Very sad day for Core Design - Eidos sells off studio

[MissLara2U]

EIDOS SELLS OFF CORE DESIGN STUDIO
Copyright 2006 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ May 11th 2006 ]

British publisher Eidos - the company assimilated into SCi Entertainment Group earlier this year - has hammered the final nail into the coffin of Core Design by selling off the Derbyshire-based studio and moving towards opening a new studio in Sweden, trade paper MCV reports this morning.

Core Design - founded by brothers Adrian and Jeremy Smith - paved the way for 3D action-adventure gaming in 1996 with the release of Tomb Raider. The game's main protagonist, Lara Croft, went on to become one of video-gaming's most prolific female heroines, spawning six further adventures, two motion pictures and a string of promotional tie-ins.

Core Design also produced the ground-breaking, squad-based shooter Project Eden and warmed the hearts of Disney lovers by introducing the insatiable Herdy Gerdy and his technicolor capers to console owners.

The studio hit turbulent waters in 2004 with the premature release of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness, and although numerous factors were responsible for the game being rushed to the shelves, ultimately Core Design weathered the full force of a critical mauling and became the scapegoat for a string of failures.

Jeremy and Adrian Heath-Smith quit Core Design, and with a large portion of the studio's workforce, created Circle Studios, where the team have successfully established themselves as a leading force in DVD interactive titles.

Eidos ported future development of the Tomb Raider franchise to U.S. developer Crystal Dynamics, who - in 2006 - successfully met their charge to rejuvenate the series with the release of Tomb Raider Legend.

Following massive restructuring at Core Design, both in terms of mission objectives and Eidos' plans to streamline its business, the studio refocused and geared its workforce to create and develop titles for Sony's PSP. Smart Bomb and Free Running were born.

According to MCV, 60 staff at Core Design will now join UK studio Rebellion and begin working on a sequel to Shellshock.

SCi is following a strategy of in-house studios for top franchises and third party deals elsewhere, whilst also eagerly looking at new resources in Europe. Wholly-owned studios now consist of Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider Legend), I-O (Hitman Blood Money), Pivotal (Conflict) and Beautiful Game (Championship Manager).

[dhama]

It is sad, but at the same time it is good that the workers are still employed.

[Trinity34]

Originally Posted by dhama

It is sad, but at the same time it is good that the workers are still employed.

Yes it is. hehe look at all those links in the post...

[melviso]

Hey...I feel they should have given Core a chance.I would have really loved to work with that team.They rock.But something tells me that CORE DESIGN is CRYSTAL DYNAMICS.Note the name: CD-CD or am I wrong?

[Straw Dog]

Originally Posted by melviso

or am I wrong?

Yes very, sorry. The CD initials are pure coincidence. Core Design were based in Derbyshire, UK. Crystal Dynamics are based in California, USA. They were both developing games at the same time. Crystal Dynamics made Akuji The Heartless, Soul Reaver1 and 2 and the Legacy of Kain games at the same time as Core Design made TR2-6, Project Eden and the frankly bizarre Herdy Gerdy.

They are/were two very different companies, the only similarity being the genre they chose to develop games for, and the fact that they both worked for the same publisher (Eidos).

[Faye]

I heard that a few of the people from the Tomb Raider team who left Core Design over years became employed by Crystal Dynamics, and worked on Legend. We all know of at least one...Toby Gard! And I heard that there were a few more, too.

However, the majority of ex-employees from the Tomb Raider team at Core Design now work at Circle.

[winston]

Hmmm i too also thought that Core Design and Crystal Dynamics were one and the same, or perhaps related companies.
If you look on the Legend game box, in the Copyright section, it says Copyright Core Design 2006!

Now i think this is probably because Core made all the other TRs up to 2006 and so have to have their name on the box for this reason.

Is this right? Has anyone else noticed this?

[Treeble]

I believe it's an apology, after all Core created Tomb Raider.

[winston]

Yes thats true, i thought it might be something like that

[Lone Raider]

Yes. The original copyright is still recognized.

[star girl]

A sad thing indeed. *sob*