Infogrames
Encyclopedia
Infogrames Entertainment SA (IESA) was an international French
holding company
headquartered in Paris
, France
. It was the owner of Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City
, U.S.
and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell
and Christophe Sapet using the proceeds from an introductory computer book. Through its subsidiaries, Infogrames produced
, published
and distributed interactive games for all major video game console
s and computer game platforms.
words "informatique" (information technology) and "programme" (a computer program). The final choice, "Infogrames", was a slightly modified version of that suggestion, and is pronounced ˌ in English.
The company logo is an armadillo
(tatou in French), chosen when the company was moved to Villeurbanne
. Bonnell commented: "This dinosaur [sic] is our symbol. The armadillo has always survived changes to its environment, from the melting of glaciers to the worst of heat waves."
In the late 1980s Infogrames was noted for its French computer games that often featured original game ideas and occasionally humorous content. They had acquired several licences for popular Franco-Belgian comics
, such as Tintin
, Asterix
and Les Tuniques Bleues
.
In 1992, they released Alone in the Dark
, a 3D
horror adventure game
to international attention. They also released, "Fantasia" for the Sega Genesis, with the player controlling Mickey Mouse on a quest to locate lost musical notes.
's Infogrames embarked on an acquisition campaign that would last seven years and cost more than $500 million; the objective was to become the world's leading interactive entertainment publisher. While the company's debt increased from $55 million in 1999 to $493 million in 2002, the company's revenue also increased from $246 million to $650 million during the same period.
In 1996 IESA bought Ocean Software
for about $100 million, renaming the company as Infogrames UK. In 1997 Philips Media BV was purchased.
In 1998 IESA acquired a majority share of 62.5% in the game distributor OziSoft, which became Infogrames Australia, and in 2002 IESA bought the remaining shares of Infogrames Australia from Sega
and other share holders for $3.7 million. In this same year the distributors ABS Multimedia, Arcadia and the Swiss Gamecity GmbH were acquired.
In 1999 IESA bought Gremlin Interactive
for $40 million, renaming it to Infogrames Sheffield House but it was closed in 2003. In the same year IESA also bought Accolade for $60 million and Beam Software, later renamed to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.
, Unreal Tournament
and Deer Hunter
".
Included in the GT Interactive purchase were the game development studios Humongous Entertainment, Legend Entertainment
and Reflections Interactive
.
GT Interactive became Infogrames, Inc.
In 2000 the developer Paradigm Entertainment
was bought for $19.5 million and in-flight games developer Den-o-Tech Int. (DTI) , later renamed to Infogrames DTI, was also acquired for $5.6 million.
and the handheld game console
Game.com
from Hasbro
for $100 million; with $95 million as 4.5 million common shares of Infogrames and $5 million in cash.
With the acquisition of Hasbro Interactive, which was renamed as Infogrames Interactive, Inc, IESA became the owner of:
MicroProse UK studio was eventually closed on September 20, 2002.
Also under the terms of the sale agreement, Infogrames gained the exclusive rights to develop and publish games based on Hasbro properties, which included Dungeons and Dragons, Mr. Potato Head
, My Little Pony
and others, for a period of 15 years plus an option for an additional 5 years based on performance.
for $4.1 million and Shiny Entertainment
for $47 million. With Eden Games, IESA would have right to publish Eden Games titles, such as V-Rally 3
and later Test Drive Unlimited
, and with the Shiny Entertainment acquisition, IESA obtained the rights to develop and publish Enter the Matrix
which was the first game based on The Matrix
films and sold more than 5 million copies.
brand when Atari Interactive
, Inc., at that time a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Interactive, Inc., released MXrider. On May 7, 2003, IESA officially reorganized its Infogrames Inc. US subsidiary as a separate Nasdaq
listed company known as Atari Inc.
, named its European operations as Atari
Europe, renamed Infogrames Interactive, Inc. to Atari Interactive
, Inc., (a wholly owned subsidiary of IESA), rebranded Infogrames Australia Pty Ltd as Atari Australia Pty Ltd, renamed Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd to Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd, Infogrames UK became Atari UK, while IESA became a holding company
.
