Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly.

Enter E-Mail Address Below:

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.