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News Corp Deal With Eidos Confirmed

Posted by Zonk on from the score-another-one-for-murdoch dept.

GamesIndustry.biz has confirmed that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp will be closing a deal with the United Kingdom publisher Eidos in the near future. This move has been seen by some as inevitable, as games become more popular and profitable. From the article: "Rumours that a deal was close to being struck initially stemmed from a number of tell-tale signs at the firm's offices - specifically a hiring freeze across the company, and reports that development studios have been told to prepare presentations on each of their projects for the new owners."

30 comments

  1. as hommer said by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    lisa : dad thats Fox
    Homer : Aghhh , Undo undo undo undo

  2. First Game from the New Merger... by Scarred+Sun · · Score: 1

    Fox News: The Game! Take control of Ann Coulter as you gun down such treasonists as Al Franken, Michael Moore and anyone who doesn't listen to Sean Hannity!

  3. So that means... by game+kid · · Score: 1

    ...our next Tomb Raider will have Lara Croft trying to run from a stalker named Bill?

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  4. Take control of Ann Coulter? by game+kid · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Even as a Democrat I wouldn't mind controlling her hotness. Especially from a third-person rear perspective...

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    1. Re:Take control of Ann Coulter? by PedanticSpellingTrol · · Score: 1

      You've never seen her in person then. When she appeared before a crowd (which was microscopic compared to the one Al Franken pulled in at the same venue) at the University of South Carolina, the first thing that passed through my mind was "jesus christ, that's the most un-natural looking human being I have ever seen". Six-foot tall anorexics with large breasts are much less appealing than they sound.

    2. Re:Take control of Ann Coulter? by Mike+Hawk · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      No doubt, when your idealized human specimens are Franken and Moore.

      And when did these comedians become the face and voice of the left? Seems like there is a joke here about democrats being clowns, but I'm not a comedian, so I'll leave the trite insults to the political bumper sticker crowd.

    3. Re:Take control of Ann Coulter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      gross.

    4. Re:Take control of Ann Coulter? by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1
      White witches, with no meat?
      Boy, git back in yo' suburb!

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  5. A little more insight!? by ericandrade · · Score: 1

    Games are starting to be profitable, so Eidos wants to be bought?
    They sell, but just "change the flag" and the group stays the same?
    Why would News Corp buy them? What else to they own?

    It isn't clear or well explained in the article.
    Can someone please explain the situation?

    1. Re:A little more insight!? by AltaMannen · · Score: 1

      Because Eidos needs more financial backing to keep doing profitable games, and there is little investment interest left for this company.

      News Corp wants to buy them because Fox Interactive was essentially closed down except for some licensing of their properties (x-files, simpsons, etc.) because Fox Interactive wasn't profitable. News Corp buys a previously successful company that can be successful again thanks to all the properties owned by News Corp.

      Get ready for the name change of agent 47 to Homer Simpson people! It's going to be "Hitman Homer: The taking out of Ned Flanders."

      Also Tomb Raider is now Jessica Alba.

    2. Re:A little more insight!? by ozn · · Score: 1

      News Corp is Rupert Murdoch's company. They also own DirecTV. Maybe we'll have Eidos games downloadable from satellite now...

    3. Re:A little more insight!? by spielermacher · · Score: 1

      This has been playing on other news sites as if it is the first time that News Corp has gotten into the game industry - but it's not the first time. In the late 90's, they bought Kesmai Corporation (Online game developer/publisher in the early days of the industry). Kesmai at the time had Air Warrior, Mech Warrior, Legends of Kesmai and other titles.

      With News Corp's money, Kesmai launched the online gaming site Gamestorm with Kesmai's games as well as many titles from Mythic Entertainment, in their pre-Dark Age of Camelot days (games like Magestorm, Silent Death, Godzilla Online, Aliens Online, etc.).

      The whole Gamestorm idea turned out to be a bust, as it was a bit too early for people to shell out monthly subscriptions to online games. Eventually News Corp sold out to EA, and gamestorm became the prototype of EA.com, which then of course went on to lose a spectacular amount of money and eventually was closed down itself.

      Just a bit of early online game history that I thought everyone would find illuminating.

