Eidos is offering fans a sneak peak with the unveil of an exclusive, behind the scenes trailer of Tomb Raider: Underworld. Join the team as they go beneath the surface by taking players on a dark journey revealing new, exciting information along with developer secrets about the biggest and most ambitious Tomb Raider yet.

This new trailer takes you through the developer Crystal Dynamics’ vision for the game, with commentary from team members: Eric Lindstrom (Creative Director), Dan Neuberger (Lead Artist), Rob Pavey (Lead Programmer) and Harley White-Wiedow (Lead Designer). The trailer reveals new assets including early footage, screenshots and concept artwork from several of the game’s levels.

Tomb Raider: Underworld represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As Lara Croft, explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with what seems to be incredible attention to detail and a new level of challenge and choice.

The title ships on November 18th in North America and 21st November in Europe, across all platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PS2 and PC. I am really digging what I see of this game, and I think I may just have to have it.

We have been hearing all about Tomb Raider: Underworld for quite some time, especially how the effects in the game will have Lara muddy until the dirt wears off or until she jumps in the water. Sounds cool, but what we have not really known about is the storyline for each game, along with specs for all versions of the game. Today, we got a nice press release from Eidos explaining it all to us.

In Tomb Raider: Underworld, for generations, stories have been told of the fearsome weapon of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Legend holds that Thor’s hammer had the power to smash mountains into valleys and to destroy even the gods. For more than a thousand years it has existed only as a myth…until now.
In an ancient ruin on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea, Lara Croft uncovers proof of the Norse underworld and the mythical hammer. As she attempts to unravel the secrets behind these myths, Lara’s perilous journey leads her toward a forgotten power that, if unleashed, could lay waste to all civilization.

These are the features you can expect for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game:

• Master your surroundings: Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilize objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore.
• Explore epic and unknown worlds: Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more.
• Treacherous and unpredictable challenges: Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved.
• New range of combat options: Choose to pacify or kill, target multiple enemies at once with the new dual-target system, and shoot with one hand while suspended with the other.
• New state-of-the-art gear: Utilize the latest technology in Lara’s upgraded inventory to navigate the world including:
  • Active Sonar map: A revolutionary new tool that emits an active sonar ping to create a 3D image of Lara’s surroundings, perfect for uncovering hidden items and locations.
  • Multi-purpose grapple: A claw-like device with a high-tension cable designed for climbing, rappelling, performing wall runs and manipulating objects within the environment.
  • All-terrain motorbike: A unique vehicle design built to drive on everything from mud to snow and ice.

The game is expected to be released on November 7th for the PC, PS2, PS3, DS, Wii, and Xbox 360.

For more screens, and features for the DS, PS2 and Wii versions, hit the jump. The only differences in the PS2 version, is that the Sonar map is not included, and the combat options featured in the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 version.

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The box art for Tomb Raider: Underworld has officially been debuted by Eidos and Crystal Dynamics and while I may have only posted the PS3 version, it all looks the same I promise. The only reason I chose this one is because it has much less writing and icons than the PS2, Wii, PC, DS, and Xbox 360 versions have so do not accuse me of catering to any specific port or anything ok?

Set to be release this November, Lara’s adventures continues in Underworld where dynamic weather systems add realism to the environment, as well as full motion capture for Lara to bring a more natural *ahem* “fluidity” to her movements.

For more information on Underworld, check out our previous posts.

Thanks to a link provided by VG247, we now have a list of developers confirmed for E3 2008 along with what titles they will be showing off at the event. While the list is still updated regularly, as of this post, this is what you can expect should you be attending.

Akella
Postal III (PC, X360)

Bethesda Softworks
Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, X360)

Capcom
Bionic Commando (PC, PS3, X360)
Bionic Commando Rearmed (PC, PS3, X360)
Capcom Project #1 [untitled] (other)
Capcom Project #2 [untitled] (other)
Dark Void (PC, PS3, X360)
MotoGP 08 (other)
Neopets Puzzle Adventure (PC, Wii)
Plunder (PC, PS3, X360)
Resident Evil 5 (PS3, X360)
Spyborgs (Wii)
Street Fighter IV (PC, PS3, X360)
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3, X360)

For the full list, hit the jump.

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If you’re looking to build up your collection of Steam games and are a fan of Eidos, right now is the perfect time to act. The “Eidos Everything Pack” on Steam includes 20 games — totaling just about $390 if you were to buy them individually — for the low, low price of just $99.99. (Sorry, I’m in a hotel room watching infomercials. They’re contagious.)

Not everything in the pack is great; Rogue Trooper and Conflict: Denied Ops are far from my favorite games, but both Deus Ex games, three Hitman games, the fun-despite-itself Just Cause, and Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Legend more than make up for it. Those games right there are worth way more than $100, so you can consider everything else a bonus.

Realistically, the only problem I foresee is having to spend an additional $100+ on a new hard drive to store all of this stuff.

