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EIDOS SELLS OFF
CORE DESIGN STUDIO
Copyright 2006 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
[ May 11th 2006 ]
British
publisher Eidos
- the company assimilated into SCi Entertainment
Group earlier this year - has hammered the final
nail into the coffin of Core Design by selling
off the Derbyshire-based studio and moved towards
opening a new studio in Sweden, trade paper MCV
reports this morning.
Core
Design - founded by brothers Adrian and Jeremy
Heath-Smith - paved the way for 3D action-adventure
gaming in 1996 with the release of Tomb
Raider. The game's main protagonist, Lara
Croft, went on to become one of video-gaming's
most prolific female heroines, spawning six further
adventures, two motion pictures and a string of
promotional tie-ins.
Core
Design also produced the ground-breaking, squad-based
shooter Project
Eden and warmed the hearts of Disney lovers
by introducing the insatiable Herdy
Gerdy and his technicolor capers to console
owners.
The studio
hit turbulent waters in 2004 with the premature
release of Lara
Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness,
and although numerous factors were responsible
for the game being rushed to the shelves, ultimately
Core Design weathered the full force of a critical
mauling and became the scapegoat for a string
of failures.
Jeremy
and Adrian Heath-Smith quit Core Design, and with
a large portion of the studio's workforce, created
Circle Studio,
where the team have successfully established themselves
as a leading force in DVD interactive titles.
Eidos
ported future development of the Tomb Raider franchise
to U.S. developer Crystal
Dynamics, who - in 2006 - successfully met
their charge to rejuvenate the series with the
release of Tomb
Raider Legend.
Following
massive restructuring at Core Design, both in
terms of mission objectives and Eidos' plans to
streamline its business, the studio refocused
and geared its workforce to create and develop
titles for Sony's PSP. Smart
Bomb and Free
Running were born.
According
to MCV, 60 staff at Core Design will now join
UK studio Rebellion and begin working on a sequel
to Shellshock.
SCi is
following a strategy of in-house studios for top
franchises and third party deals elsewhere, whilst
also eagerly looking at new resources in Europe.
Wholly-owned studios now consist of Crystal Dynamics
(Tomb Raider Legend), I-O (Hitman
Blood Money), Pivotal (Conflict
Global Storm) and Beautiful Game (Championship
Manager).
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