Marketing head quits Infogrames

Infogrames vice-president of European marketing Larry Sparks has left the company without a job to go to.

Infogrames is Europe’s largest computer games publisher. Sparks is the second person to have left in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, European marketing manager Matt Woodley left to join Sega as European marketing director (MW January 23).

A spokesman for Infogrames says: “There are no immediate plans to look for a direct replacement.”

In the meantime, it is likely that European marketing director Pascale Vermeerbergen will look after Sparks’ previous responsibilities.

Sparks joined Infogrames from GT Interactive after it was bought by the company in 1999, shortly after he had been made European marketing director.

Prior to this, Sparks was vice-president of marketing for Europe at Virgin Interactive. Previously marketing director at Eidos Interactive, he is credited with making a worldwide success of the Tomb Raider games and its star, Lara Croft.

Infogrames has a partnership with Sega to market and distribute its games, but this ends in April, when Sega will bring those functions back in house.For the six months ending December 31, 2002, Infogrames reported revenues of e513m (&£337.7m), an increase of 22 per cent on the previous year.