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The Rebirth of Atari, how the old giant has rebuilt itself during the 2020s

Mr_JPF

Mr_JPF

Member
A lot of people still see Atari as a failed brand from a bygone era, and to be honest from 2013 (bankruptcy) up until 2021 you wouldn't be wrong in making this assertion.

However since then the company has successfully managed to rebuilt itself from the ashes, thanks in large part due to the leadership of current CEO Wade Rosen.

Here's a brief overview of everything that has occurred since Wade began his tenure at Atari :

2021

- Wade became CEO and immediately moved the company away from all of it's previous projects not related to gaming (Atari Token crypto currency, Atari hotels, online casinos etc).
Atari vowed to return to making premium games on PC and consoles aka go back to making real video games instead of free to play slop on mobile.
https://share.google/zS5pA3Esfi5VYLmR1


- Atari released the Atari VCS console and
created the Atari Recharged line of games
https://share.google/XlI7IgD8gX51LEVBD

- Invested 500k $ in Antstream ( Retro game subscription service )
https://share.google/5is8xJsjottPOL58B

2022

- Atari purchased Moby games ( the IMDb of video games ) for 1.5 million dollars.
https://share.google/UsTAqOeOhHj4LMs6u

- Released the incredible Atari 50 collection
https://share.google/FbWvjab7ut6yhHGaF

2023

- Atari purchased Night Dive studios for 20 million $
https://share.google/LEIBAuoc3yKuFVDoJ

- Acquired Atari Age for an undisclosed amount
https://share.google/kcQCUXk8IqHySqma2

- Acquired over a 100 PC and console games from the 80s and 90s, including Bubsy and Hardball
https://share.google/utZugExodYcxj53Tk

- Purchased Digital Eclipse for 30 million $
https://share.google/FovaohAA8nwFAI9KK

- Invested in Polymega ( 49% stake in the company )
https://share.google/XDf9N2xolHfp69xVi

- Created the Atari + line of consoles in partnership with Plaion, and released the 2600+ in the same year
https://share.google/mPn9du53kbI0NTjpb

2024

- Bought the rights to Transport Tycoon
https://share.google/P8lN1RGuMVUjXePLY

- Bought the rights to Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 from Frontier Developments
https://share.google/w9pvRb7bEW74rItg4

- Acquired the Intellivision brand and all it's IPs
https://share.google/jW6HR1hFV5jmrkb9N

- Released the Atari 400 mini
https://share.google/zuAQDfOtzy164azkC

- Released the 7800+
https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-announces-atari-7800-arriving-later-this-winter/

2025

- Acquired Thunderful ( the owners of Steam World, Viewfinder, Replaced etc )
https://share.google/OHhziMvMcvemrZ7IT

- Acquired 5 IPs from Ubisoft ( including Cold Fear and Child of Eden )
https://share.google/dXHuErpVdlBozokoc

- Released the Atari Gamestation GO
https://share.google/fQ5gDmz0KI6gsABgz

- Released the Intellivision Sprint
https://share.google/a0YNg2GkIDwjbTRvf

2026

- Acquired Implicit Conversions (emulation studio known for bringing PS1 and PS2 titles to the PS Plus classics collection)
https://share.google/yban1vuRRwcaIWtuy


- Acquired the rights to the first 5 Wizardry games and the universe they take place in "The Llylgamyn Saga"
https://share.google/qyHtwNAPIYZBBQTSq


So yeah a lot has happened to Atari during these last 5 years , they went from one of the biggest laughing stocks in the industry to the most dominant player in the retro gaming market, and a respectable AA publisher. Overall current Atari is the best version of the company since the early 2000s, and hopefully things will only get better from here on out.
 
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I still need to get the Intellivision Sprint. I got a great deal on the GameStation Go and I really like it, especially with custom firmware.

It may not be the exact company that it was in the 70's, but I like their retro focus and some of their recent stuff.
 
Ya know, I was ready to disagree with you OP, but goddamn if you're not makin a pretty great point here. I didn't know they owned NightDive, and they're pretty much my favorite developers working today. Digital Eclipse is a much better today than they were ten years ago, so that's a damn good get too.

You've won me over OP, I'm an Atari guy now......now if you could just get NightDive on The Darkness that'd be great, please kindly and thank ya :D
 
Mr_JPF said:
A lot of people still see Atari as a failed brand from a bygone era, and to be honest from 2013 (bankruptcy) up until 2021 you wouldn't be wrong in making this assertion.
Click to expand...
There's a huge "scene missing" here.

