Atari Games
Encyclopedia
Atari Games Corporation was an American
producer of arcade
games, and originally part of Atari, Inc..
sold the Atari Consumer division of Atari Inc. (which included the computer and home game console
divisions) to Jack Tramiel
(who named his company Atari Corporation
), Warner initially retained the arcade coin-op division (Atari Coin), renaming it "Atari Games".
The agreement between Tramiel and Warner Communications was that Atari Games must always include the "Games" after "Atari" on its logo
and that Atari Games could not use the Atari brand at all in the consumer market (computers and home consoles). Unlike Atari Corp., Atari Games had most of the same employees and managers that had worked at the old Atari
Inc. It had been somewhat isolated from disarray of the transfer process that occurred with Atari Consumer, since it was still being retained by its original parent and was able to carry on with many of its projects from before the transition as well. Atari Corp., in contrast, was freezing all projects, letting go of much of the original staff, and streamlining operations in general. However in 1985, controlling interest of Atari Games was sold to Namco
(a company with strong past ties to Atari Inc.), who soon lost interest in operating an American subsidiary. In 1986 a group of employees bought Namco's share.
Atari Games continued to manufacture arcade games and units, and starting in 1987, also sold cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System
under the Tengen
brand name, including a version of Tetris. The companies exchanged a number of lawsuits in the late 1980s related to disputes over the rights to Tetris and Tengen's circumvention of Nintendo's lockout chip, which prevented third parties from creating unauthorized games. (Atari Games' legal battles with Nintendo should not be confused with those of its former parent company—Atari also exchanged lawsuits with Nintendo in the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
In 1989, Warner Communications merged with Time-Life
, forming Time Warner
. In 1993, Time Warner once again bought a controlling interest in Atari Games and made it a subsidiary of its Time Warner Interactive division. While Atari Games maintained its identity under the new ownership, its consumer division Tengen, on the other hand, had been removed from the map in favor of the Time Warner Interactive label. In 1996 after an unsuccessful bid by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell
, Atari Games was sold to WMS Industries (owners of the Williams, and Bally/Midway
arcade brands). When Hasbro Interactive
bought the remains of Atari Corporation
, the console manufacturer, and resurrected the Atari name in the home software arena, Atari Games was renamed Midway Games West by parent company Midway
to avoid confusing two Atari brands. Midway left the arcade market to concentrate on home systems in 2001, ending at the same time Atari Games pivotal influence in the arcade industry. Midway Games West, still producing games for home systems, was disbanded by Midway in early 2003 after a slump in game sales. With the demise of Midway Games West went the last remnant of the original Atari Inc. that started the whole video game industry.
Until 2009, Midway Games West still existed as a holding entity whose primary function was to be the copyright
and trademark
owner for its franchises. In July 2009, all of the intellectual property of Midway was sold to Warner Bros. Entertainment.
)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
producer of arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
games, and originally part of Atari, Inc..
History
When, in 1984, Warner CommunicationsWarner Communications
Warner Communications or Warner Communications, Inc. was established in 1971 when Kinney National Company spun off its non-entertainment assets, due to a financial scandal over its parking operations and changed its name....
sold the Atari Consumer division of Atari Inc. (which included the computer and home game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
divisions) to Jack Tramiel
Jack Tramiel
Jack Tramiel is an American businessman, best known for founding Commodore International - manufacturer of the Commodore PET, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore Amiga, and other Commodore models of home computers.-Biography:...
(who named his company Atari Corporation
Atari Corporation
Atari Corporation was a manufacturer of computers and video game consoles from 1984 to 1996. Atari Corp. was founded in July of 1984 when Warner Communications sold the home computing and game console divisions of Atari to Jack Tramiel. Its chief products were the Atari ST, Atari XE, Atari 7800,...
), Warner initially retained the arcade coin-op division (Atari Coin), renaming it "Atari Games".
The agreement between Tramiel and Warner Communications was that Atari Games must always include the "Games" after "Atari" on its logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
and that Atari Games could not use the Atari brand at all in the consumer market (computers and home consoles). Unlike Atari Corp., Atari Games had most of the same employees and managers that had worked at the old Atari
Inc. It had been somewhat isolated from disarray of the transfer process that occurred with Atari Consumer, since it was still being retained by its original parent and was able to carry on with many of its projects from before the transition as well. Atari Corp., in contrast, was freezing all projects, letting go of much of the original staff, and streamlining operations in general. However in 1985, controlling interest of Atari Games was sold to Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
(a company with strong past ties to Atari Inc.), who soon lost interest in operating an American subsidiary. In 1986 a group of employees bought Namco's share.
