According to a report from Reuters, French game publisher Titus Interactive has gained control of Interplay Entertainment Corporation By turning some of its convertible bonds into actual shares, Titus managed to increase its stake in Interplay to 51.53 percent. This maneuver "raises Titus Interactive's voting rights and will enable, during the Annual General Meeting in September, a re-election of the board and a takeover of Interplay by Titus Interactive," said a Titus representative.

The publisher of such hit PC RPGs as the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series had been in financial straits for some time. In June Titus had announced that they would be selling their 34 percent stake in Interplay, prompting the American publisher to seek the sale of the company. After THQ and Pacific Century CyberWorks Japan withdrew their offers, Titus stepped back in to affirm their intentions to retain their shares, ending any further Interplay plans for sale.

This takeover has made Interplay the next in a long line of American publishers purchased by French companies. How the takeover will affect upcoming Interplay releases such as Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance remains to be seen.