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[ACE]

TAYLOR HERRING TAPS LARA CROFT PROMO
Copyright 2006 Taylor Herring Press Release
[ January 6th 2006 ]
Taylor Herring Brand Communications has been appointed by one of the world's leading interactive entertainment companies, Eidos Interactive, to manage the communications strategy and implementation for the forthcoming blockbuster video game 'Tomb Raider Legend', following a four-way competitive pitch.
With activity due to commence immediately, Taylor Herring Brand Communications will build hype and anticipation around the launch of the new game as well as awareness for the Lara Croft brand during its 10th anniversary year.
Launched in 1996, Tomb Raider is one of the best selling videogame franchises of all time with over 30 million copies sold. Lara Croft has transcended games, entertainment and technology in a way no other character has, including action figures, comic books, adventure novels, and two major motion pictures starring Angelina Jolie as Lara. 'Tomb Raider Legend ' will be the seventh game of the franchise series and sees Lara Croft return to her tomb raiding roots in a brand new 3rd person adventure.
This adds to what has already been a thriving first year for Taylor Herring Brand Communications. Launched at the beginning of 2005 as an off-shoot of successful media, music and entertainment PR firm Taylor Herring Public Relations, the company has already represented a number of high-profile brands and events including the MasterCard FIFPro World XI Player Awards, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Live, Leaders In London and the Mr Men & Little Miss.
Justin Crosby, Director of Taylor Herring Brand Communications says: "We are delighted to be working with Eidos on such a prolific brand as Tomb Raider. We have lots of exciting activity planned and we're looking forward to building a long-standing relationship with Eidos".
Chris Glover, Head of Communications at Eidos said: "Tomb Raider Legend is a unique property and we needed to make sure that we have a targeted communications programme to reflect this. 2006 will be the year where consumers are invited into the world of Lara Croft like never before, and we are working closely with Taylor Herring on some fantastic activity."


Короче компания Taylor Herring Brand Communications будет работать над развитием бренда Tomb Raider.
Они что-то задумали в честь 10летия Лары Крофт.

Сообщение изменено: ACE (07 January 2006 - 14:37)

[ACE]

In real life, Lara Croft has her own protector
Publish Date : 1/11/2006 1:16:00 PM Source : timesonline.co.uk


The Times January 06, 2006

In real life, Lara Croft has her own protector
By Dan Sabbagh
Ian Livingstone is the self-appointed guardian of the cyberbabe





IAN LIVINGSTONE does not want Lara Croft falling into the wrong hands. The computer games boss insists on manhandling his lifesize model of the pneumatic cyberbabe into the atrium for a photo shoot.

His real concern, though, is that his employer, SCi Entertainment, Britain’s only remaining significant computer games developer, could lose its independence. It remains involved in long-running bid talks.

“I am patriotic,” he says. “I don’t want a BMW Mini situation happening with Lara becoming Laura Croft.” Livingstone says Laura in an American accent, making it clear that he does not want to see Midway Games, or any other foreign suitor, get the girl.

Livingstone, who has just been awarded an OBE, is the true doyen of the British games industry. After 25 years in the front line, he is now doing what makes him happiest: unearthing good games and advising SCi’s developers about content and structure. “I’m just a big kid at heart,” he says.

Livingstone has done more than any Briton in commercialising games. In 1977, he and friend Steve Jackson founded Games Workshop, to sell strategy games and a new phenomenon — open-ended role-playing games — via mail order.

The business started out as a hobby but rapidly struck a chord. “People started coming round to our flat, looking for the shop because we were called Games Workshop.”

Games Workshop expanded, although Livingstone sold shares to concentrate on writing. By then, he and Jackson were producing Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, a series of adventure stories in which people choose their path throughout the book. “It took well over a year to get a publisher to buy into it, but we ended up selling 15 million copies in 23 countries,” he says.

By the 1990s, technology had moved on and the gamebook was dying. Livingstone switched media, after giving a six-figure loan to a developer called Domark. “They ran into trouble, so the loan became equity and I was appointed deputy chairman in 1992.”

Domark merged with Eidos and floated in 1995 with Livingstone as chairman. With Charles Cornwall, his new partner, as chief executive, they led the takeover of the larger, but struggling CentreGold, which had a studio in Derby. “We were doing due diligence, and I had to visit Derby. It was snowing, and I was wondering whether I could be bothered. But we went around and in the last room was this game starring a large-chested female.” It was love at first sight.

She became Lara Croft, and the first four PlayStation games sold more than 20 million copies. But the Derby studio “became a bit burnt out” and after long delays, the PlayStation 2 game, The Angel of Darkness, was a critical and commercial disappointment. “We should have had two or three studios competing to make the best version.”

Lara lost her way (although a new, and apparently better game is due this spring) and Livingstone was marginalised. He stepped down as executive chairman in 2002 to meet corporate governance concerns, and became peripheral under a regime led by Mike McGarvey. “We made games I wasn’t happy with, like Backyard Wrestling, that were too focused on the US market.”

Eidos began to struggle, and profit warnings followed. The company’s reputation was destroyed, although Livingstone blames the City, too. “We had sales problems at a time when rivals overseas were also selling half what they expected as existing consoles matured. But we got pilloried because in the UK we were the most visible.”

Last year, Eidos fell to SCi. Livingstone was the only Eidos boss who survived, although he is not on the SCi board. That allows him to dodge questions about bid talks, although his opinion is clear. “The trouble is that the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] is too keen to encourage inward investment. Companies come and buy our studios and the intellectual property. Once you own that, you can move and design anywhere in the world.”

Livingstone may have played games all his life, but he is desperate for them to be taken seriously. “We contribute Ј2 billion a year to UK plc, and help employ 25,000 people.”

Lara’s protector will be hoping that his new boss, SCi’s chief executive, Jane Cavanagh is listening.


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