History Trivia / TombRaider

*** Lara's outfit was initially designed to be an one-piece swimsuit with those iconic hot pants over top of them. Some drawings even attempted to add a heart-shaped BoobWindow to them.

** Creator/EidosInteractive had far more cynical approach to the series, treating it as a goose laying golden eggs and demanding new game to be delivered on a yearly basis, quality or even finished state of the product be damned. Such approach, along with ever-increasing reliance of profits generated by new Tomb Raider game, eventually bit them back, being one of the reasons why the company ended trapped in a debt death spiral.

** Creator/SquareEnix had a rather... peculiar approach to the franchise. Despite selling record number of game units for all three of the games developed under their ownership, along with [[VideoGame/LaraCroftAndTheGuardianOfLight two]] {{Gaiden Game}}s, they constantly cited "poor profits" and "lack of sales". Up to the point their initial reboot in form of ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' only got extended into a trilogy after the game broke the record of sales - and was ''still'' cited as an underperformer by Square executives. Ultimately, the ''Tomb Raider'' brand was sold to Embracer Group[[note]]Along with rights to ''Franchise/DeusExUniverse'', ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' and ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' and related studios[[/note]] - for over ''three times the money'' Square spent to buy Eidos (ownership of which they retained). Ironically, when Square Enix made the original purchase, they were predominately interested in Eidos' ''shipping and storage capacity'' for European markets, and not the library of games, further adding to their instrumental treatment of the franchise.

** Creator/SquareEnix had a rather... peculiar approach to the franchise. Despite selling record number of game units for all three of the games developed under their ownership, along with [[VideoGame/LaraCroftAndTheGuardianOfLight two]] {{Gaiden Game}}s, they constantly cited "poor profits" and "lack of sales". Up to the point their initial reboot in form of ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' only got extended into a trilogy after the game broke the record of sales - and was ''still'' cited as an underperformer by Square executives. Ultimately, Tomb Raider brand was sold to Creator/EmbracerGroup[[note]]Along with rights to ''Franchise/DeusExUniverse'', ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' and ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' and related studios[[/note]] - for over ''three times the money'' Square spend to buy Creator/EidosInteractive (ownership of which they retained). Ironically, when Square Enix made the original purchase, they were predominately interested in Eidos' ''shipping and storage capacity'' for European markets, and not the library of games, further adding to their instrumental treatment of the franchise.

** Creator/SquareEnix had a rather... peculiar approach to the franchise. Despite selling record number of game units for all three of the games developed under their ownership, along with [[VideoGame/LaraCroftAndTheGuardianOfLight two]] {{Gaiden Game}}s, they constantly cited "poor profits" and "lack of sales". Up to the point their initial reboot in form of ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' only got extended into a trilogy after the game broke the record of sales - and was ''still'' cited as an underperformer by Square executives. Ultimately, Tomb Raider brand was sold to Creator/EmbracerGroup[[note]]Along with rights to Franchise/DeusExUniverse, VideoGame/Thief and VideoGame/LegacyOfKain and related studios[[/note]] - for over ''three times the money'' Square spend to buy Creator/EidosInteractive (ownership of which they retain). Ironically, when Square Enix made the original purchase, they were predominately interested in Eidos' ''shipping and storage capacity'' for European markets, and not the library of games.

* MoneyDearBoy: Jeremy Heath-Smith, the chief executive of Core Design, was very open about what motivates him to keep assembling new teams for yet another ''Tomb Raider'' game. On the other hand, he was always making sure [[AFatherToHisMen all the team members get fat and even slices of the money made by the studio]] for the harrowing work to push yet another game in 8 months. He is still fondly remembered by all the members of the staff.

* CreatorCouple: The 2021 movie is being written and directed by a married couple, Amy Jump (former) and Ben Wheatley (latter).

* FollowTheLeader: The 2013 reboot has been accused of copying ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'', mostly due to both 3D platformer/shooter with a central protagonist who is in way over her/his head and gorgeous SceneryPorn. The accusation is especially ironic as the original ''Uncharted'' was described as a ''Tomb Raider'' ripoff.

* FanNickname:
** The "Unknown Entity" that possesses Amanda in Peru is commonly known as "[[FluffyTheTerrible Fluffy]]'' in the fandom.
** "Doppleganger" was known early on as "Bacon Lara", and the new and improved Doppelganger is sometimes called "Dopplehoe" or shortened to "Dopple" or "Doppie".
** "[[VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend L]][[VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary A]][[VideoGame/TombRaiderUnderworld U]]", to make it possible to list all three (and identify their continuity) with a single breath.

* ImageSource:
** ''Videogame/TombRaider'':
*** [[ArtEvolution/VideoGames ArtEvolution.VideoGames]] (left third)
** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary''
*** ActionGirl
*** [[ArtEvolution/VideoGames ArtEvolution.VideoGames]] (center third)
*** BraidsOfAction
*** ThirdPersonSeductress
** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderUnderworld''
*** BareYourMidriff (bottom-left)
*** WhoWearsShortShorts (bottom-left)
** ''VideoGame/{{Tomb Raider|2013}}'' (2013)
*** HealItWithFire (fan-art)
** ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTombRaider''
*** [[ArtEvolution/VideoGames ArtEvolution.VideoGames]] (right third)
*** ScalingTheSummit
** Creator/TopCowProductions ''ComicBook/TombRaider ''
*** UndressingTheUnconscious

* ExecutiveMeddling: Hoo boy. [[Creator/EidosInteractive Eidos]] saw the franchise as a moneymaking machine and they demanded a new Tomb Raider game be pushed out every year, quality be damned. This line of thinking eventually bit them in the ass when ''Angel of Darkness'' tanked in sales and reviews... for which [[NeverMyFault they've put entire blame on Core Design]]. Then they've restarted the entire cycle ''again'' with Crystal Dynamics, until they were bought up by Creator/SquareEnix.

