Atari Acquires Rights to 100+ Classic PC, Console Games
Video game pioneer Atari, which last year celebrated its 50th birthday, has acquired more than 100 PC and console titles from the 1980s and '90s.
The same brand that brought you Pong and the Atari 2600 now owns blasts from the past like Bubsy, 1942: Pacific Air War, Hardball, F-117A, Demolition Racer, and F-14.
"This is a deep catalog that includes groundbreaking and award-winning titles from Accolade, Infogrames, and Microprose," Atari CEO Wade Rosen said in a statement(Opens in a new window). "Many of these titles are a part of Atari history, and fans can look forward to seeing many of these games re-released in physical and digital formats, and in some cases, even ported to modern consoles."
Atari also plans to create new games based on its newly gained IP collection, and "explore brand and merchandising collaborations," whatever that entails.
Atari also secured the trademark for now-defunct US video game developer Accolade, built by Activision co-founders Alan Miller and Bob Whitehead in 1984. Known for sports series like Jack Nicklaus and Test Drive, the company folded in 2000 after being published by French publisher Infogrames—later known as Atari SA.
"Atari is undertaking a multi-year effort to transform the company behind one of the world's most iconic brands," the firm said. "An important part of that effort involves expanding Atari's video game business, leveraging the company's large catalog of IP to release classic games and bring new, high-quality games to market."
It's unclear which titles will make the cut to reach a new generation of gamers. The press release, however, hinted at "reinventing old classics, reimagining storylines, and developing new narratives inspired by the games that set the course for
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