Activision has announced a new Pitfall game for the Wii is set to hit store shelves sometime in the Fall. “Pitfall: The Big Adventure,” as it is being called, will of course feature the series’ protagonist, Pitfall Harry, as he goes in search of more lost treasure. Once again, he’ll be making his way through all types of exotic locales while dodging enemies and swinging over caverns. And as can be expected, the whole game will take advantage of the Wii’s motion-sensitive controls:

“Pitfall is one of the most legendary franchises in the history of videogames, so we look forward to releasing a new version exclusively for Wii,” said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. “What could be more fun than using the Wii Remote™ to swing on a vine over blood thirsty crocodiles as retro-cool Pitfall Harry?!”

See, this is what I would call an example of nostalgia being a bad thing. Yes, Pitfall was a great game…back in the Atari 2600 days. Since then, just about every other Pitfall game has been a poor update trying to capitalize on gamers’ nostalgia. By now, the whole “jungle adventure” game has been taken to a much higher level with the likes of Uncharted and even Tomb Raider. Yeah, my “shovelware” meter is going pretty wild right about now.

Via Press Release

SCi has taken a number of cost cutting measures this year, cutting 25% of jobs and canceling 14 projects that had been in development. So it’s good news for the company that SCi announced yesterday that it had sign a $170 million deal with Warner Bros.

But it’s not good if you happen to work at Eidos. 1UP has learned that the entirety of Eidos’ PR, marketing and sales departments have been laid off as part of the deal with Warner Bros.

This isn’t the first time Warner Bros. has stepped in to help SCi manage its debt; in 2006, it bought out 10.3% of SCi’s outstanding debt. That resulted in Warner Bros. getting its hand in the Tomb Raider business, and SCi getting the rights to Batman, Looney Tunes, and some old Hannah Barberra cartoons.

“Today we have significantly strengthened our relationship with Warner Bros. one of the world’s largest media groups, to create an exciting strategic partnership, giving us increased scale in the North American market, to the benefit of all our major franchises,” comments Phil Rogers, CEO of SCi. “The new financing puts us in a clear position to deliver on the strategic business plan which we announced in February with focus on cornerstone studios and core franchises, delivering high-quality, world class games.”

Our best goes off to those affected by the Eidos layoffs. We’ve seen a number of studios close in recent months, and even though there are still many of staffers that will keep their jobs at Eidos, there will undoubtedly be some survivor’s guilt for those who remain.

According to SCi, the parent company for Eidos, they are so pleased with the developmental progress of Tomb Raider: Underworld, that they have seen fit to provide gamers with a minuscule update on their latest Lara Croft undertaking.

According to SCi:

“Progress with Tomb Raider: Underworld remains encouraging and the game is scheduled for worldwide release before Christmas 2008.”

Tomb Raider: Underworld was originally slated for a June release, Eidos announced back in January that they would be pushing the game back and instead releasing it around Christmas, but this was even pushing it. SCi also reported that because of pushing the game back, the money they were banking on earning through the release would have them report a loss.

However, with the Christmas shopping period being a definite now, the company should garner more profit during such a advantageous time. If you take into consideration that it is being released on multiple platforms, this becomes even more evident – therefore it was probably in their best interest to do this in the first place.

Tomb Raider: Underworld will be released on the DS, PC, PS2, Ps3, Wii and Xbox 360.

Via: Spong

This week’s GameTap Thursday will add three new games for subscribers: Alien Shooter Vengeance, Dark Matter, Dracula Twins. (All together now: who, what, and huh?) Only subscribers will be able to access those games, as well as last week’s major addition, the Sam & Max Season Two Finale.

In the world of freebies, one new game is being added to GameTap’s free play service. X2 The Threat will now be free for all to play, so long as it remains on the free play list, which still includes Tomb Raider Legend and the ever-excellent Psychonauts.

You’ll also be able to find coverage of Nintendo’s Media Summit on GameTap TV, and a new Castlevania Retrospective will be added to the Games channel.

All in all, not really a substantial update in terms of games, but that’s excusable with new Sam & Max content so fresh in our minds.

If you have played video games for most of your life, then you have heard of a few urban legends surrounding certain games. Just like urban legends in our everyday lives surrounding warts, the full moon, and boy scout leaders, these rumors tend to start taking on a life of their own. I came across a nice little post today concerning these urban legends of the gaming world, and while it is not a comprehensive list, it is a decent one nonetheless and basically mentions the ones that most people heard about, and steers clear of the obscure ones. While I can’t actually say that I have heard of a couple of them, I have heard the one about Lara Croft being naked in the water, and being able to jump over the flag pole in Super Mario Bros.

While there are many perverts out there who have modded Lara’s games on the PC so that she will indeed be naked, a mod is not an urban legend. It is just a mod created by a guy who has never seen a “set” in real life and could be using his talents on much more benign undertakings. The legend of her getting in the water and being able to see her naked through the liquid is indeed just that – a legend -and was thusly born from the womb of the console version, not the PC version.

Now, as far as the jumping over the flag pole in Super Mario Bros is concerned, I have never done it, I have never seen it being done, and if it has been, it is just a game glitch I am sure. People can argue until the day is long over this one, and I refuse to get involved in a “mine is bigger than yours” contest, so flame each other all you want on this one, just leave me out of it.

To check out the other urban legends mentioned, just click through the link below.

Thanks Juan!