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Eidos
Acquires IO Interactive
(Press
Release)
March
4, 2004
Eidos,
one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment
software, announces that it has reached agreement to acquire IO
Interactive, the Danish based studio responsible for the hugely
successful Hitman franchise.
The acquisition of IO secures the future rights of the Hitman series and
significantly strengthens Eidos' European creative base and development
resource. In addition, the deal will facilitate the use of IO's
leading edge technology platform across the Group, which will play a key
role in the development of next generation titles.
Hitman: Contracts, the third instalment in the multi-million unit
selling series, will be released on April 30th for PlayStation 2, Xbox
and PC.
Mike McGarvey, CEO of Eidos, says:
"We welcome the IO team of outstanding, technically creative
developers, who we know share our vision and values. The
relationship and experience we have already shared over the past five
years gives us great confidence in their ability not only to maintain
the outstanding success of Hitman, but also to develop new titles of
unique IP. In addition, their market leading technology will be a key
element in the Group's transition to next generation platforms."
Janos Flösser, Managing Director of IO Interactive, says:
"Eidos is an ideal partner for IO with an inspired and successful
management team who share a similar production and development ethos to
our own. We are delighted to take our existing relationship to the
next stage. We will look to continue producing successful
franchises, such as Hitman, and help to define a winning technology
platform which has the potential to be more widely used across the Eidos
studios."
more.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Starvis (Head of Communications) at:
Eidos, Wimbledon Bridge House, 1 Hartfield Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19
3RU
Tel: 020 8636 3000; Fax: 020 8636 3001
About Eidos
Eidos plc is one of the world's leading publishers and developers of
entertainment software with a diverse mix of titles for the PC,
PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCubeT and the
XboxÔ video game system from Microsoft. For more information on Eidos
and its products visit www.eidos.com
<http://www.eidos.com>
About IO Interactive
Io Interactive was established in September 1998 as a joint venture
between Nordisk Film & TV A/S and the game developer Reto-Moto.
Based in Copenhagen, IO Interactive employs 137 people. Using
proprietary technologies, Io products are represented on all major
platforms. Their first title Hitman: Codename 47, a third-person
3D action game, was released in November 2000. The Hitman
franchise is now well established as one of the industry's biggest
original intellectual properties.