Eidos the British games publisher better known for their ownership of the Tomb Raider and Hitman franchises are currently in takeover discussions as they continue to rack up losses and watch their share price slashed by up to 90%. According to MCV sources both Square Enix and Warner Bros have expressed an interest and are set to launch rival bids later this month.
Square Enix and Eidos
So what’s in it for Square Enix ? Well the Tokyo power house has already expressed an interest in the growing western gaming market, and brands like Tomb Raider and Hitman may well be their ticket into this ever expanding market. Sure it sounds like an odd combination but global president Yoichi Wada has already visited Denmarks IO Studios (developers of Hitman) for discussions and is set to return for further discussions later this month.
At this point Warner Bros already owns a 20% stake in Eidos and are being backed as the eventual winners of this little power struggle. Despite the above it will be interesting to see how far Square Enix will push discussions as strong brands like Tomb Raider and Hitman are sure to assist them in acquiring a greater piece of the western gaming markets.