Lara Croft – Record Breaker
British Billion Dollar Cyber-babe Awarded Guinness World Record
7th April 2006 LONDON: Lara Croft, the world's favourite digital heroine, has been awarded a Guinness World Record as the 'Most Successful Human Videogame Heroine'
On the day of her stunning return to the world's living rooms in the brand new video game blockbuster Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, Lara has been recognised as 'transcending the boundaries of videogames and becoming a recognisable figure in mainstream society'.
The past 10 years have seen Lara Croft sell over 28 million games worldwide, appear onstage with U2, appear on the cover of over 200 magazines and she has even famously taken the blame for another goalkeeping error by England goalkeeper and huge Lara fan David James. More recently, Angelina Jolie squeezed into the famous hot pants to play Lara in two hit Hollywood movies which has propelled the value of the Tomb Raider licensing industry to over $1 billion, with items from lunchboxes and soft drinks to motor vehicles receiving the Lara branding treatment.
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated videogame of recent years, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is set to be a Number One smash hit around the world. Featuring the voice of Spooks actress Keeley Hawes as Lara, the game will feature on new hi-tech consoles PSPTM (PlayStation® Portable) and Xbox 360TM consoles alongside other videogame formats. Games critics have been lavish with their praise for the new title which has been over two years in the making and sees Lara make a dramatic return to form as she travels the world and revisits her tomb raiding roots.
"It is a mark of the phenomenal success of the Tomb Raider series that 10 years after the first game release, Lara Croft is more popular now than ever. It is fitting that she has been recognised for this remarkable achievement." said Ian Livingstone OBE, the man responsible for discovering Lara back in 1996. "The new game Tomb Raider: Legend utilises the very latest capabilities in high definition gaming and Lara looks more stunning than ever before."
For further information, please contact
Lifestyle Press Specialist Press
Chris Glover Gareth Ramsay
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Game Information
TITLE: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
GENRE: Action/Adventure
PLATFORMS: PlayStation®2 Computer Entertainment System, PSPTM (PlayStation® Portable), Xbox® Video Game Console, Xbox® 360 Video Game Console and PC-DVD
PEGI RATING: 12+
DEVELOPER: Crystal Dynamics
PUBLISHER: Eidos Interactive
"Phew! Lara's Backand she's BRILLIANT." Official PlayStation 2 Magazine
"Its like falling in love all over again." PSM 2
" an awesome comeback" Xbox World 360
Notes to editors:
About Eidos Interactive Ltd
Eidos Interactive Ltd is part of SCi Entertainment Group Plc (SEG) one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software. Following the acquisition of EIDOS Plc in May 2005, the Group has a valuable combined portfolio of intellectual property including: Tomb Raider: Legend, Conflict: Global Storm, Hitman: Blood Money, Championship Manager, Just Cause, Battlestations: Midway, Urban Chaos: Riot Response and the interactive rights to Reservoir Dogs and Highlander.
About the Guinness World Record
The Tomb Raider computer game character Lara Croft has transcended the boundary of the video game and become a recognisable figure in mainstream society, making her more successful in terms of global recognition than the likes of Chun Li (Street Fighter), Pauline (Donkey Kong), Daphne (Dragon's Lair), and Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield (Resident Evil series). In terms of non-human success, the most recognizable character is Ms PAC-MAN.
Further Info: The choice of Lara Croft (and Ms PAC-MAN) was decided upon by a committee of the world's leading computer game champions and judges, headed up by Walter Day (USA), as part of a survey undertaken on behalf of Guinness World Records.