Tomb Raider – The Most Successful Multimedia Product of All Time?

Tomb Raiding, Past Present and Future

The adventures of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider have been around since the very first video game, all the way back in 1996. Since then, this series has seen an enormous amount of popularity, in games, films, toys, and a wide range of other media and products. With the newest film, starring Alicia Vikander just released, let’s take a look back at a brief history of Tomb Raider, and just how far its influence has spread.

From Humble Beginnings

Lara Croft was always written as a hero from a well-to-do background. Being from a wealthy family meant that she had the education to understand and make the best out of her situation, though this was undeniably coupled with her God-given quick wits and honed athleticism.

The very first game, simply titled Tomb Raider, released on the 25th of October 1996, and became a revelation with its combination of exploration, gunplay and bombastic heroine. While undeniably crude looking today, the game was one of the first to push 3D gaming capabilities, and show us just a brief glimpse of what the future would hold.

This was followed by a series of new games, which are split into three distinct eras. The first era covered Tomb Raider 1 through The Angel of Darkness, with 6 games total. The second era kicked off in April of 2006 with Tomb Raider Legend and lasted on 3 games before given a reboot into the new and current third era. This new era started with another game simply named Tomb Raider in 2013, in a release which brought enormous interest back into a series many considered stagnating. The latest entry here was Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2015, which was met with critical acclaim and has sold a massive 7 million units as of this article. Not included in these main eras are the multiple handheld and spinoff games, many of which were extremely well received in their own right.

A True Franchise

Any sufficiently profitable franchise is going to see expansion into other areas. The most visible of these, of course, are the films. Alongside the upcoming film reboot were the very popular two Angelina Jolie led films, which were praised by many as being the best video game adaptions ever put to film. The new film aims to take this series into much the same territory as the modern game reboots, bringing with it a grittier and more grounded take on a burgeoning hero – while still including the action and set-pieces which fans of the series have grown to expect.

Tomb Raider doesn’t stop there, however, with additions crossing into other popular mediums following with equally strong showings. These include items such as the above Tomb Raider Lego collection versions, novels, both new and covering the events of the games, Tomb Raider slot games for iGaming enthusiasts, and even a few rides developed for theme parks in both Europe and North America.

Into the Future

With the new film’s release date on the imminent horizon, the question remains – what can we expect from the series in the future? Should the film prove to be popular, a sequel is all but guaranteed. Even if it is not, the future of the series is in little danger. While not announced officially, rumors and leaks hint of a new entry into the main series of games being released or at least announced in 2018, this is on top of the constantly expanding market of other Tomb Raider products. There’s still no shortage of riches left in this tomb, even after 20 years.