| Eidos Interactive | |
|---|---|
 Eidos Interactive Logo as used on Deathtrap Dungeon | |
| Outline | |
| Name | Eidos Interactive |
| Type(s) | Public |
| Foundation | 1990 |
| Industry | Interactive entertainment |
| Key People | Stephen Bernard Streater (Founder), Bill Gardner (Eidos Inc. CEO) |
| Homepage | http://www.eidos.com/ |
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Eidos Interactive is a publisher with its parent company based in England. It is now part of the Eidos Group of Companies and is a subsidiary of SCi Entertainment Group PLC. Eidos' links with Fighting Fantasy are primarily through Ian Livingstone. First, Livingstone was the first chairman of the Eidos Interactive entity, and second it was Eidos that produced the computer game version of Deathtrap Dungeon, both for the Windows platform and for the Playstation.
History[]
Eidos plc, later to become the parent company of Eidos Interactive, was founded in 1990 as a company specialising in video compression and non-linear editing systems. Eidos plc undertook a series of acquisitions in the games sector, starting with the acquisition of the PC games companies Domark Group Limited (Domark), Simis and Big Red Software in 1995 through a reverse takeover. At the time, Domark, spearheaded by Ian Livingstone, was known for 3D Construction Kit and Championship Manager among others. The three companies were combined into Eidos Interactive, with the chairmanship being given to Ian Livingstone. In 1996, having seen the rising success of the Sony Playstation, Eidos plc acquired CentreGold plc (which included U.S. Gold and Centresoft). Centresoft was sold back in an MBO. U.S. Gold included the valuable asset of Core Design, which brought with it Tomb Raider. A further series of acquisitions and skilful use of capital meant that Eidos plc (now almost entirely consisting of Eidos Interactive) was the fastest growing company in the world in the 1990s, with the share price rising over 400 times from its 1993 low to its 1999 high.
Following some hard times and diminishing cash reserves, on March 21, 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. On 22 March, Eidos received a second takeover bid from the British games manufacturer SCi Entertainment. 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 have been let go, although notably Ian Livingstone was asked to return. Takeover speculation has been reported in the press at the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008.
Games[]
Fighting Fantasy[]
Notable Releases[]
- For a more complete list, see the Wikipedia article Eidos Interactive
The company is most well known for bringing Tomb Raider to the market and chief among its many other releases are the following: Hitman, Commandos, Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain, Thief, and Fear Effect. SCi Entertainment Group PLC
See Also[]
External Links[]
- Wikipedia article: Eidos Interactive
- Eidos.com - Official site
- Elevation Partners
- SCi Entertainment
- Eidos Press Vault - "Press Vault" with media and trailers
- Eidos Interactive at MobyGames
References[]