Square Enix buys out Eidos

By Ellie Gibson Published 30 March, 2009

Will take charge of Lara and Agent 47.

Eidos's shareholders have voted by an overwhelming majority to accept the bid by Square Enix.

That means Square Enix will gain control of Eidos next month, having offered 32 pence per share. They'll get the Tomb Raider, Hitman and Championship Manager franchises into the bargain. At a court meeting over 85 per cent of the shares held in the company were represented in votes cast to accept the bid, whatever that means. At the subsequent EGM the motion required to implement the acquisition was also approved, if you really want to know.

Square Enix has yet to reveal its plans for Eidos and the associated franchises.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (38) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ChthonicEcho #1 3 years ago

    So, now Lara will be fifteen years old and with even larger tits, while Agent 47 will be eighteen years old and looking for his long lost sister... who is fifteen years old and with big tits.

  • Hokum #2 3 years ago

    Lara in the next final fantasy? ;)

  • ZuluHero #3 3 years ago

    It will be interesting to see what happens in the future now, esp. with Tomb Raider...

  • kissthestick #4 3 years ago

    Eidos to publish Star Ocean 4 for EU? lolz

  • RobertFoster #5 3 years ago

    @ChthonicEcho: So, a win win situation for everyone?

  • Buztafen #6 3 years ago

    Whats wrong with bigger tits! You guys are so discriminatory....

    EIDOS BOSS: And I for one welcome our new jug enhanced and pre-pubescent emo girl-boy loving overlords!
    Edited by 1 at 30/03/09 @ 09:32

  • andywilkie35 #7 3 years ago

    Instead of being bald, Agent 47 will now sport a steampunk emo haircut

  • LHH #8 3 years ago

    Lara hentai

  • Malek86 #9 3 years ago

    So in the next Soul Reaver we'll get emo Raziel?

    ... oh, wait.

  • Monkey_Puncher #10 3 years ago

    Do IO Interactive come as part of the bargain?

    Please tell me they haven't got the Hitman license but not the developer....

  • mrmonkey1980 #11 3 years ago

    Noooooooo! I liked Tomb Raider for its story as much as it's gameplay. Now it's going to be the clone of every anime saga out there. And I'm guessing Lara will be fighting lots of tentacled monsters .....

  • Flabio #12 3 years ago

    Pretty sure Square have done this to have a European *publishing* wing rather than any huge desire to explot Eidos' IP. Except for maybe Tomb Raider I'd expect them to kick the rest into touch.

  • PearOfAnguish #13 3 years ago

    So long as they don't fuck with Deus Ex...

  • LHH #14 3 years ago

    So long as they don't fuck with Deus Ex...

    They would do well to learn from it hohohohohoho.

  • kinky_mong #15 3 years ago

    "Shit franchises to become even shitter turn based RPGs with whiney emo storylines"

  • schnide #16 3 years ago

    "At a court meeting over 85 per cent of the shares held in the company were represented in votes cast to accept the bid, whatever that means."

    What's that phrase again - that it's the job of a journalist to report what they themselves don't understand..? ;)

  • JaysonG #17 3 years ago

    Squeedos?

  • alimokrane #18 3 years ago

    I dont think this is a bad thing. Cleary Square Enix wants to expand in a territory it's not very familiar with by acquiring a western publisher. They would have a publishing house (hopefully we'll get their games earlier over here) + expand their IP portfolio with franchises that appeal to the western market.

    I dont think they will mess around with Eidos' franchises.

    Now, give me a new Thief, a New Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver and why not a new Fear Effect too! .... one can only hope, right ?

  • Kilroy #19 3 years ago

    This just in: Agent 47 to star in Kingdom Hearts 3!

  • LHH #20 3 years ago

    LOL, Agent 47 throwing Donald Duck off of a roof.
    Edited by 1 at 30/03/09 @ 11:10

  • Widge #21 3 years ago

    *inserts jRPG emo comment even though the only FF character to be vaguely emo was FF8's Squall *

  • Miths #22 3 years ago

    "*inserts jRPG emo comment even though the only FF character to be vaguely emo was FF8's Squall *"

    Just melodramatic and whiny then?

