Development
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In November 2007, Eidos was reported to have filed for a trademark on the phrase, Tomb Raider Underworld, and soon after reserved the Tomb Raider Underworld domain name. In December 2007, Eidos filed for a second trademark for Tomb Raider Underworld, reserving the right to provide "computer games that may be accessed network-wide by network users." In the January 2008 issue of the magazine Play, details from the "first-ever demo" of the game were revealed. SCi, which owned Eidos at the time, officially announced Tomb Raider: Underworld on 10 January 2008, and confirmed that all platform versions of the game would be released simultaneously in November 2008.
Play's assertions that the game is the "first true next gen Lara with one big physics smorgasbord that looks altogether photo-real" led to speculation that Tomb Raider: Underworld might be using a new game engine for its next-generation graphics rather than the system used by Tomb Raider: Legend and Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Later, the Senior Producer and External Designer separately confirmed that Underworld uses an all-new engine that was built especially for it. This new engine is also used in the game Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Different versions of the game were developed by Crystal Dynamics, Buzz Monkey Software, Nixxes Software and Santa Cruz Games, all published by Eidos Interactive. Crystal Dynamics developed the Xbox 360 version and collaborated with Nixxes Software for the PC and PlayStation 3 versions. Santa Cruz Games developed the Nintendo DS version, while the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions were developed by Buzz Monkey Software. The Mac version was developed by Crystal Dynamics and released by Feral Interactive.
Lara's costume was redesigned and she no longer wears her trademark turquoise sleeveless top and khaki shorts, but instead, a dark brown halter top and black shorts. Additionally, her hair is no longer braided, but worn in a ponytail. According to Play, Lara "moves as good as she looks no longer moves like a video game character" due to her being fully motion captured. Olympic gymnast and NCAA Women's Gymnastics champion Heidi Moneymaker was the model used for motion capturing. Lara Croft is said to have over 2,000 animations. Keeley Hawes provided the voice of Lara in this instalment, as she did in Anniversary and Legend. Gymnast Alison Carroll was selected as the new official Lara Croft model to promote the game, replacing Karima Adebibe.
The first official video, entitled "Beneath the Surface", was released on 17 July 2008, and featured interviews with members of the development team and showed screenshots, artwork, and several clips of gameplay footage. A teaser trailer was released on 19 July 2008, and the first gameplay trailer was released on 15 August 2008.
Read more about this topic: Tomb Raider: Underworld
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