Atari Games continued to manufacture arcade games and units, and starting in 1987, also sold cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
under the Tengen
Tengen (company)
Tengen was a video game publisher and developer that was created by arcade game manufacturer Atari Games.-History:Atari had been split into two distinct companies. Atari Corporation was responsible for computer and console games and hardware and owned the rights to the Atari brand for these domains...
brand name, including a version of Tetris. The companies exchanged a number of lawsuits in the late 1980s related to disputes over the rights to Tetris and Tengen's circumvention of Nintendo's lockout chip, which prevented third parties from creating unauthorized games. (Atari Games' legal battles with Nintendo should not be confused with those of its former parent company—Atari also exchanged lawsuits with Nintendo in the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
In 1989, Warner Communications merged with Time-Life
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
, forming Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. In 1993, Time Warner once again bought a controlling interest in Atari Games and made it a subsidiary of its Time Warner Interactive division. While Atari Games maintained its identity under the new ownership, its consumer division Tengen, on the other hand, had been removed from the map in favor of the Time Warner Interactive label. In 1996 after an unsuccessful bid by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell
Nolan Bushnell
Nolan K. Bushnell is an American engineer and entrepreneur who founded both Atari, Inc and the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza-Time Theaters chain...
, Atari Games was sold to WMS Industries (owners of the Williams, and Bally/Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
arcade brands). When Hasbro Interactive
Hasbro Interactive
Hasbro Interactive was an American video game production and publishing subsidiary of Hasbro, the large game and toy company.Hasbro Interactive was formed late in 1995 in order to compete in the computer and video game arena. Several Hasbro properties, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, had already...
bought the remains of Atari Corporation
Atari Corporation
Atari Corporation was a manufacturer of computers and video game consoles from 1984 to 1996. Atari Corp. was founded in July of 1984 when Warner Communications sold the home computing and game console divisions of Atari to Jack Tramiel. Its chief products were the Atari ST, Atari XE, Atari 7800,...
, the console manufacturer, and resurrected the Atari name in the home software arena, Atari Games was renamed Midway Games West by parent company Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
to avoid confusing two Atari brands. Midway left the arcade market to concentrate on home systems in 2001, ending at the same time Atari Games pivotal influence in the arcade industry. Midway Games West, still producing games for home systems, was disbanded by Midway in early 2003 after a slump in game sales. With the demise of Midway Games West went the last remnant of the original Atari Inc. that started the whole video game industry.
Until 2009, Midway Games West still existed as a holding entity whose primary function was to be the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
owner for its franchises. In July 2009, all of the intellectual property of Midway was sold to Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Selected arcade games
- 720°720°720 Degrees, or 720°, is a 1986 arcade game by Atari Games. 720°, a skateboarding game, is notable in that along with BMX Simulator, it is one of the first extreme sports video games, and has a unique timed structure that requires the player score points in order to keep the game going...
- A.P.B.A.P.B. (arcade game)A.P.B. is a 1987 arcade video game by Atari Games. In the game, the player assumes the role of "Officer Bob," a rookie police officer.-Gameplay:...
- Area 51
- Area 51 vs. Maximum ForceMaximum ForceMaximum Force is an on-rails light gun first-person arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called Area 51/Maximum Force Duo that also included Area 51, and later ported the game to both the PlayStation and Sega...
- BadlandsBadlands (video game)Badlands is a 1989 arcade game published by Atari Games. It was later ported by Domark under the Tengen label to a number of home computers. It is set in the aftermath of a nuclear war and races around abandoned wastelands with many hazards...
- BatmanBatman (arcade game)Batman is a horizontally scrolling beat 'em up arcade game released by Atari Games in 1990, produced by Numega. Batman must save Gotham City from The Joker. The storyline is based on the 1989 movie of the same name. It features stages based on locations in the film, including stages with the...
- Beat Head (unreleased prototype)Beat HeadBeat Head is a prototype platform arcade game unreleased by Atari Games. Jump on the tiles that match your color or that have your color and your opponent's color. Jump on enough to fill your spaces before your opponent fills his. Game play is very much like Q*bert....
- BlasteroidsBlasteroidsBlasteroids is one of the sequels to the original 1979 shoot 'em up video game Asteroids. It was developed by Atari Games and published in 1987 by Image Works for: arcade cabinet, in 1989 for: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64/128, MSX, MS-DOS PC, ZX Spectrum.- Gameplay :The gameplay for the game...
- Championship SprintChampionship SprintChampionship Sprint is an arcade game that was released in 1986 and was the sequel to Super Sprint. It was later ported to ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64...
- CyberballCyberballCyberball is an Atari Games arcade game of 7-man American football, using robotic avatars of different speeds, sizes, and skill sets. The game replaced the standard downs system with an explosive ball that progresses from "cool" to "warm", "hot", and "critical" status as it is used...
