By silicon.com, 26 April 2004 12:40
NEWS 26.04.99: PC games publisher Eidos is the fastest growing technology company in the UK, according to Deloitte & Touche findings released today.
William Touche, who leads Deloitte & Touche's telco, media and technology group, told silicon.com: "We use financial information from Companies House, and many businesses hadn't yet filed their 1998 records, so this is based on revenues between 1995 and 97. But our survey shows businesses how to achieve sustainable growth."
Eidos topped the charts by reporting 30,000 per cent growth in revenues over the three year period. Touche said its "absolutely spectacular growth" was due to smart leadership and an eye for new product opportunities.
26.04.04: The success over the period probably owed more to a certain Lara Croft than it did to any other individual involved in the company.
Lara Croft - the gun-toting, bra-busting heroine of the Tomb Raider series of games - became a household name in the 90s and the massive sales of the games not only boosted Eidos to new heights but also spearheaded the roll-out of the PlayStation games console - much to the delight of Sony.
Since 1999, however, Eidos has fallen on slightly rockier times - much like Croft, who was left for dead at the end of the fourth game, though the company was forced to resurrect her for a couple of posthumous, revenue-boosting titles.
The Championship Manager football game has also proved a hugely successful money-spinner for Eidos, though the company has been its own worst enemy in recent times, missing a number of important release dates on its major titles.
In 2002, the company was forced to drop its revenue targets after failing to have its then latest version of Championship Manager ready in time for the launch of the Xbox. However, much of the share slump relating to that missed launch was recovered by an upturn on takeover speculation later that year.
Rumours of a takeover persist - with fresh speculation doing the rounds this morning.
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