EIDOS TRADING
UPDATE, DISMISSES BUYOUT
Copyright 2004 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
[ May 20th 2004 ]
Eidos
plc, one of the world’s leading publishers and
developers of entertainment software, today provides
an update on trading during the second half of
the financial year to 30 June 2004. The initial
shipments of Hitman: Contracts, released in the
last week of April, have been broadly in line
with management expectations. The title has reviewed
well and has shipped approximately 1.5 million
units to date. The title has also achieved number
one rating status in the UK, France, Germany and
the US during the first two weeks of launch.
However,
the recent and unexpected softness of the games
market, particularly in the US, is having a negative
effect on the unit sales of Hitman: Contracts
and will, therefore, adversely impact upon the
Company’s financial performance for the full year.
Based on overall sell-through rates to date, management
has identified a potential shortfall exposure
of c.700,000 units of previously anticipated re-orders
that are now unlikely to materialise. Whilst the
operating profit contribution from the re-orders
would have been expected to be in the region of
£9 million, the actual impact on the year-end
outcome, while very significant, will depend upon
a number of other factors, including the on-going
sales of other titles.
The Company
has two remaining titles scheduled for release
prior to the end of the financial year, Thief:
Deadly Shadows and ShellShock: Nam ’67. Thief
is in manufacture for shipment on 25 May in the
US and 11 June in Europe. ShellShock is in the
approval process and is due to ship in the last
week of the financial year as originally forecast.
Eidos intends to announce its full year results
for the current financial year in early September.
The Company will keep the market informed in a
timely manner should any material changes occur
in the intervening period.
In the
light of continuing media speculation concerning
a possible approach to the Company, the Board
can confirm that it has received no such approach
and is not in discussions with any party concerning
a possible offer.
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