- Cyberball 2072
- Empire Strikes Back
- Escape from the Planet of the Robot MonstersEscape From The Planet Of The Robot MonstersEscape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters is an arcade game developed by Atari Games in 1989. The game is based loosely around the campy science fiction B movies of the 1950s...
- Gauntlet
- Gauntlet IIGauntlet IIGauntlet II is a 1986 arcade game, the first sequel to the game Gauntlet, released the previous year. Gauntlet II, like its predecessor, is a fantasy-themed hack and slash.-Overview:...
- Gauntlet LegendsGauntlet LegendsGauntlet Legends is an arcade game released in 1998 by Atari Games. It is a fantasy themed hack and slash game, a sequel to 1985's popular Gauntlet and 1986's Gauntlet II and marks the final game in the series to be produced by Atari Games...
- Hard Drivin'Hard Drivin'Hard Drivin is an arcade game that invites players to test drive a high-powered sports car on stunt and speed courses. The game featured the first 3D polygon driving environment via a simulator cabinet, rendered with a custom architecture...
- Hydra
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (arcade game)Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom is a 1985 action arcade game developed and published by Atari Games, based on the 1984 film of the same name, the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
- Klax
- Marble MadnessMarble MadnessMarble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...
- Moto Frenzy
- Off the WallOff the Wall (arcade game)Off the Wall is an arcade game produced by Atari and released in North America in 1991. A modern remake of Breakout, this game introduces many new gameplay features to the bat-and-ball genre, and it incorporates some elements from Pong as well...
- PaperboyPaperboy (video game)Paperboy is a 1984 arcade game by Atari Games. The players take the role of a paperboy who delivers newspapers along a suburban street on his bicycle. This game was innovative for its theme and novel controls.-Gameplay:...
- Peter PackratPeter PackratPeter Pack Rat is a 1984 platform game released by Atari for the Atari System 1. Only 500 units were produced, either as a standalone Coin Op Arcade Cabinet or as an upgrade kit to existing Coin Op Arcade Cabinets...
- Primal RagePrimal RagePrimal Rage is a versus fighting game developed and published by Atari Games in 1994 as an arcade video game. Toys, comics, a novel and other merchandise tie-ins were also produced.-Storyline:...
- Race Drivin'
- RampartRampart (arcade game)Rampart is an arcade game, released in 1990 by Atari Games, that combines the shoot 'em up and puzzle genres. It is widely-ported, with versions for most contemporary systems.-Overview:...
- Road Blasters
- Road Runner
- San Francisco Rush
- San Francisco Rush 2049San Francisco Rush 2049San Francisco Rush 2049 is a racing video game developed by Atari Games and published by Midway Games for the Arcade, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and Dreamcast. It was released on September 7, 2000 in North America, and November 17, 2000 in Europe....
- Space LordsSpace LordsSpace Lords is an arcade game released by Atari Games in 1992. It was a first-person perspective space flight combat simulator. The gameplay allowed a player to fly in any direction he chose. It is notable in that it was, in fact, a multi-player form of an arcade game. Each cabinet had two...
- S.T.U.N. RunnerS.T.U.N. RunnerS.T.U.N. Runner is a fast-paced, racing/shooter arcade game released by Atari Games in 1989. The player pilots a futuristic "speed bike" at speeds of up to and even exceeding 900 mph through various tunnels and courses, with changing environments, hazards and enemies...
- Steel TalonsSteel TalonsSteel Talons was originally an arcade video game by Atari Games, and was released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, the Atari Lynx handheld, Atari ST, Atari Falcon and SNES...
- Super SprintSuper SprintSuper Sprint is a 1986 arcade game by Atari Games. The player drives a Formula One-like car on a circuit that is viewed from above.-Gameplay:...
- TetrisTetrisTetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
- Toobin'Toobin'Toobin' is an Atari video game originally released as an arcade game in 1988. It was later ported to systems such as NES, Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64, MSX, and Game Boy Color. In the game, you play as the main characters Bif or Jet, guiding them through many winding rivers on an innertube...
- VindicatorsVindicatorsVindicators is a one or two player video game released in the United States for multiple home console platforms by Tengen and for arcade by Atari Games in 1988. As with most Tengen NES games, Vindicators was unlicensed by Nintendo and used an alternate chip to defeat the 10NES lockout system...
- XybotsXybotsXybots was developed by Atari Games in 1987 as an arcade video game, then later released on other platforms. In Xybots, the players must travel through a 3D maze and fight against a series of robots known as the Xybots whose mission is to destroy all mankind.-Arcade:Released worldwide 1987* Game...
External links
(from the Internet Archives Wayback MachineWayback machine
The WABAC Machine refers to a fictional machine from the cartoon segment Peabody's Improbable History, an ongoing feature of the 1960's cartoon series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The WABAC Machine is a plot device used to transport the characters Mr. Peabody and Sherman back in time...
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