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[Infernal Mass]

Tomb Raider Creators Found New Studio

1/16/2004

Tomb Raider co-creator Jeremy Heath-Smith and fellow Core Design executive producer Adrian Smith have founded their own independent development company, the two announced today. Circle Studio, as it's called, will be staffed by some 35 ex-Core Design personnel, currently working on two projects for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
"Adrian and I are still passionate about games and have the experience and skills in-house to continue producing original and successful titles," said Heath-Smith in today's announcement. "We've enjoyed working with Lara these past seven years but are looking forward to creating something or someone new."


Heath-Smith, Smith, and character designer Toby Gard (who left Core some years ago to found his own company, Confounding Factor, and create the long-delayed 3D action game Galleon) were key figures in the early days of Core Design and in particular the creation of its most famous game.

Core's fortunes fell in more recent years, however, after a string of critically and commercially unsuccessful titles. Heath-Smith stepped down from his position on the boards of both Eidos Interactive and Core Design following last year's release of Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. Eidos then handed responsibility for the Tomb Raider franchise to American developer Crystal Dynamics, fueling speculation that Core was very much on the outs with its publisher.

The departure of the two executive producers and their 35 fellow staff members means that Core has almost halved in size. The current company profile on the Core webpage states that the company is (or was) made up of 90 staff members, 80 of them actively involved in development.

In addition to its two projects for current platforms, which we'll likely hear more about later in the year, Circle Studio is also working towards projects for the next generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft.

I still am a fan of the Smith brothers, they may have failed hard with TR:AOD..although they did create some great adventures in the past with Lara.

I'm optimistic that they'll do well, now that they have thier own!..independent studio, they're now in charge of their own projects..no rushing projects from the bigheads of Sony or Eidos.

[Vicious_2003]

If it means more Tomb Raiders it CANT be a good thing. IM begging them...just let Lara die allready !

[kupoartist]

whilst it looks like they'll be no more Lara, it concerns me that the new development house will be staffed by 35 ex-core employees. If every single year since they made Tomb Raider 1 is any judge, they have a severe need for new talent with new ideas.

This doesn't really concern me tbh. Far more competent developers have closed down in the past, never to truely reform. This just sounds like a case of "same old, same old".

[-PSX-]

Hopefully with this new business venture they will be able to drop the whole Lara Croft franchise as it seems since Tomb Raider 3 the series has being steadily descending down a hill. When Tomb Raider 4 was released it looked like Lara had been spending half her time in a cosmetics surgery rather than putting her best make up on. It was the same with TR5: Chronicles and TR6 was just blunt and pointless. Lara was once a very popular person in games from the ever popular 2 and 3 but sadly the Smiths really have to drop her now. It is time to let go of this franchise by the single fingr they are holding onto it with and fall into a new world of adventure/action.

Hopefully the new studio will not be producting any more Tomb Raider games and instead put the next few years into creating a new game. Original, fun and with a new hero. They may be able to evolve thos staggering slaes that they are achieving at present by doing this. Personally I will not be buying any more TR games after 6. Hopefully they may come up with something better - like Hideo did with MGS, R* with Max Payne. This is their big chance to make the name that was once thought of so fondly and drag themselves back up the hill. At least if they have as much faith in themselves as I do.

[tempted]

Well i have all the 6 TBR and after this last one that was rather disapointing i do hoppe that theese guys can make a game that would be worth buying ..because i did spent a cool time playing the TRB games (except AOD)...so i hoppe they'll make it.....i'm not how ever expecting much of it though...