Unbelievable Discovery: Fan Scores Unique Edition of Tomb Raider: Anniversary at Thrift Shop!

Highlights

A Tomb Raider fan found a copy of Tomb Raider: Anniversary signed by Ian Livingston, the former head of Eidos Interactive and co-founder of Games Workshop.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary, released in 2007, is a highly acclaimed remake of the original game. Despite being the lowest-selling game in the franchise, it holds value as a unique collector's item due to Livingston's signature on the copy, making it potentially worth more than its original price.

A Tomb Raider enthusiast stumbled upon a signed copy of Tomb Raider: Anniversary, believed to bear the signature of Sir Ian Livingston, the former head of Eidos. Livingston, an English author and entrepreneur, played a significant role in the founding of Games Workshop, the publisher of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, in 1975, and was also instrumental in the establishment of Eidos Interactive in 1995.

Available on PC, PS2, Xbox 360, and Wii, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a 2007 remake of the original Tomb Raider game released in 1996. Developed using the same engine as the 2006 release, Tomb Raider: Legend, it follows Lara's globetrotting adventures in search of the ancient city of Atlantis. While Anniversary made several minor modifications to the gameplay, visual design, and certain elements of the story, it remained true to the original game's core essence. Despite receiving widespread acclaim from both players and critics, Tomb Raider: Anniversary unfortunately became the lowest-selling installment in the franchise, with only 1.3 million copies sold, in stark contrast to the original game's impressive sales figures of 7 million units.

While browsing a secondhand shop, Reddit user Pending_Content stumbled upon a signed copy of Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the Xbox 360. Unfortunately, the signature on the game was illegible, causing fans to speculate on its origins. Some suggested individuals included Jason Botta, the creative director of Tomb Raider: Anniversary, or Jonelle Elliot, the voice actor for Lara Croft in various Tomb Raider games. However, after careful deliberation, the community concluded that the signature actually belonged to Livingstone.

Although Livingstone wasn't directly involved in the development of Tomb Raider: Anniversary in 2007, he did generate excitement for the game during a May 2006 interview. His impact on the gaming industry should not be underestimated, as he played a crucial role in establishing Games Workshop and served as an editor for the company's White Dwarf magazine. Additionally, he co-authored the successful book series called Fighting Fantasy, which combined Choose Your Own Adventure storytelling with tabletop RPG gameplay. Livingstone held a senior position at Eidos from the 1990s until 2013.

Livingston's signature may not hold the same appeal to Tomb Raider fans as someone who had a more direct involvement in the game's development. Nevertheless, it adds a unique value to this particular copy of Tomb Raider: Anniversary, making it a highly desirable item for collectors. While its exact monetary worth is subject to speculation, it is highly probable that it exceeds the price initially asked for at the secondhand store.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary can be played on various platforms including PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360. Additionally, it is backward compatible on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.