Eidos makes Championship signing

Eidos has hired Roy Meredith as its first general manager of the Championship Manager franchise – and he’s promising to lift the franchise out of the doldrums”.

Meredith joins from EA, where he has spent the last two years as global marketing director of the firm’s studios.

Before that, he worked as EA’s marketing director for the Harry Potter series whilst heading up its Northern European marketing team, which followed a five-year stint as senior brand manager at Disney Interactive.

I think it’s fair to say that Championship Manager has substantially fallen short of where it should be,” Meredith told MCV.

That’s why we need a new approach – as a game it lacks a creative spark, has suffered from unfocused management, and fallen into a rut.

The recent history of the franchise has been mired by a rivalry with Sega’s Football Manager, which is made by the original creator of the Championship Manager series, Sports Interactive.

Meredith said he is keen to calm the relationship between Eidos and the studio: There has been a recent history of direct competition between the brands that’s been unhealthy and immature. I believe we can exist side by side. Of course we need to compete – but it needs to be a healthy competition.”