Hasbro Interactive purchased the Atari brand and intellectual property for just $5 million in 1998, but was taken over by French software publisher Infogrames in December 2000. Infogrames completed the total acquisition of Atari Inc. in October 2008, making it a wholly owned subsidiary for the first time since 1984.
 
DownLikeBCPowder said:
Plus some pretty cool software, like Breakout Beyond.
Click to expand...
Loved that game, it's by far my favorite version of Breakout .

I spent so much time talking about the acquisitions and investments that I barely had any time to mention my favorite modern Atari games, so here's a few that I personally recommend :

- Haunted House 2023 ( great game to play on Halloween with family and friends )

- Neo Sprint ( A simple but very addicting arcade racer )

- Mr Run and Jump ( if you love brutality hard Platformers like Super Meat Boy then you'll definitely love this one too )

- Yars Rising ( simple but fun metroidvania game , has a really great soundtrack )

- Killing Time Resurrected ( never played the original, but Night Dive's remaster of this old boomer shooter was honestly one of my favorite games from last year )

- Atari 50 collection

- System Shock Remake

- Blood Refreshed Supply

- Replaced ( the biggest surprise of this year, easily the best Cyberpunk game that has been released since 2077 )
 
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Mr_JPF said:
A lot of people still see Atari as a failed brand from a bygone era, and to be honest from 2013 (bankruptcy) up until 2021 you wouldn't be wrong in making this assertion.

However since then the company has successfully managed to rebuilt itself from the ashes, thanks in large part due to the current CEO Wade Rosen's leadership.

Here's a brief overview of everything that has occurred since Wade began his tenure at Atari :

2021

- Wade became CEO and immediately moved the company away from all of it's previous projects not related to gaming (Atari Token crypto currency, Atari hotels, online casinos etc).
Atari vowed to return to making premium games on PC and consoles aka go back to making real video games instead of free to play slop on mobile.
https://share.google/zS5pA3Esfi5VYLmR1


- Atari released the Atari VCS console and
created the Atari Recharged line of games
https://share.google/XlI7IgD8gX51LEVBD

- Invested 500k in Antstream ( Retro game subscription service )
https://share.google/5is8xJsjottPOL58B

2022

- Atari purchased Moby games ( the IMDb of video games ) for 1.5 million dollars.
https://share.google/UsTAqOeOhHj4LMs6u

- Released the incredible Atari 50 collection
https://share.google/FbWvjab7ut6yhHGaF

2023

- Atari purchased Night Dive studios for 20 million $
https://share.google/LEIBAuoc3yKuFVDoJ

- Acquired Atari Age for an undisclosed amount
https://share.google/kcQCUXk8IqHySqma2

- Purchased Digital Eclipse for 30 million $
https://share.google/FovaohAA8nwFAI9KK

- Invested in Polymega ( 49% stake in the company )
https://share.google/XDf9N2xolHfp69xVi

- Created the Atari + line of consoles in partnership with Plaion, and released the 2600+ in the same year
https://share.google/mPn9du53kbI0NTjpb

2024

- Bought the rights to Transport Tycoon
https://share.google/P8lN1RGuMVUjXePLY

- Bought the rights to Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 from Frontier Developments
https://share.google/w9pvRb7bEW74rItg4

- Acquired the Intellivision brand and all it's IPs
https://share.google/jW6HR1hFV5jmrkb9N

- Released the Atari 400 mini
https://share.google/zuAQDfOtzy164azkC

- Released the 7800+
https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-announces-atari-7800-arriving-later-this-winter/

2025

- Acquired Thunderful ( the owners of Steam World, Viewfinder, Replaced etc )
https://share.google/OHhziMvMcvemrZ7IT

- Acquired 5 IPs from Ubisoft ( including Cold Fear and Child of Eden )
https://share.google/dXHuErpVdlBozokoc

- Released the Atari Gamestation GO
https://share.google/fQ5gDmz0KI6gsABgz

- Released the Intellivision Sprint
https://share.google/a0YNg2GkIDwjbTRvf

2026

- Acquired Implicit Conversions (emulation studio known for bringing PS1 and PS2 titles to the PS Plus classics collection)
https://share.google/yban1vuRRwcaIWtuy


- Acquired the rights to the first 5 Wizardry games and the universe they take place in "The Llylgamyn Saga"
https://share.google/qyHtwNAPIYZBBQTSq


So yeah a lot has happened to Atari during these last 5 years , they went from one of the biggest laughing stocks in the industry to the most dominant player in the retro gaming market, and a respectable AA publisher. Overall current Atari is the best version of the company since the early 2000s, and hopefully things will only get better from here on out.
Click to expand...
Digital Eclipse sold for $10 Million more than Nightdive? Insanity…
 
Ceallach said:
Atari? The Dragon Ball Z Budokai guys?
Click to expand...
The golden age of Dragon Ball games really was when Atari was publishing them ( from Budokai 1 all the way up to Tenkaichi 3 ), but that was a long time ago. Bandai now has exclusive rights to develop and publish any and all Dragon Ball games ( and let's be honest the new ones just aren't as good as the ones from the early to mid 2000s period ).
 