Atari Inc.
is a public company that, as of 2007, has as majority stockholder the company California U.S. Holdings, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IESA. Atari Inc.
licences the Atari
trademark from Atari Interactive
, Inc., a license which will expire in 2013.
Atari Inc.
has the rights to publish and sublicense in North America certain intellectual properties either owned or licensed by IESA or its subsidiaries, including Atari Interactive
, Inc.
Atari's Australian subsidiary also distributes games for Konami of Europe, Codemasters UK, Eidos Interactive and SCi. Konami has an Australian headquarters but this is for Konami's Gaming Machines.
In 2006 IESA reported a net loss of $201 million on revenues of $525 million, and debts of around $290 million. From 1999 to 2006 IESA accumulated losses totaling €500 million.
In 2004 Infogrames sold the rights to the Civilization
franchise to Take-Two Interactive
for $22.3 million and closed down Legend Entertainment
studios. Also that year Infogrames lost the right to publish games of the phenomenally popular Unreal franchise when the game's developer Epic games
signed with Midway Games
. In June 2005, Infogrames sold back to Hasbro
the digital rights to most Hasbro properties including Transformers
, My Little Pony
and Connect Four
, but not Dungeons and Dragons, for $65 million.
On April 2007 Infogrames' founding chairman Bruno Bonnell
left the company after 24 years; on the day of the announcement of his departure IESA's shares jumped 24%. After his resignation, Infogrames through the remainder of 2006 sold intellectual properties and some studios in order to raise cash and stave off the threat of bankruptcy.
In May 2006 IESA sold the rights to the games Stuntman
to THQ
and Timeshift
to Saber Interactive
. The sales generated $13 million in revenue. THQ also bought developer Paradigm Entertainment
from IESA. In July 2006 IESA sold the game developer Reflections Interactive
and the rights to the Driver franchise for $21.6 million to Ubisoft
. In October, Shiny Entertainment was acquired by Foundation 9 Entertainment
for $1.6 million. In November of the same year Atari Melbourne House was sold to Krome Studios
and renamed to Krome Studios Melbourne.
In 2007 Infogrames fired the majority of Atari's directors and laid off 20% of its workforce. For the 2006-2007 fiscal year Atari posted a net loss of $70 million.
On April 30, 2008, Atari Inc. announced its intentions to accept Infogrames' buyout offer and merge with Infogrames.
On October 9, 2008, Infogrames completed its takeover of Atari Inc. With that acquisition the Atari brand was re-united under Infogrames. Infogrames said that it planned to reduce administrative costs and to focus on online gaming.
for $26.7 million in cash plus performance bonuses. Cryptic Studios is a massively multiplayer online game
developer and its acquisition is in line with the company's new business strategy which focuses on online games.
Namco Bandai
and Infogrames formed a joint venture
called Distribution Partners in September 2008. Distribution Partners was defined by Infogrames as a regrouping of "Infogrames’ distribution operations in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America." This new entity consisted mainly of Infograme's distribution network in the PAL region
. Distribution Partners was 34% owned by Namco Bandai and 66% owned by Atari.
In May 2009 Namco Bandai acquired Atari Europe from Infogrames. Its sale and marketing personnel were transferred to Distribution Partners. In March 2009, Infogrames, announced that it was getting out of the distribution business in the PAL region with its decision to sell its 66% stake at Distribution Partners. According to an Infogrames press-release, this sale allowed "Atari to focus its financial resources and creative energy exclusively on developing and publishing online-enabled games".
In July, the deal valued at €37 million was completed; Distribution Partners was renamed to Namco Bandai Partners. At that time the company had operations in 50 countries and 17 dedicated offices.
Despite restructuring, Infogrames continued to struggle to become profitable. For the 2008 fiscal year the company posted €51.1 million ($72.17 million) in net losses and for the 2009 fiscal year, which ended in March, Infogrames posted losses of €226.1 million ($319.33 million).
