SCi no longer up for grabs, Tomb Raider Underworld release date moved

EA, Midway, Ubisoft, and even an unnamed Chinese company may have lined up to pick up SCi and Eidos Interactive for a second major merger in the game industry, but it appears no party has made any serious offers. We’ve caught word that SCi officials have announced the negotiations closed and that the company will resume business as usual. Looks like they did a little bit more thinking though, as they’ve moved Tomb Raider Underworld from June down to Q4 2008.

A recent trade document from SCi finally put all rumors to rest, as the company expressed that interest to offer the game company has declined. Though many offers were entertained from various unnamed companies, SCi stated that there were no formal offers received, thus encouraging officials to close the doors to acquisitions for now.

According to the same document, SCi has pushed the release of Eidos Interactive‘s Tomb Raider Underworld back to the fourth quarter of 2008. This is after the company reviewed its lineup for the new year and added more platforms to the mix. This time, the target season is Christmas 2008, and Lara will be gracing the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PS2.

SCi states that they expect operating losses this 2008 because of the change, but they believe Tomb Raider Underworld‘s date of release and cross-platform goal will make up for the losses. Developments are sure to come, so stay tuned.