Infogrames Entertainment Group, the French computer and video games publisher, increased its consolidated sales by 180% to FFr278.8m in its third quarter ending 31 March 1998 from FFr99.3m a year earlier. For the nine months, sales were up 170% from FFr403.2m to FFr1.09bn. Chief executive Bruno Bonnell is confident that sales will double for the year ending 30 June 1998. In line with French business practice, no profit figures were released. Over the last two years, Infogrames has pursued a policy of growth by acquisition, making it one of the top 10 global interactive entertainment publishers. Its purchases include UK flight simulation and actions games developer Ocean and Philips Media’s multimedia software publishing and distribution arms. The former Philips Media distribution network is the largest European games distributor, having taken over three rival distributors in 1996: Bomico of Germany, Ecudis of France and Leisuresoft of the UK. In the third quarter, Infogrames sold 240,000 copies of its new Nintendo 64 game Fighters Destiny which was launched in the US and Europe in January 1998. Snow Racer, a Sony PlayStation game, was released in March, selling 50,000 copies. Four new games are planned for the fourth quarter: Heart of Darkness for PC and PlayStation next month; and in September, Outcast for PC, Mission Impossible for Nintendo 64 and Space Circus for PC and Nintendo 64. Last month, quoted UK games publisher Gremlin Group announced a distribution agreement with Infogrames France to support and extend Gremlin’s market presence in Europe. Infogrames France has about 20% of the total French games market. Gremlin has also been on the acquisition path, buying its Australian distributor Mainstream Interactive Pty Limited for A$1.3m. Forthcoming Gremlin games include Motorhead, Premier Manager ’98, Men In Black for Playstation, which is expected to be one of Gremlin’s biggest selling games in that format, Actua Tennis, Buggy, the new driving game and Blade, the action adventure game.
