Starsky & Hutch a hit for Empire

THE Starsky & Hutch phenomenon has pushed Empire Interactive into profit for the first time since its float four years ago.

The Alternative Investment Market listed computer games developer has sold 600,000 copies of its Starsky & Hutch shoot 'em up adventure since the title's launch last June.

Chief executive Ian Higgins signed the licence for a game based on the 1970s detective series with Sony Pictures three years ago. He said: 'A fan? I am now.'

Empire's game, complete with a voiceover from the original Huggy Bear, Antonio Fargas, and Starsky's famous Ford Gran Torino, generated a third of the group's £30.4m turnover in 2003. Losses of £2.9m in 2002 were wiped out as Empire moved into a profit of £611,000. A second Starsky & Hutch title is due later this year.

Higgins, who owns a 34% stake in Empire, said most of the game's sales came after last summer's launch, before publicity surrounding the new Starsky & Hutch film starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.

Empire has been dogged by production problems since it switched to developing titles for the new generation of consoles and was floated in June 2000. Its shares, which once hit 92p, today edged ahead 1p to 11 1/2p.