  6. Awww Riiiight! by blueZhift · · Score: 1

    I guess this means reality shows starring Lara Croft and Paris Hilton! As Quagmire would say, awwww riiiight!

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
    1. Re:Awww Riiiight! by game+kid · · Score: 1
      As Quagmire would say, awwww riiiight!

      You mean Homestar Runner? --and BTW I agree, as long as The Simple Life With Paris and Lara doesn't have an obligatory My Phone Got P\\/N3D!!1 episode.

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  7. New game startup screens? by cbrichar · · Score: 0

    You're playing fox.
    Shame on you.

  8. Eidos track record by MBraynard · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Gamerankings is not perfect, but here are the averages for the last 14 "hot" games that Eidos has released (releases for composite systems averaged together):

    • 51%- Get on da mic
    • 64% - Crash 'n Burn
    • 47% - Backyard Wrestling 2
    • 57% - Shellshock: Nam '67
    • 83% - Thief: Deadly Shadows
    • 78% - Hitman Contracts
    • 80% - R-Type Final
    • 85% - Dues Ex: Invisible War
    • 76% - Legacy of Kain: Defiance
    • 54% - Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
    • 75% - Commandos 3: Desination Berlin
    • 70% - Whiplash
    • 58% - The Italian Job
    • 66% - Republic: The Revolution

    • Looks pretty mediocre overall. Final Fantasy is pretty huge series though.

      It WOULD be fun to do a Hitman Contracts, but play as Ann Coulter going after dirty hippies.

    1. Re:Eidos track record by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

      I want to say the Backyard series is the most profitable of the group.

      Anyways, I am ashamed to say I rented Tomb Raider AOD for a wasteful $5, and returned it literally 2 hrs later.

    2. Re:Eidos track record by Mike+Hawk · · Score: 1

      Final Fantasy is pretty huge series though.

      ?

    3. Re:Eidos track record by snwcrash · · Score: 3, Funny
      returned it literally 2 hrs later.

      Were you snowed in or something? Car trouble?

      --
      Save a life, sign your organ donor card.
    4. Re:Eidos track record by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would it surprise you to know she was/is a Dead Head? I shit you not.

    5. Re:Eidos track record by HarvardAce · · Score: 2, Informative

      Final Fantasy VII was published by Eidos for the PC. That's the only one I can be sure of, and I know that because it came in the odd-shaped box that all of the Eidos games were shipped in at the time. You know, the one that's sort of trapezoidal, sort of triangular...

      --
      Note to self: Stop putting jokes in my insightful comments so I can get something other than +1 Funny!
    6. Re:Eidos track record by Mike+Hawk · · Score: 1

      Ah, sounded really strange to my mostly console tuned ears. Carry on.

    7. Re:Eidos track record by MBraynard · · Score: 1

      I've read a lot of stuff about her. Wouldn't surprise me. We have one degree of seperation on a couple of fronts and many of my friends have worked very closely with her over the years although we have never met. At some point, I'd really like to get to know her and maybe I will have that chance. Small world. Too bad she's in NY and not DC.

    8. Re:Eidos track record by MBraynard · · Score: 1

      Yeah- I knew that was Square-Enix but I saw they somehow publisher VII for the PC.

    9. Re:Eidos track record by Alban · · Score: 1

      FF is bug, but (correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't Eidos only get to do the port & distribution for the PC version? That would be pretty small. Or do they also distribute in NA/Europe? Nevertheless, that's still tiny compared to how much this game sells in Japan/Asia.

    10. Re:Eidos track record by MBraynard · · Score: 1

      Yes to all.

  9. Dude. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Notice the adam's apple. That's a transexual. Post op, but still.... Combined with the "rear window" comment, I think you need to evaluate your desire for a significant lifestyle change....

  10. FOX "News", EIDOS "games", "American" "democracy" by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

    It's beginning to look a lot like Gibson
    Ev'rywhere you go...

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  11. Time to stop buying Eidos, then ... by zangdesign · · Score: 1

    The only good things to come out of NewsCorp are the Simpsons, Futurama, and a smattering of movies from Fox Studios.

    I won't miss Eidos much.

    --
    To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
    1. Re:Time to stop buying Eidos, then ... by bynary · · Score: 1

      Don't forget Family Guy and King of the Hill.

      --
      http://www.bynarystudio.com