Speaking of things that won't be in the game when you buy it from the store, a month before Tomb Raider: Underworld comes out, Eidos is announcing plans for downloadable content to be sold over the next few months. It's hard to keep everything straight with all the colons and em dashes flying around, but here are the specifics:

Tomb Raider: Underworld – Beneath the Ashes and Tomb Raider: Underworld – Lara’s Shadow will deliver two very different single player gameplay experiences. Tomb Raider: Underworld – Beneath the Ashes takes place after the Underworld story has finished and will feature an incredible new environment to explore, additional secrets to unlock and different enemies to fight. Tomb Raider: Underworld - Lara’s Shadow will introduce players to a new kind of playable character and create a unique Tomb Raider experience.

The first new chapter, Tomb Raider: Underworld – Beneath the Ashes, will be available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace this Christmas. Tomb Raider: Underworld – Lara’s Shadow will follow in early 2009.

So why aren't these two episodes in the retail game? And is this really exclusive to the 360, or will it come out later for other platforms? Is there some exclusivity deal with Microsoft as is the case with the downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV (we're still waiting on that, Rockstar...tap, tap, tap, tap, tap)? Whatever the case, there are doubtless guys at Crystal Dynamics, where the game is being developed, working on this downloadable content right now, instead of the retail game. They sell us part of the game, then they sell us the rest later. Here's how the general manager of Crystal Dynamics puts it in the press release:

“We are constantly looking at ways to extend our franchises, whilst developing a deeper relationship with our players. The retail release of any videogame is just the start of the player experience, from there it all depends where you want to take the player in terms of ideas and innovation.”

"Developing a deeper relationship"? "Retail release is just the start"? "Ideas and innovation"? It's almost like he's not even trying to make us think they aren't ripping us off.

One day we'll tell our grandchildren about the good old days when you bought a game and the whole thing came in a box.