Midway, SCi/Eidos: big game industry merger part two?

Here’s one for the books: word got out from an inside source that the SCi, together with underling Eidos Interactive, may be seeing a merger with another well-known game company soon, if the alleged talks turn out to be true and actually pull through. The company in question is none other than Midway Games, who’s just recently changed chairmans to Viacom’s Shari E. Redstone. Mere coincidence? More at the full story.

Rumor has it that Eidos Interactive parent SCi are engaged in talks for a merger with Chicago-based Midway Games. And while this development was news four years ago, it seems that there’s a new chance that it may happen this time, after Midway Games just switched chairs to growth-focused chairwoman Shari E. Redstone.

Back in November 2007, SCi announced that they were open to offers for the company – a deal which also carries developer Eidos Interactive into the table. An unnamed inside source revealed that Midway Games was part of those interested, though there weren’t any other game entities named.

Now what makes this development very interesting is its timeliness: less than a month ago, Midway Games’ former chair Kenneth D. Cron resigned from the board, realigning his life for family and other business interests. Shari E. Redstone, daughter of the company’s most dominant shareholder Sumner Redstone, replaced Cron as chair of the board and promised to see the company through its growth process in 2008. In fact, she said:

In 2008, we plan to release an impressive slate of games and I will work closely with management and my fellow board members to continue pursuing exciting growth opportunities for Midway.

We’re not sure if this means the deal will push through, but both parties have not commented on the issue as of press time. More developments on this as they happen.

Via Next Generation