CYBERBABE Lara Croft and a hitman have put computer games publisher SCi Entertainment on course for annual trading profits of at least £25m.

The forecast for the year to June 30 came despite losses of £12.8m in the first six months of the period, due to a poor schedule for new releases and the impact of the acquisition of rival Eidos.

In a trading update yesterday, SCi said it expected to meet market expectations for a trading profit of around £25m in the last financial year.

The upturn in fortunes has been driven by top performing new titles, with sales exceeding internal expectations.

Tomb Raider Legend, the seventh game featuring adventurer Lara Croft, sold more than 2.9m copies since its launch in April. SCi gained the Tomb Raider franchise after swallowing up rival Eidos in a £74m deal last year.

Hitman Blood Money shifted 1.5m units over the five weeks to June 30. Another success was Championship Manager 2006-07.

SCi hopes the upward trend will continue when Tomb Raider Legend is launched on the Nintendo DS, Gameboy Advance and Gamecube later this year.

The company plans to release 19 games in 2007 - compared with nine in 2006 - including Tomb Raider 10th Anniversary.

A deal has also been struck with Warner Brothers Interactive to distribute the games Justice League Heroes, Tom and Jerry and 300 March to Glory.

Chief executive Jane Cavanagh said, "Looking forward, we have an even more extensive portfolio of new products to come to market and are therefore optimistic about the group's prospects for the future."

Robert Brent, an analyst at KBC Peel Hunt, said, "2005-06 has been a success. Eidos has been integrated and a broad portfolio of games has been released leading to a strong set of results.

"The performance is in contrast to SCi's peers where profit expectations are in retreat."

icWales