Square Enix has made an £84.3m bid for Tomb Raider developer, Eidos.
Could this mean airships, MP and turn-based battles for miss Croft? Find out now…
Japanese games developer and creator of Final Fantasy, Square Enix, has just made an £84.3m offer for British-based Eidos, owner of Lara Croft.
The news came as shares in Eidos fell to a low of 32.5p per share last Friday – down from a high of almost 500p per share in June last year.
Eidos revealed that shareholders Cazenove Capital Management and Insight Investment, which own a 13% stake, backed the deal. And Time Warner, who owns a 20% stake in Eidos, looks set to lose as much as £63m.
But what will this mean for Lara Croft?
Turn-based battles with Sephiroth? Blitzball with Tidus? A cameo in Final Fantasy XIII?
Only Square Enix knows the answer to that question. But it seems likely our favourite Tomb Raider won’t be dying anytime soon – it would surely be madness to kill off such a popular franchise.
Here’s one gamer’s views on what might happen. Gemini-Phoenix from the Games TM forum said:
“Lara’s design will receive an overhaul, featuring androgynous appearance with spiky hairstyle; Cybernetic implants; Garbed in steam-punk fashion; And not forgetting the inevitable overwhelmingly-sized sword.
“Tombs will be swapped for dungeons in a futuristic film-noir setting, and relics will most likely be crystals in some way, shape, or form.”
Leet Blog will keep you informed if and when Eidos accept the offer, but it’s almost certain the deal will go ahead.
Until then I’ll leave you with a couple of videos for the inevitable comparison between Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider.
Final Tomb: Fantasy Raider, anyone?
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Final Fantasy XIII
Skip to around halfway for gameplay footage:
What do you think will become of Tomb Raider?
1 comment so far ↓
[...] has changed. Ever since Square Enix bought her step-dad Eidos last year it’s been making a few cosmetic changes to every gamer’s favourite leading [...]
Leave a Comment