The Silicon Valley Insider reports on a rumor that Lara Croft may be shedding some clothing in order to boost sales in upcoming installments in the longsuffering Tomb Raider franchise.
Over on tombraiderforums.com, a poster believed to be (but not confirmed as) "Tomb Raider: Underworld" creative director Eric Lindstrom says future Lara Croft games may go for a "Mature" rating.
The Teen rating meant we couldn’t do things we wanted to or were done in the past, but it was a publisher mandate at the tmie [sic]. It won’t always necessarily be so, though, the future can always be different.
If this is true, it can't speak very well for the future of the franchise, or Eidos in general. However, I think that SVI is perhaps inferring a bit too much from the message board post. For instance, he could be referring to more violent content, as opposed to sexual imagery. Whether it's violence or sex, I suppose making a genuinely fun game that people want to play is out of the question.
When will developers learn that ramping up mature content does not necessarily translate into sales?
Related Links:
The Uncanny Valley: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Are Starting to Freak Me Out
Gamepro Feature Mourns The Loss Of Mammaries
Pitying Lara, or How to Make a Million Seller and Still Get Fired