Eidos said that although the new game had been successfully launched in the US last week, it will not go on sale in Europe until July.

The delay means the sales will not count towards the results of the current financial year.

Shares in Eidos fell by as much as 10% in early trade before recovering slightly to close down 6.25p, or 4.5%, at 132.5p.

Italian Job

Eidos said that the delay was not expected to hit overall sales for the title, and it is planning to ship one million units of the game in July.

Sales of 'Tomb Raider: the Angel of Darkness' are also expected to be boosted by the release of the Tomb Raider film sequel, 'The Cradle of Life', which is being released in the US next month and will reach Europe in August.

In its trading statement, Eidos also said its had successfully launched its 'Italian Job' game in the US.

The title is designed to tie in with the recently released US remake of the original 1960s film, which starred Michael Caine.