Square Enix Europe

Square Enix Limited (trading as Square Enix Europe;[lower-alpha 1][5] formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British video game publisher, acting as the European subsidiary of Japanese video game company Square Enix group. It manages Square Enix's Western studios, including Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal and Square Enix Montreal, contains Square Enix's Western external publishing division, Square Enix External Studios and indie initiative, Square Enix Collective. Square Enix Limited's area of activity are Europe and other PAL territories,[6] while fellow group company Square Enix Incorporated's area of activity are the Americas[7] and both share "Phil" Rogers as CEO and other executives.

Square Enix Limited
Square Enix Europe
Formerly
  • Domark Limited (1984–1990)[1]
  • Domark Group Limited (1990–1996)[1]
  • Eidos Interactive Limited (1996–2009)[1]
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1984 (1984) in Putney, London, England
Founders
  • Mark Strachan
  • Dominic Wheatley
Headquarters
Southwark, London[2]
,
England
Key people
  • Phil Rogers (CEO Americas and Europe)
  • John Heinecke (CMO Americas and Europe)[3]
Products
Parent
SubsidiariesSee § Subsidiaries
Websitesquare-enix-games.com/en_GB/

The company was founded as Domark in 1984 by Mark Strachan and Dominic Wheatley. Ian Livingstone would go on to become deputy chairman of the company a few years later,[8] and would stay in various roles,[9] until his departure from the company in 2013.[10][11] In 1995, the company was acquired by Eidos plc and was merged with two other studios to create Eidos Interactive the following year. In 2005, Eidos plc was in turn acquired by SCi. The combined company, which was briefly renamed Eidos, was bought by Square Enix in 2009. In November 2009, Square Enix completed the merger of its existing European branch with Eidos Interactive, renaming the resulting company Square Enix Europe. With the consolidation of Square Enix's Western divisions around 2015,[12] Square Enix Limited and Square Enix Incorporated are collectively referred to as Square Enix West.[13]

Square Enix Europe is headquartered in Southwark, London (Square Enix London) and has offices in Paris, France (Square Enix France) and Hamburg, Germany (Square Enix Germany).[14][15][16] Intellectual properties owned by Square Enix Limited include Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Just Cause and Life Is Strange, among others.

History

Foundation as Domark (1984–1995)
Former Domark logo (1984–1996)

In 1984, Mark Strachan and Dominic Wheatley founded Domark as a video game publisher.[17][18][19] Its first title was 1984's Eureka!, written by Ian Livingstone.[20] Located within London's Putney district, the company held its own development team, The Kremlin, in the publisher's headquarters basement.[21] Domark was primarily remembered as the publisher for Championship Manager and Hard Drivin'.[22]

Transformation into Eidos Interactive (1995–2005)
Former Eidos Interactive logo (2003–2009)

On 25 September 1995, British software company Eidos plc acquired Domark, alongside Simis and Big Red Software, for a total of GB£12.9 million;[23] and on 31 May 1996, Simis and Big Red Software were merged into Domark to create Eidos Interactive as an Eidos plc subsidiary.[24]

Eidos Interactive acquired CentreGold in April 1996 for GB£17.6 million. CentreGold consisted of distributor CentreSoft and publisher U.S. Gold, which included subsidiaries Core Design and Silicon Dreams Studio.[25][26] The latter would be re-acquired by its founder, Geoff Brown, through his newly founded Geoff Brown Holdings, on 16 December that year.[27] The Eidos Interactive acquisition was months prior to the release of Tomb Raider by Core Design, which CentreGold had acquired two years prior.[28] In 2003, Eidos founded Beautiful Game Studios to continue its Championship Manager series.[29]

In March 2005, Eidos admitted that cash reserves had dwindled to GB£11.9 million during the second half of 2004, and pre-tax losses had grown to GB£29 million. On 21 March 2005, Eidos received a takeover bid from Elevation Partners, the private equity firm owned by former Electronic Arts president John Riccitiello and with a number of notable partners, including U2's lead singer Bono. This takeover valued the company at GB£71 million, and would inject GB£23 million in order to keep the company from bankruptcy in the short term.[30] Elevation stated it plans to take Eidos private for some years to focus on game creation and release schedules and its offer was initially recommended by Eidos' board.[31]

Acquisition by SCi (2005–2009)
Main article: SCi Games

The following day, 22 March, Eidos received a second takeover bid from the British games manufacturer SCi. The company offered GB£74 million, and tabled a restructuring plan to cut GB£14 million from annual costs. To fund this takeover, SCi proposed to sell GB£60 million worth of stock. Eventually, in late April, Elevation Partners formally withdrew its offer, leaving the way clear for SCi.[32] The Eidos plc takeover was finalized on 16 May 2005, with SCi merging itself into Eidos Interactive's parent, renaming it SCi Entertainment Group Limited. After the SCi purchase, Eidos management board quit.[33] SCi left its Battersea Office and moved into the old Eidos Interactive office on the second floor of Wimbledon Bridge House, 1 Hartfield Road, Wimbledon.