Infogrames' May 29 earnings report stated:
A later July 24 earnings press released further clarified a name change from the May 29th report, with a change from Infogrames, S.A. to Atari, S.A.. It additionally stated the continued use of Atari Group for its Atari branded and related subsidiaries.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
headquartered in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was the owner of Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell
Bruno Bonnell
Bruno Bonnell is a French personality, one of the founders of Infogrames Entertainment SA. A qualified chemical engineer, Bonnell received a degree in economics at the Université Paris IX. He began his long career on the Thomson TO7, one of the earliest French-produced home computers, before...
and Christophe Sapet using the proceeds from an introductory computer book. Through its subsidiaries, Infogrames produced
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
, published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
and distributed interactive games for all major video 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...
s and computer game platforms.
Early history
The founders wanted to christen the company Zboub Système, but were dissuaded by their legal counsel. According to Bonnell in a TV interview, they then used a mix-and-match computer program to suggest other names, one of which was "Infogramme": a portmanteau of the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
words "informatique" (information technology) and "programme" (a computer program). The final choice, "Infogrames", was a slightly modified version of that suggestion, and is pronounced ˌ in English.
The company logo is an armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
(tatou in French), chosen when the company was moved to Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.-History:The current location of...
. Bonnell commented: "This dinosaur [sic] is our symbol. The armadillo has always survived changes to its environment, from the melting of glaciers to the worst of heat waves."
In the late 1980s Infogrames was noted for its French computer games that often featured original game ideas and occasionally humorous content. They had acquired several licences for popular Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
, such as Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, Asterix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
and Les Tuniques Bleues
Les Tuniques Bleues
Les Tuniques Bleues is a Belgian series of bandes dessinées , first featured in Spirou and later published by Dupuis. Created by Louis Salverius, the series was taken up by artist Willy Lambillotte and writer Raoul Cauvin. It follows two United States cavalrymen through a series of battles and...
.
In 1992, they released Alone in the Dark
Alone in the Dark (video game)
Alone in the Dark is a 1992 survival horror video game developed by Infogrames. The game has spawned several sequels as part of the Alone in the Dark series , and was one of the first survival horror games, after the 1989 Capcom game, Sweet Home...
, a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
horror adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
to international attention. They also released, "Fantasia" for the Sega Genesis, with the player controlling Mickey Mouse on a quest to locate lost musical notes.
1996-2002 - growth through Acquisition
In 1996, Bruno BonnellBruno Bonnell
Bruno Bonnell is a French personality, one of the founders of Infogrames Entertainment SA. A qualified chemical engineer, Bonnell received a degree in economics at the Université Paris IX. He began his long career on the Thomson TO7, one of the earliest French-produced home computers, before...
's Infogrames embarked on an acquisition campaign that would last seven years and cost more than $500 million; the objective was to become the world's leading interactive entertainment publisher. While the company's debt increased from $55 million in 1999 to $493 million in 2002, the company's revenue also increased from $246 million to $650 million during the same period.
In 1996 IESA bought Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
for about $100 million, renaming the company as Infogrames UK. In 1997 Philips Media BV was purchased.
In 1998 IESA acquired a majority share of 62.5% in the game distributor OziSoft, which became Infogrames Australia, and in 2002 IESA bought the remaining shares of Infogrames Australia from Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
and other share holders for $3.7 million. In this same year the distributors ABS Multimedia, Arcadia and the Swiss Gamecity GmbH were acquired.
In 1999 IESA bought Gremlin Interactive
Gremlin Interactive
Gremlin Interactive was a British software house based in Sheffield and working mostly in the home computer market.- History :...
for $40 million, renaming it to Infogrames Sheffield House but it was closed in 2003. In the same year IESA also bought Accolade for $60 million and Beam Software, later renamed to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.