** At one point developer Creator/TravellersTales pitched a Franchise/{{LEGO}}-themed game based of the franchise to Creator/EidosInteractive but due to a copyright dispute with Creator/LucasArts (complicated stuff), as well as the franchise not lucrative enough to warrant a LEGO game, the idea was scrapped. It would have made no sense age range and demographic wise anyway.
** Before Creator/SquareEnix took over and went for a complete reboot, Crystal Dynamics was working on ''Tomb Raider: Ascension'', which was going to be completely a different genre and experience than any previous game. It was intended as a SurvivalHorror game set in open world, with Lara travelling around on horseback and fighting for her survival against hordes of supernatural beings summoned by ''something'' in that area. The game also had very detailed physics for bows... and flamethrowers. Many elements from Ascension were later retooled to be used in ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'', which might explain why certain elements of the 2nd reboot feel a bit disjointed from the rest (like the concepts of finding shelter and food).

* DummiedOut: A surprisingly large amount of content was cut out or rearranged for the final game, including many animations. As stated below, the very first prototype known of the game depicts Lara with a braid and sunglasses in an unknown tomb with several animals, and armed with tools like an electronic map, grenades, and dynamite, which are not present at all in the final game. Level filenames indicate that an entire area, Level 9[[labelnote:*]]which would have taken place between Sanctuary of the Scion and Natla's Mines, levels 8C and 10A respectively as per the game files[[/labelnote]], was cut out (this would explain why you gain two passport stamps rather than one upon entering Natla's Mines) - this level, or set of levels, would likely have shown all three Scion pieces in your inventory. Finally, Atlantis was going to feature more enemies, including a skinless fish and an ''Atlantean dinosaur''. Models for most of these still lurk within the game's prototypes.

** At one point developer Creator/TravellersTales pitched a Lego-themed game based of the franchise to Creator/EidosInteractive but due to a copyright dispute with Creator/LucasArts (complicated stuff), as well as the franchise not lucrative enough to warrant a lego game, the idea was scrapped. It would have made no sense age range and demographic wise anyway.

* FollowTheLeader: The 2013 reboot has been accused of copying ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'', mostly due to both 3D platformer/shooter with a central protagonist who is in way over her/his head and gorgeous SceneryPorn. The accusation is especially ironic as the original ''Uncharted'' was described as a ''Tomb Raider'' ripoff before its release.

** At one point developer Creator/TravellersTales pitched a Lego-themed game based of the franchise to Creator/EidosInteractive but due to a copyright dispute with Creator/LucasArts (complicated stuff), as well as the franchise not lucrative enough to warrant a lego game, the idea was scrapped. It would have made no scence age range and demographic wise anyway.

** ''ComicBook/TombRaider''

** Arguably hypocritical, considering how LAU are the only games in the series with an actual bikini outfit for lara.

** At one point developer Creator/TravellersTales pitched a Lego-themed game based of the franchise to Creator/EidosInteractive but due to a copyright dispute with Creator/LucasArts (complicated stuff), as well as the franchise not lucrative enough to warrant a lego game, the idea was scrapped.

** At one point developer Creator/TravellersTales pitched a Lego-themed game based of the franchise but due to a copyright dispute with Creator/LucasArts (complicated stuff), as well as the franchise not lucrative enough to warrant a lego game, the idea was scrapped.

** Lara was originally supposed to die for real at the end of ''The Last Revelation'' - Core Design wanted to kill her off as they were [[CreatorBacklash fed up with having to make a new game every year]]. [[ExecutiveMeddling Eidos Interactive had other ideas]].
** Before things started to formalize with legal assistance, in the early days of the franchise, there was a project for a comics series by [[FrancoBelgianComics Glénat]], green-lighted by Eidos. Dark Eons managed to only release a single issue before it was quickly cancelled and removed from the market, as other branches of Eidos finalized their deal with [=TopCow=]. The single issue has a considerably different tone, themes and atmosphere.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb97-APu_-k In the first game's early beta FMV]] It shows that the story would have been somewhat slightly different, The scene seems to be after Greece where Lara found the second piece of Scion, when she combines two pieces a light show that her next stop would be the Easter Island instead of Egypt for the third and final piece, A journal in a boat showing the name of "Arther Hamilton Graves" who was originally intended to be the antagonist before Jacqueline Natla.
** Lara Croft was originally envisioned as a SpicyLatina character named "Laura Cruz". It was decided to make her British in order to appeal to the home market more.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb97-APu_-k In the first game's early beta FMV]] It shows that the story would have been somewhat slightly different, The scene seems to be after Greece where Lara found the second piece of Scion, when she combines two pieces a light show that her next stop would be the Easter Island instead of Egypt for the third and final piece, A journal in a boat showing the name of "Arther Hamilton Graves" who was originally intended to be the antagonist before Jacqueline Natla.