In May 2006, Rebellion Developments acquired Core Designs' assets and staff, while the Core brand and intellectual property, including Tomb Raider, remained in Eidos Interactive' possession.[34] In December 2006, Warner Bros. license classic properties to SCi, while investing for 10.3% of SCi shares.[35] In February 2007, Eidos Interactive would open a new studio in Montreal, Quebec responsible for "new undisclosed next-generation projects". Eidos-Montréal started developing a new game in the Deus Ex franchise.[36][37] In February 2007, it acquired Rockpool Games, along with its two sister companies Ironstone Partners and SoGoPlay.[38] In April 2007, Eidos Interactive acquired Bluefish Media and Morphene.[39] Rockpool Games was closed in 2009.[40]

On 4 September 2007, the board of SCi Entertainment confirmed recent speculation that the company has been approached with a view to making an offer.[41] On 10 January 2008, SCi announced take over and/or merger talks had been halted.[42][43] As a result, the share price dropped by over 50%. Shareholders called for the resignation of key personnel, including chief executive officer (CEO) Jane Cavanagh, over this issue as well as delays to key titles.[44] On 18 January 2008, Jane Cavanagh, Bill Ennis and Rob Murphy left the company.[45] When SCi revealed its 2008 financial report, losses were at GB£100 million, which CEO Phil Rogers stated were due to the reconstructing plans.[46] On 19 September 2008, Eidos Interactive opened a Shanghai-based studio, Eidos Shanghai, consisting of a small team to build up relations in Asia.[47] In December 2008, SCi rebranded as Eidos plc.[48] Also in 2008, Eidos set up an entity, which later became Square Enix London Studios in their Wimbledon headquarters.[49][50]

Acquisition by Square Enix (2009–present)

In February 2009, Square Enix reached an agreement to purchase Eidos Interactive for GB£84.3 million, pending shareholder approval,[51] with an initial aim of fully buying Eidos Interactive on 6 May 2009.[52] The offer was backed by majority stakeholder Warner Bros.[53] The date was brought forward, and Square Enix officially took over Eidos Interactive on 22 April 2009.[54] Square Enix initially stated that it would let Eidos Interactive remain structured as it was at the time of its takeover.[55]

In July 2009, It subsequently announced that it would merge Eidos with its own pre-existing European subsidiary, Square Enix Limited (itself established in December 1998).[56][57] The merger would create a new entity, tentatively titled Square Enix Europe.[58][59] The merger was completed on 9 November 2009 with the Square Enix Europe name being permanently retained as the resulting company name.[60] The Eidos name was however retained for the development studios Eidos Montreal and Eidos Shanghai.

With the 2013 restructuring of Square Enix,[61] it was hit by layoffs[62] and Rogers became CEO of Americas and Europe.[63][64] In 2014, Square Enix Collective launched, an indie developer service provider headed by Phil Elliot.[65] In January 2017, Norwegian studio Artplant purchased former Eidos franchise Project I.G.I..[66] In November 2017, Square Enix stopped publishing the Hitman franchise and sold the IP to game developer IO Interactive.[67] In September 2018, COO Mike Sherlock died, with Square Enix's executive team assuming his immediate responsibilities.[68] In 2018, Square Enix branded their external publishing division Square Enix External Studios, which is headed by Jon Brooke and Lee Singleton.[69][70][71] In June 2020, Square Enix donated $2.4 million to charities around their Western studios and offices, which were partially raised from sales of its discounted Square Enix Eidos Anthology bundle.[72][73] A new mobile studio called Square Enix London Mobile, working on Tomb Raider Reloaded and an unannounced title based on Avatar: The Last Airbender with Navigator Games, was announced on 20 October 2021.[74]

In May 2022, Square Enix announced to sell several of Square Enix Europe's assets to Embracer Group for $300 million. These includes development studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, Square Enix Montreal, and intellectual properties such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, Legacy of Kain and more than 50 other titles, with the deal expected to be completed in the second quarter of Embracer's financial year.[75]

Subsidiaries

Former

Games published
Main articles: List of Square Enix Europe games and List of Eidos Interactive games

See also

Notes
  1. Square's former British subsidiary was named Square Europe Ltd. from its incorporation in 1998 to 2003. After the Square and Enix merger, it was renamed to Square Enix Europe Ltd. and in 2004 to its current legal name, Square Enix (2009) Limited.[4]

References
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Further reading
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