Lara Croft Go CSP case study

Language

1) Who is Lara Croft and when did she first appear in a videogame?
Lara Croft was the first female videogame character to be portrayed as a protagonist rather than a supporting role or a secondary character. She first appeared in the 1996 Eidos Playstation game Tomb Raider.
2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?
The Lara Croft games were influenced by the Indiana Jones movies.
3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a videogame?
Lara Croft has featured in films (the first starring Angelina Jolie; new 2018 version is rebooting the character). She has appeared on magazine covers more times than any supermodel. There have been advertising tie-ins, merchandise, comic books and  spin-offs featuring the character. The franchise has had numerous incarnations before Lara Croft Go in 2015. 
4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?
The Lara Croft Go game can be played on mobile devices.
5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?
The game is a turn based puzzle game.
6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline)?
The narrative (influenced by Indiana Jones) follows the daughter of a famous archaeologist as she goes on journeys to save the ones she loves (her father).
7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the sub-genre of videogame?
The use of creatures such as snakes and spiders connote foreign places with venomous creatures-potentially a hot, dry country. The danger aspect highlights the action/adventure theme. Furthermore, her gadgets and weapons are synonymous with spies and emphasise her role as the hero.
8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?
The games also feature a range of creatures (scorpions/snakes/spiders) under the influence of Queen Venom, who Lara must battle in order to complete a level.
9) What is the setting for Lara Croft Go? How does this compare to previous Lara Croft or Tomb Raider games?
The setting is in a jungle area with aspects of ancient relics and civilisation. This is a copy of the settings used in previous Lara Croft games in order to create brand loyalty and nostalgia for people that may have played older Lara Croft games.
10) Read this BBC article on the history of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. How has the character of Lara Croft evolved over the last 20 years?  
The character of Lara Croft has gradually become less sexualised; her figure has become more realistic and her clothes are more practical for her activities. Rather than use her sexuality to attract users, they have instead relied on brand loyalty and female empowerment created by Lara.

Representation

1) How are women usually represented in videogames?
Women are usually portrayed as damsels in distress, and they often need saving by male protagonists.
2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?
Lara Croft is quite sexualised and is scantily dressed, which is impractical and may be done to attract male players.
3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?
She subverts stereotypes as she plays a female action hero and is an empowered, strong heroine.
4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?
Some people believe the video game industry is sexist because for the first female hero in a videogame, they sexualised her in order to sell the game.
5) Do you think Lara Croft is an empowering feminist icon or just another objectified woman designed to appeal to male gamers? 
I think Lara Croft was intended to be an empowering feminist icon but in a bid to secure a male audience, they overly and unnecessarily sexualised her character despite her being an archeologist/badass hero. However, I do believe Lara is still being viewed as a feminist icon and she has a right to be as she was the first female videogame protagonist to have so much success. 
Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?
Pan European Game Information2) What is PEGI's job?
To rate the content of games and determine the appropriate age rating.
3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?
Square Enix created Lara Croft after buying the franchise off Eidos Interactive.
4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?
Hitman Go and Lara Croft:Tomb Raider
5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?
Indiana Jones

Audience

1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?
An audience member might enjoy playing Lara Croft Go because of how similar the graphics/settings are to Tomb Raider.2) Where and when might an audience play a game like Lara Croft Go? Think about the device it is played on and the times of the day someone might want to play the game.
It's on a mobile device so it can be played on the go (e.g. on the bus).3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?
4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?
Diversion-the game provides entertainment
5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?
Those interested in the quality of the innovative gameplay. Those with brand loyalty to the Hitman Go series. Those with brand loyalty based on the feminine empowerment displayed. Those with brand loyalty based on nostalgia or even the sexualisation of Lara Croft (especially if they played older Croft games when at a formative age)

Grade 8/9 extension tasks


Language
1) Watch some Lara Croft Go gameplay online or, even better, play the game yourself. How is the game constructed to attract and maintain the engagement of an audience?
The game is constructed to attract/maintain and audience as the simple graphics provide nostalgia and the simple puzzle games provide consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, the levels keep the audience playing the game as they should feel a desire to level up.
2) How is narrative, character, iconography and setting used to create intertextuality? (Links to other genres and media texts)
The iconography and narrative is supposed to be intertextualised with Indiana Jones(archaeology, adventurer, similar outfits). Additionally, the game is set up the same as Hitman Go.
Representation
1) Read this NME feature on the history of the Lara Croft character. Do you agree that she is now a 'feminist icon' rather than a 'trapezoid-boobed pinup'? What do these terms mean?
I agree that Lara Croft is no longer a 'trapezoid-boobed pinup' (referencing her initial , boxy figure) as the improved graphics have given a more natural figure and the graphic designers have also dialed down her drastically, unrealistic figure to make her look more like an athletic archaeologist. Therefore, she is able to be played as she an action hero, rather than focusing on her looks.
2) Have later versions of the Tomb Raider/Lara Croft franchise featured a less-sexualised version of the character? Does this suggest society is changing in its attitude towards women?
Lara Croft is increasingly being displayed as a less sexualised character. Her outfits are designed to be practical, rather than revealing or overly sexual. This reflects societies changing attitudes towards women: they are more than their looks, they can also be heros.