That’s a Lara tombs raided
No one would, could, deny the incredible impact of one of gaming’s foremost adventure series, Tomb Raider. The escapades of the undeniable explorer Lara Croft have kept thousands of video game fans entertained ever since her genre-shattering ’90s debut. From her humble PlayStation and Sega Saturn beginnings, through her pint-sized handheld/mobile releases, to her modern, critically acclaimed adventures, Lara and the Tomb Raider franchise are, undeniably, a household name.
Tomb Raider‘s new owner, Embracer Group, wasted no time in reminding the world quite how successful the jungle-traipsing, mountain-climbing, throat-stabbing explorer has been in both the digital realm and on the bottom line. According to a freshly released timeline, the Tomb Raider franchise now sits at an amazing 88 million lifetime sales, pulled from every release since the series’ 1996 inception.
Of these 88 million sales, a huge 38 million comes directly from Crystal Dynamics’ “reboot trilogy” — namely Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), a series which remains Ms. Croft’s most recent jaunt into Parts Unknown. The remaining 50 million sales are combined of the original Tomb Raider titles, released throughout gaming’s fifth-to-seventh generation), as well as numerous mobile titles such as Lara Croft: Relic Run and Lara Croft: GO.
As for what the future holds, frankly, it’s all for the taking. The sale of Crystal Dynamics and Tomb Raider to Embracer Group opens up numerous possibilities for Lara’s future. The fact that the new owners have been quick to release these numbers is a very positive sign — suggesting that they see a lot of potential in both the brand power and proven track record of the series. Here’s to hoping that Lara returns to our screens soon…
Quite frankly, she is an institution. As much of a treasure as anything unearthed within any temple.