  • sneetch #23 3 years ago

    Hey, I know a bandwagon I want to leap on when I see it. ;)

    Here goes: oh cool, Lara now will end every level with the standard-issue anime-style twirling, winking, giggling, victory-sign giving fashion. With a flash of white panties from under her school skirt, of course.

    This could be good, Squeenixs past few games have also been a bit mediocre imo so it would do both companies good to be shaken up a little. An exchange program of sorts might be in order.

    @Widge
    That would depend on how you define emo, now wouldn't it? I think damn near every hand-wringing, insecure or brooding JRPG character ever is "emo". :)

    Still love JRPGs though.

  • jmg123 #24 3 years ago

    Also in the next Championship Manager Fernando Torres will be a 25 year old girl with big tits? oh , wait, he already is a 25 year old girl, just add the tits then

  • Sunyavadin #25 3 years ago

    Wasn't Legacy of Kain popular in Japan?

    Hmmm..

  • presh #26 3 years ago

    Wow - having worked on projects with both companies, I can't imagine two more different corporate cultures...

    It does give SQEX more of a EU/US presence - the UK SQEX office basically only does translation and a bit of localisation QA.

  • layleeloo #27 3 years ago

    Turn based Tomb Raider? haha. As if the game wasnt dull enough...

  • LHH #28 3 years ago

    "And I'm guessing Lara will be fighting lots of tentacled monsters ....."

    Already happened in TR:Underworld! :)


    It all makes sense :)

  • bad09 #29 3 years ago

    OK most of Square Enix's output has zero interest for me so, right now at this time, I fear for my much loved Hitman series.

    As long as IO still make 'em and Square have no input I'll be OK though.

  • SleepyMagpie #30 3 years ago

    Now I have no idea how this will turn out in Tomb Raider's case in the end, but c'mon guys, Squeenix being the Japanese they are, and Japanese being delightfully politically incorrect, it might actually save Lara from becoming a flat-chested, more likable to women dullsville character that was hinted at by Eidos in it's death-throes..

    Lara gaining a cup-size or two, and the games releasing with a Lara sun-bathing kit and sun-tan lotion, with added gifting mini-games will not cause me to abandon Ms. Croft. A crappy game altogether might, though.

  • spitfire1945 #31 3 years ago

    I hope this means also that SE games will be translated into European languages much faster than before (SE takes ages to to port their game to Europe).

  • Marshall2008 #32 3 years ago

    I can see it now:

    Lara jumps and swings her way through a level when suddenly the game freezes, the camera zooms out a bit and a little cuddly tiger appears. You then have to choose your attacks and wait for the tiger to respond. All the while there is an incredibly annoying 10 second loop of supposed combat music.

    Oh, I forgot to mention that lara is now sporting what can only be described a futuristic bondage gear and a huge sword along with a pink spiky hairdo.

  • Sean.Aaron #33 3 years ago

    Hopefully we'll see new IP getting better backing than it did when Eidos was independent. Their unwillingness to put any money into marketing anything besides Laura Croft is a big part of why they couldn't cut it. Not good to put all your eggs into one basket; especially an old tired franchise like Tomb Raider.

    I also hope Blast Works will finally hit the shelves in Europe as Eidos were to be publishing that here -- not that you'd know it, well, see above...

  • mega7ech #34 3 years ago

    "Pretty sure Square have done this to have a European *publishing* wing rather than any huge desire to explot Eidos' IP"

    Agreed. While it is amusing (or not,maybe) to imagine Tomb Raider and Hitman etc, being all "manga-ised" by Square, I very much doubt this is what will actualy happen to these franchises. I, for one, think this is actualy good news for these particular games as it may bring some fresh ideas to the genres. Yes fanboys, they do need some! I say that as I TR and Hitman fan.

  • plastickitty #35 3 years ago

    Square Enix - Squenix

    Well I'm sure the Eidos name will disappear unlike Enix when Square bought them out

    Square Enix Eidos - Squendos

    or worse

    Square Eidos Enix - Squeidix (sounds painful)

  • BonzoBanana #36 3 years ago

    Thats the last big british publisher isn't it? End of an era I guess.

  • dudefella #37 3 years ago

    As long as another Hitman is made by IO, and is awesome.

  • blackbriar101 #38 3 years ago

    I have a horrible feeling Deus ex 3 and Hitman 5 will be sidelined.