Last edited:
Panajev2001a said:
Digital Eclipse sold for $10 Million more than Nightdive? Insanity…
Click to expand...
That probably had a lot to do with the fact that Night Dive was running out of money right before Atari acquired them . Hell it was only after the acquisition that they finally managed to finish and release the System Shock Remake ( thanks to Atari's funding ) .

Digital Eclipse by contrast was doing really well even before the Atari buyout, which explains why the cost for acquiring them was significantly higher than it was for Night Dive .
 
Kadve said:
Calling them Atari is like saying these guys made the Wizards of Oz movie...

en.wikipedia.org

Technicolor Group - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...

Honestly who cares if it's technically not the exact same company from 1972 ?
Nintendo is also not the same company that it was in 1889 either, I really doubt that anyone that worked there during it's founding is still there today (unless someone found the secret to immortality).

What matters is that the brand is more relevant now than at any point since the mid 2000s , the company and staff may have changed but the brand and it's spirit lives on.
 
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qlFG0cqjd0LiF2IN.jpg

As long as Bitch boy Bonnell isn't involved, i see a bright future for them
 
What exactly is that Atari 50 collection? Is it a documentary? A game collection? A game itself? I google and get these long winded wall o text reviews and close down the tabs. :(
 
Magic Carpet said:
What exactly is that Atari 50 collection? Is it a documentary? A game collection? A game itself? I google and get these long winded wall o text reviews and close down the tabs. :(
Click to expand...
It's kinda like a playable museum. Basically it goes over the entire history of the company , from the early days up to the 90s and beyond.

It's not just a collection of old games, you get historical timelines, developer interviews, scanned artwork and manuals, behind the scenes material, new games made specifically for this collection etc
 
Last edited:
Mr_JPF said:
It's kinda like a playable museum. Basically it goes over the entire history of the company , from the early days up to the 90s and beyond.

It's not just a collection of old games, you get historical timelines, developer interviews, scanned artwork and manuals, behind the scenes material, new games made specifically for this collection etc
Click to expand...
Thanks, I just added it to my Steam wishlist. There is a bundle with 3 DLC add ons with more games. Also a bundle that includes Wizardry! I might get that bundle.
Atari hasn't been on my mind and now this thread has me searching out games.
 
Tobimacoss said:
I just have one question, where are they getting the money to do all these acquisitions?
Click to expand...
A lot of the money comes from Wade Rosen himself. He has loaned Atari millions of dollars in order for them to make those big acquisitions (namely Night Dive and Digital Eclipse ), in exchange he got a lot of shares in the company ( 47% if I recall ).

Some of the smaller acquisitions were paid by Atari themselves, the company's revenues and profits keep going up year after year, so they can now afford the acquisitions of small studios like Implicit Conversions or Intellivision without it being a huge burden on the company.
 
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Atari has always been a brand close to my heart due to my first gaming experience being the 2600 bundled with Pac-Man that my family bought in 1982, which I actually still own.

Years later I was the only one stanning the Lynx when everyone else with a handheld at school had a Gameboy or Game Gear.

The Jaguar came along and I thought Atari were on to a winner with Tempest 2000, a great version of Doom and Alien Vs Predator but I had backed the wrong horse again and the sight of Ridge Racer on the PlayStation was enough for me to quickly ditch the Jag and Atari forever, apart from one time afterwards where I picked up a Lynx again for nostalgia purposes.

I don't ever see me buying Atari hardware again but I do enjoy seeing the brand being run well and living on.
 
nush said:
There's a huge "scene missing" here.

Hasbro Interactive purchased the Atari brand and intellectual property for just $5 million in 1998, but was taken over by French software publisher Infogrames in December 2000. Infogrames completed the total acquisition of Atari Inc. in October 2008, making it a wholly owned subsidiary for the first time since 1984.
Click to expand...
If I had made the OP any longer It would probably crash the site 😂.

You could spend hours talking about Atari's entire history, the "They Create Worlds " podcast on Spotify is great if you want to learn more about Atari and gaming history in general.

 
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I had an Atari ST some great games Gauntlet 2, double dragon, Dizzy prince of yolk folk, but what a pain in the ass to play, shitty joysticks and the port were they went into had to be propped up with a wooden knob, not Pinocchio's nob, one from a draw.
 
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