Acquisition of GT Interactive
Then in December 1999, IESA made one of the most expensive acquisitions in the company's history. Infogrames bought 70% of GT Interactive for $135 million, and assumed the new subsidiary's $75 million bank debt. By June 2000 Infogrames had invested another $30 million in GT Interactive. IESA justified the purchase by stating that GT Interactive provided Infogrames with a "distribution network for all of its products in the United States, as well as a catalog of products that includes Driver, OddworldOddworld
Oddworld is a comprehensive fictional universe presented in video game form, created by game developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. Throughout games set in the Oddworld universe, Oddworld's peaceful nature is in danger of being consumed by the industrial ambition of...
, Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
and Deer Hunter
Deer Hunter
Deer Hunter or variants can refer to:*The Deer Hunter, a 1978 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture* The Deer Hunter , a 1979 novelization of the screenplay of the film*Deer Hunter , a series of hunting video games...
".
Included in the GT Interactive purchase were the game development studios Humongous Entertainment, Legend Entertainment
Legend Entertainment
Legend Entertainment was an American developer of computer games, best known for their complex, distinctive adventure titles throughout the 1990s....
and Reflections Interactive
Reflections Interactive
Ubisoft Reflections Ltd., formerly known as Reflections Interactive, is a video game developer based in Newcastle, United Kingdom. The studio focuses on racing games and it is best known for creating the award winning Driver series.-History:...
.
GT Interactive became Infogrames, Inc.
In 2000 the developer Paradigm Entertainment
Paradigm Entertainment
Paradigm Entertainment was an American video game development company. Paradigm is perhaps best known for its vehicle simulation games. Founded as a 3D computer graphics company in 1990, Paradigm primarily worked on realistic flight simulation technology for major space and aviation clients...
was bought for $19.5 million and in-flight games developer Den-o-Tech Int. (DTI) , later renamed to Infogrames DTI, was also acquired for $5.6 million.
Acquisition of Hasbro Interactive
In January 2001, IESA purchased Hasbro InteractiveHasbro 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...
and the handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
Game.com
Game.com
The Game.com is a handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics in September 1997. It featured many new ideas for handheld consoles and was aimed at an older target audience, sporting PDA-style features and functions such as a touch screen and stylus...
from Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
for $100 million; with $95 million as 4.5 million common shares of Infogrames and $5 million in cash.
With the acquisition of Hasbro Interactive, which was renamed as Infogrames Interactive, Inc, IESA became the owner of:
- The MicroProseMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
brand and titles, including CivilizationCivilization (series)Civilization is a series of turn-based strategy, 4X video games produced by Sid Meier. Basic gameplay functions are similar throughout the series, namely, buiding a civilization on a macro-scale from prehistory up to the near future...
, FalconFalcon (computer game)The Falcon line of computer games is a series of simulations of the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft. The games were developed and published by Spectrum HoloByte...
, and RollerCoaster TycoonRollerCoaster TycoonRollerCoaster Tycoon may refer to:*RollerCoaster Tycoon - a series of video games in which a player must manage an amusement park**RollerCoaster Tycoon - the first game, which came out in 1999...
; - The legendary AtariAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
name and properties, such as Centipede, Missile CommandMissile CommandMissile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari, Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. It is considered one of the most notable games from the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games...
, and PongPongPong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
.
MicroProse UK studio was eventually closed on September 20, 2002.
Also under the terms of the sale agreement, Infogrames gained the exclusive rights to develop and publish games based on Hasbro properties, which included Dungeons and Dragons, Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head! is an American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of plastic parts that can attach to the main body. These parts usually include ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth. The toy was invented and developed by George Lerner in...
, My Little Pony
My Little Pony
My Little Pony is a brand of toy ponies marketed primarily to girls produced by the toy manufacturer Hasbro. These ponies can be identified by their colorful bodies and manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks...
and others, for a period of 15 years plus an option for an additional 5 years based on performance.
