Lara Croft delay fails to dent developer Eidos
Fans of cyber babe Lara Croft will have to wait at least another three months for the release of the latest Tomb Raider computer game, design group Eidos said today.
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, which was due out next month after missing the original November deadline, will not hit the shelves until April at the earliest.
But shares in Eidos climbed 14.5% today after the London-based group announced it expected to return to profitability at the half year.
The company also reported a “robust” trading performance over the Christmas period, mainly due to continued strong sales of titles Hitman 2 and TimeSplitters 2.
With a net cash balance of about £50 million, Eidos said it expected to move into profitability when its results for the six months to December 31, 2002, are announced on March 6.
Chief executive Mike McGarvey said: “We are very pleased to be returning the company to profitability, based on the success of our ever expanding games portfolio combined with the benefits of an aggressive cost reduction programme which we have undertaken.
“Looking forward, we have a strong line-up of new releases for the second half and are optimistic about the potential for our business to continue to deliver improved performance.”
Mr McGarvey said he was confident that the further delay of Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness would not hit profits.
Although significant progress had been made in the final stages of developing the game, more time was needed for further game play enhancement, he added.
The game was also expected to “benefit substantially” from the marketing of the new Lara Croft film, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, due out in July.
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness will be launched for Sony PlayStation2 and PCs early in the final quarter of the financial year ending June 30.
Other games scheduled for release in the second half of the financial year include Championship Manager 4, the next edition in the football series, and 3D strategy game Praetorians.
Shares in Eidos climbed 14.5% or 14.5p to 114.5p this afternoon.
The group has been dogged in recent years by game delays, profit warnings and weak gaming titles, and has slashed costs since 2000.
