Eidos Interactive, Limited, was a British video game publisher, now operating as Square
Enix Europe. Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London
Borough of Merton. The company has had offices all around the world, including the United
States, Canada, Germany, France, Australia and Japan.
Its best-known game series include Tomb Raider, Hitman, Commandos, Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain,
Thief, TimeSplitters, and Fear Effect. Eidos officially became part of Square Enix on 22
April 2009. Following a reorganization of the company, Eidos was merged with Square
Enix's European operations into Square Enix Europe. The Eidos brand currently lives only
through the development studio Eidos Montréal, and is also used as a label for games developed
by former Eidos-owned developers like Crystal Dynamics and IO Interactive released before
take-over by Square Enix Europe.
Takeover by SCi On 3 August 2004, the Wall Street Journal
reported that Eidos was in preliminary discussions with a small number of companies in relation
of a possible business combinations. In early March 2005, Eidos admitted that cash reserves
had dwindled to £11.9m during the second half of 2004, and pre-tax losses had grown
to £29m. On 21 March 2005, Eidos received a takeover
bid from Elevation Partners, the private equity firm owned by former Electronic Arts president
John Riccitiello and with a number of notable partners, including U2's lead singer Bono.
This takeover valued the company at £71m, and would inject £23m in order to keep the
company solvent in the short term. On 22 March, Eidos received a second takeover
bid from the British games manufacturer SCi Entertainment. Sci offered £74m, and tabled
a restructuring plan to cut £14m from annual costs. To fund this takeover, SCi proposed
to sell £60m worth of stock. Eventually, in late April, Elevation Partners formally
withdrew its offer, leaving the way clear for SCi. The takeover was finalized on 16
May 2005. Since the Sci purchase, the vast majority
of the old Eidos management were let go. SCi left their Battersea Office and moved into
the old Eidos office on the second floor of Wimbledon Bridge House, 1 Hartfield Road,
Wimbledon. Eidos announced on 15 February 2007 that they would open a new studio in
Montreal, Quebec, Canada responsible for "new undisclosed next-generation projects". Eidos
Montreal started developing a new game in the Deus Ex franchise.
In February 2007, Eidos acquired Rockpool Games, along with its two sister companies
Ironstone Partners and SoGoPlay. On 4 September 2007, the board of Sci Entertainment
confirmed recent speculation that the company has been approached with a view to making
an offer. On 10 January 2008, SCi announced take over and/or merger talks had been halted.
As a result, the share price dropped by over 50%. Major investors called for the resignation
of key personnel, including CEO Jane Cavanagh, over this issue as well as delays to key titles.
On 18 January 2008, Jane Cavanagh, Bill Ennis and Rob Murphy left the company.
Eidos's parent company, Sci, revealed its 2008 financial report. Losses were at £100 million,
but new CEO Phil Rogers claimed this was only due to the reconstructing plans. On 19 September
2008, Eidos opened a Shanghai based studio consisting of a small team to build up relations
in Asia. On 3 December 2008, Sci changed its name to Eidos plc, and also changed its London
Stock Exchange ticker symbol from SEG to EID. Part of Square Enix Europe
In February 2009, Square Enix reached an agreement to purchase Eidos for £84.3 million, pending
shareholder approval, with an initial aim of fully buying Eidos on 6 May 2009. The date
was brought forward and Square Enix officially took over Eidos on 22 April 2009.
Although Square Enix said earlier that it would let Eidos Interactive remain as it is
currently and not meddle in its internal affairs, it has stopped publishing games under the
Eidos brand, with new games coming out under the Square Enix brand instead. Currently the
Eidos Interactive logo only appears for games developed by former Eidos-owned game studios.
Studios Current
Crystal Dynamics in Redwood City, California, U.S, founded in 1992, acquired in 1998.
IO Interactive in Copenhagen, Denmark, founded in 1998.
Eidos Montreal in Canada, founded in 2007 Beautiful Game Studios in London, England,
started in 2003 Eidos Shanghai in China, started in 2008
Part-owned Rocksteady
Defunct Eidos Hungary in Hungary, founded in 2005,
closed October 2009. Pivotal Games in Bath, England, founded in
March 2000, acquired by SCi on 29 September 2003, closed 22 August 2008.
Core Design in Derby, England, founded in 1988, acquired by Eidos in 1996, closed 11
May 2006. Ion Storm in Texas, founded in 1996, acquired
by Eidos on July 2001, closed 9 February 2005. Fresh Games, a game developing label used
from 2002 to 2004 Games
25 To Life Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This At Home Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood
Battlestations: Midway Battlestations: Pacific
Batman: Arkham Asylum Beach Life
Bionicle Heroes Championship Manager 5
Chili Con Carnage Chuck Rock
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and its sequels Conflict: Denied Ops
Crash 'N' Burn Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas
Daikatana Deathtrap Dungeon
Deus Ex Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Deus Ex: The Fall
Doctor Who: Top Trumps Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3
Eve of Extinction F1 World Grand Prix
F1 World Grand Prix 2000 Fear Effect
Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix Fighting Force
Fighting Force 2 Final Fantasy VII
Gangsters: Organized Crime Gangsters 2
Geon: Emotions Highlander: The Game
Hitman: Codename 47 and its sequels Imperial Glory
Infernal Joint Strike Fighter
Just Cause Just Cause 2
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Legacy of Kain series
Legaia 2: Duel Saga Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
Mad Dash Racing Mad Maestro
Mini Ninjas Official Site Mister Mosquito
Monster Lab Nervous Brickdown
Ninja: Shadow of Darkness Official Formula One Racing
Omikron: The Nomad Soul Orion Burger
Pocket Pool Power F1
Praetorians Project Eden
Project IGI: I'm Going In Project Snowblind
Revenant Reservoir Dogs
Rogue Trooper Shellshock: Nam '67
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails Soul Bubbles
Spider: The Video Game Startopia
Swagman Terracide
Thief series TimeSplitters
TimeSplitters 2 Tomb Raider series
Total Overdose Top Trumps Adventures
Top Trumps Adventures: Dogs and Dinosaurs Top Trumps Adventures: Horror and Predators
Touch the Dead Trade Empires
The Unholy War Urban Chaos
Urban Chaos: Riot Response Virtual Resort: Spring Break
Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour Warzone 2100
Wave Rally Way of the Samurai
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Junior Edition See also
References
External links Eidos corporate site
Eidos Interactive at MobyGames