live on the official game website, tombraider.com.

In an attempt to lure more fans to its Facebook page, Crystal Dynamics has promised a sneak preview of the trailer once the page hits 100,000 Likes.

Below are a couple of stills from the super-realistic CG trailer. For more info on the game, check out previous posts and visit my Tomb Raider 9 page.

Lara amid the wreckage. Still from the Tomb Raider
'Turning Point' trailer.

Lara's gear? Still from new Tomb Raider 'Turning Point' trailer.

Calling all Tomb Raider Collectors!

A while back my Facebook friends and I got into a discussion about Lara Croft/Tomb Raider memorabilia. Turns out a lot of you have collections that you're proud of—and rightfully so. I've seen a few of your photos already, and you've got some great stuff there. From Lara Croft action figures to books, magazines and comics, T-shirts and other wearable items, and of course the games...lots of games.

I'm not much of a collector myself. I love the stuff but I enjoy hosting contests even more, so I tend to give away almost all the goodies I get my hands on. So today I'm asking the hoarders among us to share their collections for an upcoming feature on this blog.

If you have a Lara Croft/Tomb Raider collection, large or small, I encourage you to share it with the rest of us. I'll post your photos and descriptions here in a few weeks.

Here are a few guidelines if you'd like to participate:

• Please submit clear digital photos (high resolution if possible). More than one picture is OK, but try to shoot your items in groups, rather than submitting individual photos of each item. That way I'll be able to include more of them.
• Email images (or a link to your site, Photobucket page, etc.) to .
• Tell us about one or two favorite items—where you got them, why they're important to you, etc. Even if you just have one prized possession, that's fine. We'd love to see it.
• If you like, tell us about "the one that got away" or the item you most covet but haven't gotten your hands on yet.
• Be sure to include your first name (or nickname/screen name), the country where you live, how you became interested in Tomb Raider memorabilia, and how long you've been collecting.

UPDATE: There haven't been too many submissions so far, so I'm extending the deadline until the end of June. Thanks!

In case you need a little inspiration, here are a few collector links and photos.


Just a small fraction of Aurélie's extensive collection. For more, visit CroftCollection.com. The site also includes a collectors' blog and sub-sections with other fans' collections. (Use Google Translate if you don't read French.)


This photo shows just some of long-time collector Goran's Tomb Raider treasure trove. See the rest at GoranAgar.com.


My friend Katie poses with her collection her basement, a.k.a. "the tomb"—kind of like the Bat Cave only with dolls. ;) For more, visit Katie's site.

All photos are reproduced here with the owners' permission.

And So It Begins...Game Media Launch Tomb Raider Blitz

The upcoming Tomb Raider title has been getting a lot of attention in the press lately. Several major gaming magazines sport Tomb Raider cover features in their May or June issues. These articles—apparently based on a hands-on demo shown to members of the press—repeat some of the information covered in Game Informer's January preview, but a few new tidbits have surfaced.*

• The game will include more physics-based puzzles with multiple solutions, including puzzles based on fire, water, gravity and explosives.
• The transitions between gameplay and cinematic cut scenes will be more seamless.
• Lara will collect useful equipment as the game progresses—perhaps including her trademark dual pistols.
• Tense emotions like pain and fear will be amplified by the use of close-up camera shots based on motion capture of real actors.
• This Tomb Raider will have a much more realistic, cinematic feel in its camera work, character models, voice acting and environments.
• Lara will still have some of the acrobatic ability she displayed in past games, but here those moves will be more flexible, more grounded in reality.
• The game will include a hint system called "survival instinct," in which players can highlight clues and interactive elements in the game world by pressing a button.
• Buddha statues are visible throughout the game. These may function as save points but their actual purpose has not yet been revealed.

Several big secrets remain, including the name of the actress who will voice Lara Croft. (Keeley Hawes will not be returning this time.) Nor has a release date been officially announced. Although several game retailers' sites are speculating December 2011, the PlayStation Magazine feature says the game won't be out until next year.

Some of these publications aren't available in New York, where I live, so if I've missed anything interesting, I hope you'll post a comment below to let me know.

Just a few of the video game magazines currently running Tomb Raider cover stories. Edge, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Hobby Consolas, Consoles+.

*If you missed the January Game Informer article, back issues are available on Amazon.com, and my TR9 page includes links and a list of bullet points.