Circle to float on London's AIM stock exchange

UK developer Circle Studio, founded by former Core Design bosses Jeremy Heath-Smith and Adrian Smith, has announced that it intends to float on the AIM market in London next month.

The company, which will be listed as Circle Plc., is best known in videogames circles for its PS2 and Xbox action title Without Warning, which is set to be published by Capcom this year.

However, its main focus is on interactive DVD games, which will play in any DVD player and are mainly family-oriented games such as quizzes, adventures, puzzle titles and edutainment titles.

The company has a number of high profile licenses signed into multi-product deals for interactive DVD content, including EMI and Universal Music's hugely popular Now That's What I Call Music brand and the FIFA football brand.

The first product based on the NOW franchise will be published this November, while Circle plans to have two FIFA-licensed games in stores ahead of the World Cup in German next summer.

Other brands which will be heading to interactive DVD courtesy of Circle include education and documentary TV channels Discovery Channel and Discovery Kids, and US sporting brand NBA.

"We are at the forefront of this exciting new sector," commented Circle chief executive Jeremy Heath-Smith. "Our creative talent is unparalleled and we have a long and proven track record of bringing commercially successful entertainment software to the mass market."

"We are confident that our expertise, combined with key brands, will enable us to deliver highly compelling interactive DVD games," he continued, "and meaningful returns to shareholders."