Eidos Interactive

Background

Eidos Interactive was founded in September 1995 as a result of a merger between four different video game companies: Eidos Video Technologies, Domark Group, Big Red Games, and Simis Group. In 1996, Eidos acquired U.S. Gold along with Core Design. In 2005, the SCi Group bought Eidos and adopted its name, and in 2009, Japanese company Square Enix purchased Eidos and turned it into Square Enix Europe.

1st Logo (Still variants) (April 19, 1996-2002)

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Visuals: On a black or white background is the Eidos logo in either white, black or blue.

Variants:

• The still white version on a black background is seen on several games, like the 1998 "Greatest Hits" release of the first Tomb Raider game for the PlayStation.
• Sometimes, the background is white and the logo is clean blue. This is also seen on some copies of Tomb Raider.
• On Speed Demons, the still logo is surrounded by blue light.
• On Master of Dimensions, the logo is black on white.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on some Eidos games from the late 1990s until 2002.

2nd Logo (April 1997-January 9, 2003)

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Visuals: There is a bright flash, followed by an "E" zooming out of the screen on a water-like blue background, then "I", "D", "O" and "S" coming from the top-right of the screen, each with a blue light ray-like effect. Then, "INTERACTIVE" zooms under the word "EIDOS" while the light rays dim out, causing the light to appear behind the logo, making it glow as it zooms back slowly. Then "PRESENTS" zooms under the logo with light ray effects, dims out and glows as well. Then at the end, a bright light fills the entire screen, leaving it white, before fading to black.

Variants:

• There is a prototype variant of the logo where there is no bright flash at the beginning, and the blue water-like background is different. Plus, the logo is drastically larger, filling up almost the entire width of the screen. After the the logo forms, "PRESENTS" fades in under the logo. Then the whole logo, along with "PRESENTS", dissolves. A slowed-down and stretched version of this variant can be seen on Swagman.
• On Conquest Earth: First Encounter, the prototype logo fades into the Data Design Interactive logo.
• There is a different logo on various games. The animation at the first ten approximate seconds is mostly the same, but there is no "PRESENTS" under the logo. There is no bright flash at the end, instead, the logo dissolves into debris. Then it cuts into a black screen a second later. Sometimes, it freezes and fades out after the animation finishes. The bright flash at the first split second is also slightly different (and it looks better).
• On Core Design games, the logo proceeds as normal (see above), but after the logo dissolves, it fades into the word "PRESENTS" placed on a space background, and the Core Design logo proceeds. This is seen on all the PlayStation and PC Tomb Raider games (except the first one), Fighting Force 1 & 2, and other Core Design games for the PlayStation and PC. This variant was introduced on October 31, 1997 with the releases of Tomb Raider II and Fighting Force.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: There are three known soundtracks to this logo:

• A flashing sound, followed by a long synthesised ambient chord and five whoosh sounds. On Eidos/Core Design games, this tune is extended to transition into the Core Design logo. This is the main variant.
• A synthesised bass chord, followed by five whoosh sounds and finally a crumbling sound. Used mostly on the "PRESENTS"-less variant.
• A strange droning sound. This has only been spotted on Swagman, Deathtrap Dungeon, and F1 World Grand Prix: Season 1999 so far (the former using the prototype logo).

Availability:

• Seen on Tomb Raider games starting with Tomb Raider II (the first game, along with Fighting Force, to use the regular version of the logo), on Final Fantasy VII (PC version), Fear Effect, Thief and Thief II, among other games. By 2000, it was only seen on Core Design games until 2002.
• The prototype variant appears on Swagman, Conquest Earth: First Encounter and other early PC titles.
• One of the last games to use this logo was Thunderhawk: Operation Phoenix (aka Thunderstrike: Operation Phoenix in North America and Japan).

3rd Logo (July 1, 2000-March 28, 2002)

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Visuals: Many purple debris and chips move over a dark background. They come together, then disperse, then combine again into a cloud and form a light purple "EIDOS" logo in its corporate font, with "INTERACTIVE" below. Then the logo dissolves into fragments.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Whooshing sounds, followed by a quiet synth hum and a loud explosion sound.