Eden Games and Shiny Entertainment
In 2002 IESA acquired the remaining 80% of game development studio Eden GamesEden Games
Eden Games is a game development studio. In May 2002, the company was sold to the Infogrames Group. It is most well known for the V-Rally series of games, as well as the 2006 release Test Drive Unlimited. They have most recently developed Test Drive Unlimited 2, which was released in February 2011...
for $4.1 million and Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment was an American video game developer based in Laguna Beach, Southern California, and the creator of several popular titles such as Earthworm Jim, MDK, Sacrifice and The Matrix: Path of Neo. Shiny was founded by David Perry in October 1993...
for $47 million. With Eden Games, IESA would have right to publish Eden Games titles, such as V-Rally 3
V-Rally 3
V-Rally 3 is a 2002 rally racing video game, developed by Eden Studios. It's the third game in the V-Rally series and the sequel of V-Rally 2....
and later Test Drive Unlimited
Test Drive Unlimited
Test Drive Unlimited is an arcade-style racing game, the 9th game of the Test Drive series, it features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and a terrain modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oahu that features some 1000 miles of roads and highways. Test Drive Unlimited is the ninth main...
, and with the Shiny Entertainment acquisition, IESA obtained the rights to develop and publish Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix is the first video game based on The Matrix series of films. It was developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari and WB Interactive for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube game systems, and for the PC. It was published in Japan by Bandai...
which was the first game based on The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
films and sold more than 5 million copies.
Atari Group
In October 2001, IESA relaunched the AtariAtari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
brand when Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive is a name used by several separate groups and corporations since the mid-90's. In 1996 it was the name of Atari Corporation's PC publishing division, bringing games like the Atari Jaguar's Tempest 2000 to the PC platform. From 1998 to 2001, Atari Interactive, Inc...
, Inc., at that time a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Interactive, Inc., released MXrider. On May 7, 2003, IESA officially reorganized its Infogrames Inc. US subsidiary as a separate Nasdaq
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
listed company known as Atari Inc.
Atari, Inc (Infogrames)
The company that currently bears the Atari Inc. name was founded in 1993 under the name GT Interactive. In 1999, Infogrames Entertainment, SA acquired a 62% controlling interest in GT Interactive, and proceeded to rename it Infogrames, Inc. After IESA's acquisition of Hasbro Interactive and its...
, named its European operations as Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
Europe, renamed Infogrames Interactive, Inc. to Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive is a name used by several separate groups and corporations since the mid-90's. In 1996 it was the name of Atari Corporation's PC publishing division, bringing games like the Atari Jaguar's Tempest 2000 to the PC platform. From 1998 to 2001, Atari Interactive, Inc...
, Inc., (a wholly owned subsidiary of IESA), rebranded Infogrames Australia Pty Ltd as Atari Australia Pty Ltd, renamed Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd to Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd, Infogrames UK became Atari UK, while IESA became a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
.
Atari Inc.
Atari, Inc (Infogrames)
The company that currently bears the Atari Inc. name was founded in 1993 under the name GT Interactive. In 1999, Infogrames Entertainment, SA acquired a 62% controlling interest in GT Interactive, and proceeded to rename it Infogrames, Inc. After IESA's acquisition of Hasbro Interactive and its...
is a public company that, as of 2007, has as majority stockholder the company California U.S. Holdings, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IESA. Atari Inc.
Atari, Inc (Infogrames)
The company that currently bears the Atari Inc. name was founded in 1993 under the name GT Interactive. In 1999, Infogrames Entertainment, SA acquired a 62% controlling interest in GT Interactive, and proceeded to rename it Infogrames, Inc. After IESA's acquisition of Hasbro Interactive and its...
licences the Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
trademark from Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive is a name used by several separate groups and corporations since the mid-90's. In 1996 it was the name of Atari Corporation's PC publishing division, bringing games like the Atari Jaguar's Tempest 2000 to the PC platform. From 1998 to 2001, Atari Interactive, Inc...
, Inc., a license which will expire in 2013.
Atari Inc.
Atari, Inc (Infogrames)
The company that currently bears the Atari Inc. name was founded in 1993 under the name GT Interactive. In 1999, Infogrames Entertainment, SA acquired a 62% controlling interest in GT Interactive, and proceeded to rename it Infogrames, Inc. After IESA's acquisition of Hasbro Interactive and its...
has the rights to publish and sublicense in North America certain intellectual properties either owned or licensed by IESA or its subsidiaries, including Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive
Atari Interactive is a name used by several separate groups and corporations since the mid-90's. In 1996 it was the name of Atari Corporation's PC publishing division, bringing games like the Atari Jaguar's Tempest 2000 to the PC platform. From 1998 to 2001, Atari Interactive, Inc...
