As previously reported, Square Enix had expressed major interest in Tomb Raider publisher Eidos Interactive. An agreement came to fruition in February, and a month later shareholders of Eidos overwhelmingly approved the takeover. As of April 23, the London Stock Exchange cancels trading of Eidos shares.

This move takes all intellectual properties owned by Eidos, such as Tomb Raider and Hitman, into Square Enix's franchise portfolio. It also builds on the presence of the Japanese company in the western gaming market.

Japanese company Square Enix, maker of the popular Final Fantasy series, has made an offer to purchase Eidos Interactive for £84.2 million GBP. A vote on the acquistion with shareholders is tentatively scheduled for March 2009, where 75% approval is required. Following a successful vote, it could all go into effect in April 2009.

The deal would expand Square Enix's intellectual property to include Eidos' popular franchises such as Tomb Raider and Hitman. The addition of these series to Square Enix's portfolio takes the Japanese company in a different creative direction than it has followed in the past, seeing as their speciality thus far has been blockbuster role-playing games.

Eidos plc reported today that they were approached for preliminary discussions on a possible takeover bid of the company. The potential bidder is unknown, although Warner Bros. already owns roughly a 20 percent stake in the company.

"The Board can announce that it has received a preliminary approach which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the Company. Eidos emphasises that discussions are at a very early stage and that there can be no assurance that an offer will be forthcoming."