Availability: Seen on Eidos games from 2000-2002. The last games to have this logo were Wave Rally and Blood Omen 2 for the Xbox.

4th Logo (Hitman series custom variant) (November 19, 2000-June 27, 2003)

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Visuals: The screen fades in to fog, and as it clears, grey texture-less buildings set under a fast-flowing storm of clouds with thunder lighting it up a bit. The "EIDOS" letters are seen spinning in the air and slowly descending. The camera pans rapidly down to a chequered floor as the letters slam down to it. The logo gets brighter from above and after a few seconds panning slowly up, the chequered floor fades out, leaving the light blue logo on a black background.

Variant: On Hitman: Codename 47, only the chequered floor or the fog is seen as the letters appear from above spinning in and landing. Here, the floor/fog doesn't fade out.

Technique: In-engine 3D animation.

Audio: Wind and thunder, followed by slams as the letters land, an echoing synth choir and droning sounds. The wind and thunder continue throughout. This was composed by Jesper Kyd, who also worked on the two games' soundtracks.

Availability: It only appears on Hitman: Codename 47 and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

5th Logo (March 21, 2002-August 29, 2003)

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Visuals: On a cloudy background with the sun far away, the light silver letters "E-I-D-O-S" slide one-by-one into view, collecting together into a word, which rotates. The letters of "INTERACTIVE" appear below for left side to right. The logo hangs tilted a bit, but keeps slowly rotating.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Whooshing letters and rotation noise.

Availability: Seen on games from the time, namely Praetorians, Swingerz Golf, Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2, Republic: The Revolution and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.

6th Logo (October 7, 2003-January 18, 2006)

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Visuals: From a white water surface, the letters of "EIDOS" in a more lowercase font, made of crystal, emerge one-by-one. A crystal, curvy right arrow flies from the left and stops to the right of the "S". Then the logo becomes purple.

Variants: Some games in late 2003-early 2004 (before the animated variant launched) had prototypes, such as:

• Commandos 3: Destination Berlin: there's nothing more but the still logo.
• Backyard Wrestling: Two wrestlers beat each other in front of the logo, which moves a bit.
• Legacy of Kain: Defiance: The logo is still, but after the show, it distorts and zooms away.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Water sounds, then a sound of flowing point, and one little "pimm!"-like sound. Sometimes a male announcer says "EIDOS!"

Availability: Seen on Thief: Deadly Shadows, Hitman Contracts, 25 to Life, Smart Bomb, Get on da Mic, and Project Snowblind.

7th Logo (Deus Ex: Invisible War custom variant) (December 2, 2003-March 5, 2004)

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Visuals: There is many purple lights moving and crossing the screen. The Eidos logo zooms in from the centre, where the intensity of lights is maximal. Then the background becomes still purple.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Electric-like sounds and two calm whooshes.

Availability: Seen only on Deus Ex: Invisible War.

8th Logo (Conflict: Global Terror custom variant) (September 30-October 6, 2005)

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Visuals: There is a zooming (possible through a sniper rifle). There is a vague spot on the screen, and the zooming regulator moves to get a clear view of this figure. There is it is an "EIDOS" logo. Then the screen turns out.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Digital static noises.

Availability: Seen only on Conflict: Global Terror.

9th Logo (March 17, 2006-March 3, 2009)

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Visuals: Against a white background, many blue or purple chips move and zoom out to combine into the Eidos logo made in 3D. The logo hangs for a few seconds, then quickly zooms in and we fly through the letter "O".

Variants:

• On Urban Chaos: Riot Response, the logo flickers over a big concrete-like figure on the background.
• On Bionicle Heroes, the Piraka break through the logo into LEGO bricks, which continues to the TT Games logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A long, fading, metallic whoosh.

Availability: Rather common. Seen on games from Eidos after the SCi acquisition, such as Just Cause, Commandos: Strike Force or Shellshock 2.

◄ Eidos Video Technologies Domark Group Big Red Games Simis Group

Eidos Interactive