Sometimes we talk about poorly sourced rumors here because they look very, very likely to be true. Sometimes we talk about things that may not be something that Hollywood is officially doing, or will ever officially do, because we very, very much want it to be something that happens.

You know, like Hayley Atwell returning to the nerd world as the lead in the Tomb Raider movie reboot currently in development.

Convention harassment is just an off-shoot of regular, old harassment but seeing it invade your “safe space” can be tough to stomach. And some people have had enough. At PAX East this past weekend, a journalist (I use that term loosely) decided to interview a group of Lara Croft  cosplayers at the new Tomb Raider video game booth. What followed was not a professional interview of fans but rather a chance to treat women in costume not as people, but as sex objects. The Mary Sue spoke with one of the cosplayers involved as well as PAX management about the situation – a situation we’re hearing about far too often these days. 

Rumors of a Tomb Raider movie inspired more by the current reboot of the series in video games rather than the two previous installments of the movie franchise have been swirling for a few months now. The putative film had even acquired a production company and producer, GK Films, whose pedigree is anything but marked by big budget blockbuster shlock, what with Traffic, Argo, The Departed, Gangs of New York, and The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. But the project crossed an important line yesterday by partnering with a larger distribution studio. With the involvement of MGM, this is now a film that will probably get made.

There was a poignant article on Kotaku this week about a suicidal teenage boy, who found the inspiration he needed to turn his life around through none other than the rebooted Lara Croft. What inspired him the most, he explained, was not just her heroism, but her ability to act in the face of fear.

When I [saw] her commit her first kill, I watched as she started crying. I had never seen that in a Tomb Raider before. I was shocked. But she picked herself up quickly, I loved that she had so much bravery especially when she was scared the most.

I praised that aspect of the game in my review last week, but it later occurred to me that her portrayal as a frightened, flawed human being does not exist in a vacuum. When I think of the other protagonists we’ve seen in recent years, it seems that we’re in the middle of a cultural shift. Slowly but surely, we’re expanding our definition of what it means to be a hero.

I…wow. You can buy it from Rose Pope on Etsy. (via Neatorama) 

On Tuesday, I sat in front of my computer, not playing the new Tomb Raider. I had preloaded the game on Steam days before. I was wearing comfy pants. I had prepared some snacks. I was alone in my apartment. Nothing was preventing me from clicking “Play.” Yet my attention was focused away from the screen, just a few inches from my keyboard. You see, on my desk, I have five small pieces of artwork, each featuring a game character that serves as a touchstone for my personal history. The second of these is Lara Croft.

I’ve had an up-and-down relationship with Lara over the years. I played the first game, in fact [my] dad did and spoilt the bit with the T-Rex but it was still awesome. Then I felt she’d become reduced to a pair of boobs, a pair of pistols and a hair plait.

She became bigger than the games and was over-sexualised. I’m fairly used to that in games but it gave the impression that ‘ladies, this isn’t for you’ and yet she was very popular with female gamers.

The chance to get my hands on her, so to speak, gave me the chance to make a difference. — Rhianna Pratchett, head writer on Tomb Raider.

The Tomb Raider franchise’s imminent reboot hasn’t had the smoothest of PR roads, what with letting its executive producer say some really unfortunate things about rape, victimhood, and how men connect with female characters, days before they were ready to announce and confirm that Tomb Raider (2013) was that rarity in the video games industry: a game about a woman, written by a woman. Pratchett herself has talked publicly about how problematic those statements were and how they’re not representative of her approach to Tomb Raider‘s story. Gamers can finally get their hands on the long awaited reboot tomorrow, and we should have a review for you at the end of this week.

Previously in Tomb Raider

The new Tomb Raider video game is set to be released March 5 and Crystal Dynamics thought you might want to get into the Lara Croft spirit by sporting some official merchandise while you play. Check out the comfy looking items them have up for grabs.

(Tomb Raider Official via Set to Stunning)

2012 has been a great year for games. AAA titles are huge and spectacular, indies are fearlessly exploring new territory, and the cultural conversation about this ever evolving medium gets livelier by the day. For all the growing pains both the industry and players are working through, this is a truly exciting time for anyone who loves games.

Even though I’m still playing catch-up with my backlog, 2013 will soon be here, and with it, a whole new batch of worlds to discover, puzzles to solve, and battles to fight. Without further ado, here are a handful of upcoming games that have my attention.

As people who type for a living, we here at The Mary Sue can’t really afford to put really fun things on our nails. But that doesn’t mean we won’t “ooh” and “aah” at other people who do. We’ve featured KayleighOC’s nail art on the site before but realized she had a plethora of new styles you need to see.

(via KayleighOC)