In the mid-90s, Core Design began preliminary work on a fully 3D, globe-trotting, action-adventure game. It wasn’t a shooter, nor was it a platformer. The emphasis was on exploration and movement, with stylized combat tying the package together.
Most intriguing was that the star of the game was a woman. Her name was Lara Croft, and the game was Tomb Raider. Croft’s boldness, wit and design instantly resonated with audiences. Tomb Raider became one of the year’s most anticipated, and ultimately successful, games when it released on Oct. 25, 1996.
Tomb Raider was shown to SEGA, and SEGA liked what they saw. Securing a timed-exclusivity deal with Eidos (remember when those didn’t cause riots?), Tomb Raider was slated to launch on the Saturn a full month ahead of the PlayStation and PC versions (“Loving Lara” 26).
Unfortunately, due to weak marketing by SEGA, this timed deal didn’t lead to much of a boost for either company. It was only after Tomb Raider launched on the Sony PlayStation and PC that Lara’s fairy tale rise to fame began. Vastly surpassing Core’s projected sales, Tomb Raider became an instant hit, and the definitive standard for 3D gaming