Livingstone on Tomb Raider: Rape Controversy "Blown Out of Proportion"
E3 interview comments were "misinterpreted".
E3 2012
Time to open that big can of sexism worms again. Following the strong reaction to a Tomb Raider trailer that includes an attempted rape on female protagonist Lara Croft, Eidos life president Ian Livingstone has opined that the controversy was "blown out of proportion", and that the industry should instead be celebrating the good points of the game.
"We should be celebrating what’s great about the game," the industry legend said at a GameHorizon conference. "I guarantee fans will be delighted with the new Tomb Raider."
Livingstone discussed the fallout from an E3 interview conducted with Crystal Dynamics producer Ron Rosenberg, which suggested that players would want to "protect Lara" rather than immerse themselves in the game. Livingstone said that the comments came from "a live interview that went slightly wrong – quotes were misinterpreted and blown out of proportion.
"There was a momentary threat to Lara which she overcame in two seconds," he added. "The reaction has been quite extreme." The intention, he clarifies, was "never to imply sexual threat to Lara... I think about my responsibility as a developer – films can deal with these themes, but it’s different in games when the user controls the action."
Via Edge
"We should be celebrating what’s great about the game," the industry legend said at a GameHorizon conference. "I guarantee fans will be delighted with the new Tomb Raider."
Livingstone discussed the fallout from an E3 interview conducted with Crystal Dynamics producer Ron Rosenberg, which suggested that players would want to "protect Lara" rather than immerse themselves in the game. Livingstone said that the comments came from "a live interview that went slightly wrong – quotes were misinterpreted and blown out of proportion.
"There was a momentary threat to Lara which she overcame in two seconds," he added. "The reaction has been quite extreme." The intention, he clarifies, was "never to imply sexual threat to Lara... I think about my responsibility as a developer – films can deal with these themes, but it’s different in games when the user controls the action."
Via Edge
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