The latest video game to feature gun-toting heroine Lara Croft will not be ready in time for Christmas, it has emerged.

Game design group Eidos confirmed the City's worst fears yesterday by delaying the release of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, until February.

Shares in the company tumbled nearly 9 per cent minutes after the announcement as investors feared a shortfall in sales over the festive period.

Eidos is also rescheduling the release of football title Championship Manager 4 - one of four blockbusters originally planned for Christmas.

The group said both titles were in the final stages of development but would "benefit from further refinement".

This would "maximise the game play experience and their potential in a very competitive market place," Eidos said