Atari SA

Logo: Atari SA

Description

Infogrames Entertainment SA, or IESA, was founded in June 1983 in France by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet. The company quickly became the major French developer, with many acquisitions (both developers and distributors) first in Europe, later all over the world, and creating various subsidiary companies. In 1993, Infogrames was introduced to the stock exchange of Paris with great success.

November 1999 was a milestone, when Infogrames Entertainment SA acquired a controlling stake in the major American publisher GT Interactive, subsequently renamed to Infogrames, Inc. (remaining stakes fully acquired in 2008). The US branch fully acquired Hasbro Interactive, another major player, in January 2001, becoming Infogrames Interactive, Inc. As they gained the Atari name and back catalog with the Hasbro Interactive acquisition, the company would gradually replace the Infogrames brand on certain game boxes since late 2002 (e.g. Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal II: The Awakening, Battle Engine Aquila).

On 6 May 2003, the company completely re-branded its corporate image and adopted the well-known Atari brand, which came along with the Hasbro acquisition. Hasbro had it acquired from JTS Corporation, which the original Atari had merged with in 1996. Infogrames, Inc. becomes Atari, Inc., Infogrames Interactive, Inc. becomes Atari Interactive, Inc., and the European operations are renamed Atari Europe. The main company holding's name remained Infogrames Entertainment SA until 2009 - then the board decided to unify the group under the Atari brand and Infogrames Entertainment SA was renamed Atari SA.

Next to many collaborations, the company has effectively acquired the following major companies: Ocean, Gremlin, GT Interactive, Hasbro Interactive, MacSoft (US), Humongous Entertainment (US), Accolade (US) and many more.

In February 2006, the company announces to sell the divisions Shiny Entertainment (becomes part of Foundation 9 Entertainment) and Melbourne House (becomes Krome Studios Melbourne).

During the years, many successful franchises have been published, such as Alone in the Dark, Test Drive, Deer Hunter, Unreal, RollerCoaster Tycoon, Oddworld, and various movie tie-ins.

Aside from games, the company is also known for the children's entertainment software from Humongous Entertainment (acquired along with GT Interactive), and MacSoft, a publisher of Macintosh entertainment software.

The company, alongside its subsidiaries Atari, Inc. (ex-GT), Atari Interactive, Inc. (ex-Hasbro Interactive), Humongous, Inc. and California US Holdings, Inc., filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2013. Many of the intellectual properties would be sold off to other companies - mostly to Tommo via its Retroism label (over 100 titles and IPs, including Humongous Entertainment assets), Rebellion Developments (Z, Battlezone, Moonbase Commander), Wargaming.net (Total Annihilation, Master of Orion), Stardock Entertainment (Star Control), Epic Gear LLC (Backyard Sports), Devolver Digital (Mark Ecko's Getting Up), and others.

Since 2014, Atari would restart their business in various fields, including gaming and casinos. In September 2017, they would reveal the Ataribox console, later named Atari VCS. In 2020, they entered the cryptocurrency business with the Atari Token. During this time, they would release several unsuccessful video games, as well as sell further intellectual properties to Tommo/Retroism, Piko Interactive and Ziggurat Interactive.

Since 2021, the company has been led by Wade Rosen, owning most of the company's shares via his company Irata, LLC (its name being Atari backwards). Since he assumed the leading role, the company has acquired Antstream and MobyGames (2021, finalized in 2022), about 100 IPs back from Tommo (2023), the Accolade brand from Billion Soft (2023), Nightdive Studios (2023) and Digital Eclipse (2023). By September 2023, the Atari Token was discontinued.

On 23 April 2024, the Infogrames brand was revived, this time as a publishing label for games that are "outside the core portfolio of IP associated with the Atari brand". Atari's COO Geoffroy Châteauvieux was appointed as the manager of the revived Infogrames label.

On 23 May 2024, the company acquired the Intellivision brand and partial back catalogue of Intellivision Entertainment LLC.

Known subsidiaries

Names in italics used to be subsidiaries, but no longer are as they were closed or sold off.

  • ERE Informatique (acquired in 1986)
  • Cobra Soft (acquired in 1986)
  • Pocketsoft (label used around 1989)
  • Infogrames Multimedia SA (later Infogrames/Atari Europe)
  • Infogrames Telematique S.A.
  • Infogrames North America (merged with Accolade into Infogrames, Inc. in 2000)
  • Infogrames Paris House
  • Infogrames Lyon House (closed in 2002)
  • Infogrames Hudson K.K.
  • Leisuresoft (sold to JoWood in 2001)
  • Ocean Software (acquired in 1996 - later Infogrames/Atari UK - sold to Bandai Namco in 2009)
  • Digital Image Design (acquired in 1996, sold to Rage Software in 1999)
  • Bomico Entertainment Software (acquired in 1998 - later Infogrames/Atari Deutschland - sold to Bandai Namco in 2009)
  • Ozisoft (acquired in 1998 - later Infogrames/Atari Australia - sold to Bandai Namco in 2009)
  • Melbourne House / Beam Software (acquired in 1999 - sold to Krome Studios in 2006)
  • Gremlin Interactive (acquired in 1999 - later Infogrames Studios Limited - closed in 2003)
  • Den-O-Tech (acquired in 1999)
  • GT Interactive (acquired in 1999 - later Infogrames/Atari, Inc.)
    • MacSoft (sold to Destineer in 2003)
    • WizardWorks Group (closed in 2004)
    • Home Software Benelux (sold to Cryo Interactive in 2000)
    • Humongous Entertainment (closed in 2005 - assets sold to Tommo in 2013)
      • Cavedog Entertainment (closed in 2000)
    • SingleTrac Entertainment Technologies (inactive since 2000)
    • Reflections (sold to Ubisoft in 2006)
    • Accolade (acquired in 1999, merged with Infogrames North America into Infogrames, Inc. in 2000)
    • Legend Entertainment (acquired in 1999 - closed in 2003)
    • Eden Studios (acquired in 2002 - closed and reopened independently in 2013)
    • Paradigm Entertainment (acquired in 2000 - sold to THQ in 2006)
    • Shiny Entertainment (acquired in 2002 - sold to Foundation 9 Entertainment in 2006)
    • Cryptic Studios (acquired in 2008 - sold to Perfect World Entertainment in 2011)
  • Infogrames Japan (established in 2000 - later Atari Japan)
  • Hasbro Interactive (acquired in 2001 - later Infogrames/Atari Interactive, Inc.)
    • name, brand, logo and intellectual properties of Atari Corporation
    • MicroProse Software (Hunt Valley) (closed in 2003)
      • MicroProse Chapel Hill (closed in 2000)
      • MicroProse-Spectrum HoloByte UK-Europe (closed in 2002)
    • Europress (sold to Koch Media in 2002)
  • Cubed Productions (established in early 2010s)
  • RCTO Productions (established in 2016)
  • Antstream (acquired in 2022)
  • MobyGames (acquired in 2022)
  • Accolade (label) (acquired in 2023)
  • Nightdive Studios (acquired in 2023)
  • Digital Eclipse Entertainment (acquired in 2023)
  • AtariAge (acquired in 2023)
  • Infogrames (label) (re-established in 2024)
  • Intellivision (label) (acquired in 2024)
  • Atari Ocean Limited (established in 2024)
    • 31X Ltd. (acquired in 2024)

Known distribution offices (most sold to Bandai Namco in 2009): Asia Pacific, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands / Benelux, Portugal, South Korea, Spain (earlier), Spain (later), Sweden / Nordic states, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States; Infogrames Distribution