Tomb Raider: "a bit too soon" to think about franchise future, says writer

Tomb Raider is widely expected to kick off a new series of games, but writer Rhianna Pratchett is firmly focused on the task at hand rather than far-flung franchise goals.

"Rebooting such a beloved character has been very rewarding, but also a little nerve-wracking at the same time," the writer said in an interview ahead of her appearance at TEDx Transmedia.

"It’s probably a bit too soon to say what I want to do with the franchise. I can’t really think further ahead than the current project. I just hope we can give players something entertaining and absorbing that may, one day, become as meaningful as the original Tomb Raider."

Asked about sexism in games, Pratchett said that the representation of women is "not great", but under-representation also applies to "any character who isn’t white, male, mid-20s and gravelly voiced".

"The games industry has a lot of work to do as far as character diversity and representation is concerned," she said.

"When it comes to games, we’re already reaching a broader audience than ever before," she commented earlier.

"In fact the gamers themselves are becoming more diverse in age, gender and ethnicity, than the industry itself. Therefore I feel we have a responsibility to our audience to stretch ourselves to the very limits of our imagination and come up with absorbing gaming experiences, which entertain, enlighten, and even move, our audience. At this point in time we should be less about what they can learn from us and more about what we can learn from them."

Tomb Raider sparked quite a controversy with an E3 trailer perceived as sexually violent, leading to a great deal of discussion on gender and sexism in gaming; Pratchett's involvement in the project was not announced for several weeks, surprising critics.

Crystal Dynamics' reboot is expected on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in early 2013.

Thanks, Official Tomb Raider Blog.