MsPixel » Branding and Video Games

The Inevitable Re-Branding of Lara Croft – Part 2

Bukola Ekundayo — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:38:04 +0000

This is Part Two of the series “The Inevitable Re-Branding of Lara Croft” This has been reposted from my weekly column at Dawdle.

How to Re-Brand Lara Croft

1) Fix the Game Play Already!

Why is that we’re still complaining about bogus camera angles and spotty game play in the TR franchise? The developers have had 8 chances to fix this and they’ve faield each time. If the idea to make Lara more female friendly is actually code for “we want to attract casual gamers” then fixing the mechanics of the game becomes more essential. Core gamers will complain and learn to put up with sub par gaming mechanics. Casual gamers will simply walk away.

2) Go Beyond the Sexy

Lara was born during a time when sex in games and digital nudity were avant garde. Now it’s common place. Shed more light on Lara’s personality traits. She needs to become a full blown character that makes me laugh, cry, cringe, marvel and scream at the same time. Full and impossibly flawed characters like Uncharted’s Nathan Drake andMetal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake have intense fan followings. Men don’t want to admit it but they’ve got a Bromance with Nathan and Snake that rivals the love affair they have with Lara. Women also love yearn for lovable characters. Gender doesn’t play that big of a role. In the end people want to love their characters.

It’s easy to marvel at Lara’s impossible physique. But she’s almost too perfect. When I think of compelling and strong women in media my mind drifts to Sigourney Weaver in Alien, Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich or Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. Lara is starting to remind me of Halle Berry in Catwoman. A stale and failed attempt at creating a strong female character.

3) A New Aesthetic?

The answer lies in making the game easier to play and bringing more of Lara’s humanity into the branding and promotion of the game. She’s a sex symbol and that’s ok. But lust for Lara Croft is so last century. There is no thrill in playing a game with a flat (albeit magincally endowed) character.

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Lara’s Coming Back to the Movies [NOOO!!!]

Bukola Ekundayo — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:36:41 +0000

Ngai just posted about this on Twitter. Lara Croft is set to make a return to the movies. The movie will be a key component of the Tomb Raider rebranding effort. I wish them the best of luck. I just hope it makes me less sick of her. Am I experiencing Tomb Raider fatigue? [Stares at Ms. Pixel banner and screams]

[Via - NGai and Hollywood Reporter]

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The Inevitable Re-Branding of Lara Croft – Part 1

Bukola Ekundayo — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:24:23 +0000

This is part One of the series “The Inevitable Re-Branding of Lara Croft”

I’m a fan of the Tomb Raider (TR) series. I knew in the back of my mind that Underworld was coming out last fall. However, I never saw the usual gaming blogger buzz and tweets of anticipation that lead up to a hot game’s release. I think we’re all kind of done with Tomb Raider. And I’m so incredibly sick of my banner right now. I haven’t found the time to get into photoshop to erase her out of it and come up with my a new logo. [I'll be doing that this weekend]

Here is what every Tomb Raider game entails:

Predictable puzzles and trails
Lara’s gorgeous physique running through a jungle
A lame and uninspriring villian
Pummeling said villain with a gazillion bullets
The End

The game isn’t worth 60 dollars. It’s too much like the 7 installments that came before it.

A Bomb Named Underworld

Underworld didn’t do as well as its previous installments. The dismal sales led Eidos’ stock to plunge. To remedy the problem Eidos wants to re-brand Lara Croft as ”more female friendly” to widen it’s potential consumer base. Yes. Thats right. Women are to blame for Underworld bombing. Not the mechanical game play issues that have plagued Tomb Raider since its birth. Or the fact that Eidos has played their ‘digital boob card’ a few times too many.

Lara’s (Overloaded) Sex Appeal

I know plenty of female gamers that adore Tomb Raider in spite of Lara’s intended gamer boy appeal. This is what she is known for. And Eidos worked so very hard to pigeonhole Lara as a sex symbol:

1) Her breasts are huge.

2) She was one of the first women in gaming to break into mainstream pop culture. The Tomb Raider films were headed by fellow sex symbol (now turned uber mother) Angelina Jolie.

3) Before a TR release a vacant model dressed like Lara Croft is put on display for gamer boy consumption.

This was an effective strategy for the 90’s. The industry picked up on the more vocal and male components of the gaming segment and gave them what they wanted. With that said, it’s impossible to turn back now. She is a sex symbol to be embraced or passed over.Her handlers should either accept that or move on.

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A Bomb Named Chun-Li?

Bukola Ekundayo — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:36:24 +0000

I loved playing Street Fighter on the Super NES. There was only one female character back then. And her name was Chun-Li. She was cute and powerful. Most importantly, she had massive thunder thighs. Chun-Li’s gravity defying kicks and combos set the mold for female fighters that followed.

Capcom is attempting to revive the Street Figher brand by leaning on Chun-Li’s star power. They’ve placed her front and center on the game packaging for the new Street Fighter game. Unfortunately, they’ve allowed the movie industry to mangle the next street figher movie.

Streetfigher: The Legend of Chun-Li is shaping up to be an awful straight-to-DVD bomb. The movie’s producers seleceted a size zero light weight to play Chun- Li. And I suspect she’s lacking in acting chops because she wasn’t given any lines in the trailer.

[Via - I Watch Stuff]

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