How Lara’s legacy lives on in Derby 30 years later

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine we celebrate the legacy of the Tomb Raider video game franchise, which began in the city 30 years ago.

It was back in 1996 that a small Derby-based games developer called Core Design released a title called ‘Tomb Raider’, starring gun-toting heroine Lara Croft.

It became a global phenomenon – spawning numerous sequels, as well as movies and other media.

Innovate discovers how despite turning 30, the appetite for Lara is still as strong as ever.

And while the Tomb Raider games are no longer produced in the city, we look at the legacy she has left behind – from inspiring the next generation of game developers to even having a road named after her.

In the feature we meet Andy Sandham who back in the day helped create legendary titles from the original Tomb Raider series, including Tomb Raider III, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider: Chronicles.

Today, Andy is playing a key role in developing the next generation of talent at the University of Derby.

He is part of the academic team delivering a trio of new Computer Games courses starting this September.

Andy was part of the original Core Design team, working as an artist, level designer and scriptwriter.

Andy, who is a senior lecturer in Computer Games, told Innovate: ““I drive past Lara Croft Way most mornings – and then I go in and teach students how to make games. Thirty years on it is inspiring to be playing a part shaping what comes next.

“Gaming has evolved hugely since the 1990s, but the demand for creativity, interactive design, and technical expertise is greater than ever.

“These new courses reflect that shift, combining interdisciplinary skills with real industry insight to prepare students for a rapidly changing sector.”

Innovate also meets up with Tomb Raider superfan Luke Earle, who fell in love with Tomb Raider from an early age. Since then, he has amassed a huge collection of Lara-related memorabilia.

Today, he is the organiser of the hugely popular Tomb Raider Day – an annual Comic Con-style celebration of all things Lara, which takes place at QUAD.

Luke recalls: “We organised a small event at QUAD – maybe 50 people turned up. That was 2016.

“This year we’ve got 400 people coming from all over the world. America, Brazil, across Europe. It sold out in three weeks.”

To read the feature in full click here.