Square-Enix has presented an offer to buy Eidos, raising the prospect of the Japanese house of "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest" absorbing the British publisher being Lara Croft's adventures and the "Hitman" series. Square-Enix pitched the stock offer to Eidos on January 7 and an official order, presented in rich detail in filings today, will now be presented to shareholders.

According to an e-mail from the game's publicist, the Xbox 360-exclusive DLC for "Tomb Raider: Underworld" titled "Beneath the Ashes" has been delayed due to "an unexpected technical issue." No further information was was given at this time.

The first DLC for the game, released in November, was scheduled to launch on February 10. Earlier this year, 30 employees from the game's developer Crystal Dynamics were laid off, including creative director Eric Lindstrom.

We'll update you with more details as soon as we have them.

Related Post:
What 360-Exclusive 'Tomb Raider' DLC Means For PS3, PC Owners

FROM MTV MOVIES BLOG: Lara Croft is set to follow in Indiana Jones’ footsteps, and make a return to the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. (who gained the rights to the character this December) and producer Dan Lin are working to reboot “Tomb Raider,” and give the pistol packing heroine a new franchise.

Read more about the pending "Tomb Raider" movie makeover at MTVMoviesblog.com...

Sales for "Tomb Raider: Underworld" haven't been so great, and I might have discovered the secret reason that has nothing to do with the game itself: it's one of very few "Tomb Raider" games that didn't prominently feature Lara Croft's name on the front.

Read more...

Laid-off "Tomb Raider: Underworld" creative director Eric Lindstrom is apparently answering fan questions on a "Tomb Raider" forums and reveals just how close we may be to getting an M-rated Lara Croft. [UPDATE: We've confirmed that the message board commenter is indeed Lindstrom.] Read more...

Reader Niallalot saw me writing about "Tomb Raider: Underworld" in my last couple of Diary entries and wrote: "Now hold on just a minute - did Lara's latest really leave you so non-plussed? For shame."

Niallot, because you asked, here's how I felt about "Tomb Raider: Underworld," which I finished on Sunday: Read more...

As stories become more important in video games, so does knowledge of the universe, characters and existing plots when entering a game sequel.

Too often, however, game companies leave this narrative homework to their player. There's almost nowhere to go -- officially -- to discover what happened in a previous game.

It's been a while since I played "Tomb Raider: Legend," the most recent story-based "Tomb Raider," which is why I'm applauding the decision to include a "Previously…" video segment summarizing what already happened in "Tomb Raider: Underworld."

Is it particularly well edited? No. Does it properly introduce the character nuances and narrative set pieces that defined "Legend"? Not really. It's clear this was a last minute, low-priority video. But, at least it tells you -- minor spoiler warning -- someone from Lara's past has come back to haunt her and has knowledge of the whereabouts of Lara's mother, who was presumed dead.

That last line defines the basic setup for "Underworld." It's just too bad the summary doesn't play when the game starts. Instead, I found out about it because it's mentioned in one of the tips that appears on a loading screen.

This is a step in the right direction, though. Am I the only one that wants to see developers take a more proactive approach in catching us up on story?

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Yesterday's post about the visit of Lara Croft spokesperson/actress Alison Carroll's visit to the MTV Newsroom ended with either an impressive or unimpressive attempt by me to do some of Lara's moves.

It really depends on who you ask.

Some people didn't realize there was a second segment. So... I've embedded it here for your viewing pleasure. And, for the record, my wife thought this was all quite funny.

(Videos not viewable by users logging in from Canada or the U.K.)

What we have here is possibly the oddest event shot in the MTV Newsroom in 2008.

First, actress Alison Carroll -- playing the role of Lara Croft to hype the release of "Tomb Raider: Underworld" -- flexibly demonstrates what the fictional archaeologist would do if our newsroom was a tomb and a stapler was a treasure.

As you can imagine, this bit of gymnastics provoked a lot of gawking.

Then, in the second segment, Carroll made me (and helped me) do some of the moves. I risked life and limb to shoot this, so you better watch. My tumbling routine is in the second segment.

(Videos not viewable by users logging in from Canada or the U.K.)

Everyone's favorite acrobatic archaeologist is back this week with the release of "Tomb Raider: Underworld."

And while you may be familiar with Ms. Croft's past titles, Crystal Dynamics' Eric Lindstrom, the creative director of the game, gave us some new things to try when adventuring in "Underworld."

Check out his "must-do" list for when you're traversing Thailand, Mexico, the Mediterranean and other exotic locales with Lara...

Crystal Dynamics' Must-Do List For
"Tomb Raider: Underworld"
(Multiple Platforms, November 2008)

1. Run over panthers on the motorcycle to catch some air and quick kills.

2. Sticky grenades are fun! Stick a bat and watch it fly around, or stick a mercenary and watch him try to swipe it off. Read more...