Lara Croft Go is a video game part of the Tomb Raider franchise.
Tomb Raider, also known as Tomb Raider: Lara Croft is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Lara Croft was the protagonist and is an iconic cultural figure. The video on the right shows the game, first created in 1996, and its development up to 2018. Some of the main things the Lara Croft game is famous for are:
|
|
After watching the video, I can see that the graphics and CGI has changed vastly since 1996. The character herself wears tight clothes, has a long braid and has a large chest. This is what brings sex appeal to the game and makes it attractive for players. The genre of the games are action-adventure. As it developed. the genre changed to a more adventure based game, as more locations were explored.
Lara Croft has further appeared in video game spin-offs, printed adaptations, a series of animated short films, feature films, and merchandise related to the series. The promotion of the character includes a brand of apparel and accessories, action figures, and model portrayals. She has been licensed for third-party promotion, including television and print advertisements, music-related appearances, and as a spokes model. Lara Croft is an extremely important, and iconic figure in the gaming world. She even holds 6 Guinness World Records and has a huge fan following which consists of people from our generation as well as previous generations. Her story is one of the first and few that have been turned into a film franchise. |
Queen of Venom - guardian of the Atlas of Beyond, chases Lara Croft throughout the mazes, is a threat, is killed by Lara with a spear throw
|
Snakes - most common enemy for Lara
|
Spiders - are enemies that appear in Tomb Raider II and Tomb Raider: Underworld
|
Salamanders - enemies in Lara Croft GO, mimics her movements, over smarted
|
Feminists: people who see Lara's character as an empowered female, breaking the stereotype of there being only male protagonists in most if not all action games. These people are likely to be loyal to the whole Tomb Raider franchise and are likely to feel satisfied now that the franchise has started to sexualise Lara's character less. |
Quality Pickers: are people who play the game due to the innovative and interesting quality of the game play. These people are interested in the graphics and characters of the game. |
Sexualisers: are likely to be old men who have always played the Tomb Raider games due to the hyper sexualisation of Lara Croft. However, this is likely to be a very minor and niche audience because Lara Croft GO is a casual game. The creators have barely focus on precise details such as her body. Hence, this actually opens up a new audience of women who can now play the game without feeling insulted by the sexualisation. This segment includes old people who used to play the older games and are playing this one to feel nostalgic but also remind themselves of the way the game used to be. |
Positive Impacts:
|
Negative Impacts:
|
How are video games regulated?
PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information and is a European video game rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors. It was implemented in the UK in 2012. Video game ratings are mandatory under UK law. The Games Rating Authority (GRA) – which is part of the Video Standards Council – rates games using the PEGI system. Games which carry a PEGI 12, 16 or 18 rating cannot be sold or hired to persons below the respective age bar. This helps to ensure that parents can choose age appropriate games for their children. |
About the game:
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is a casual game which is free and available on iOS, Android, Web browser, Macintosh operating systems. It was released in June 2014. In February 2017, the game had brought in $100 million. In the game, the player's goal is to increase their fame and reputation, starting on the E-list and rising to the A-list. Some describe it as a role-playing game since players have their own customizable avatars. Due to the app being free, it attracts a mass audience of people who are fine with downloading a game which required no investment. People love it because of the freedom they have with their own avatars and life. The game is primarily played by aspirers who build up their characters to be someone they aspire to be. The game’s goal is for players to push their avatars to fame by emulating the Kardashian lifestyle–including hanging out with Kardashian’s sisters, other celebrities, fashion elites, and designers like Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour. The game provides in-app purchases such as outfits, hairstyles, and anything else to do with customizing the avatar. It epitomises our society’s interest in fame and celebrity and the consumerist culture we live in. People play the game because the aspire to have the rich, luxurious and carefree lifestyle of celebrities. |
|
Aim of the Game:
The aim of the game is to become famous and emulate the Kardashian lifestyle. The player starts off at the E-List and must work their way up to the A-List. Even the colours of the lists have significant connotations. For example, E-List is shown with a grey star. The colour grey has negative and bland connotations. The A-List is show with golden star that is shimmering. This quite clearly connotes wealth, praise and celebration. Your ranking is determined by your position on the Top Stars list in Hollywood. They are sorted into six different lists, Unlisted being the lowest rank to the A-list being the highest rank. You rise up in ranks by gaining fans. The goal of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is to gain as many fans as possible by doing well on projects, getting attention from Starnews, and dating to get to the A-list. As the player advances up the lists, they can customise their character more, attend more events and travel to more glamourised destinations. |