, Inc.
Atari's Australian subsidiary also distributes games for Konami of Europe, Codemasters UK, Eidos Interactive and SCi. Konami has an Australian headquarters but this is for Konami's Gaming Machines.
Financial difficulties
In the fiscal year of 2002 IESA had a net loss of $67 million on revenues of $650 million, and in 2003 the net losses increased to $89 million.In 2006 IESA reported a net loss of $201 million on revenues of $525 million, and debts of around $290 million. From 1999 to 2006 IESA accumulated losses totaling €500 million.
In 2004 Infogrames sold the rights to the Civilization
Civilization (series)
Civilization is a series of turn-based strategy, 4X video games produced by Sid Meier. Basic gameplay functions are similar throughout the series, namely, buiding a civilization on a macro-scale from prehistory up to the near future...
franchise to Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
for $22.3 million and closed down Legend Entertainment
Legend Entertainment
Legend Entertainment was an American developer of computer games, best known for their complex, distinctive adventure titles throughout the 1990s....
studios. Also that year Infogrames lost the right to publish games of the phenomenally popular Unreal franchise when the game's developer Epic games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
signed with Midway Games
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...
. In June 2005, Infogrames sold back to Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
the digital rights to most Hasbro properties including Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
, My Little Pony
My Little Pony
My Little Pony is a brand of toy ponies marketed primarily to girls produced by the toy manufacturer Hasbro. These ponies can be identified by their colorful bodies and manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks...
and Connect Four
Connect Four
Connect Four is a two-player game in which the players first choose a color and then take turns dropping their colored discs from the top into a seven-column, six-row vertically-suspended grid...
, but not Dungeons and Dragons, for $65 million.
On April 2007 Infogrames' founding chairman Bruno Bonnell
Bruno Bonnell
Bruno Bonnell is a French personality, one of the founders of Infogrames Entertainment SA. A qualified chemical engineer, Bonnell received a degree in economics at the Université Paris IX. He began his long career on the Thomson TO7, one of the earliest French-produced home computers, before...
left the company after 24 years; on the day of the announcement of his departure IESA's shares jumped 24%. After his resignation, Infogrames through the remainder of 2006 sold intellectual properties and some studios in order to raise cash and stave off the threat of bankruptcy.
In May 2006 IESA sold the rights to the games Stuntman
Stuntman (video game)
Stuntman is a video game for PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance that was produced by Reflections Interactive and published by Infogrames and Atari. The game focuses around the career of a motion-picture stuntman. It takes the player through various movies in which they perform dangerous stunts as...
to THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
and Timeshift
TimeShift
TimeShift is a sci-fi first-person shooter developed by Saber Interactive and published by Sierra Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was developed using the Saber 3D engine, v.S-3 and Havok. On August 31, 2007 a demo of TimeShift was released on Xbox Live Marketplace...
to Saber Interactive
Saber Interactive
Saber Interactive is a video game developer headquartered in Millburn, New Jersey, with development offices in Saint Petersburg, Russia. They primarily develop action games. The studio released the game Will Rock in 2003, and released another game called TimeShift for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360...
. The sales generated $13 million in revenue. THQ also bought developer Paradigm Entertainment
Paradigm Entertainment
Paradigm Entertainment was an American video game development company. Paradigm is perhaps best known for its vehicle simulation games. Founded as a 3D computer graphics company in 1990, Paradigm primarily worked on realistic flight simulation technology for major space and aviation clients...
from IESA. In July 2006 IESA sold the game developer Reflections Interactive
Reflections Interactive
Ubisoft Reflections Ltd., formerly known as Reflections Interactive, is a video game developer based in Newcastle, United Kingdom. The studio focuses on racing games and it is best known for creating the award winning Driver series.-History:...
and the rights to the Driver franchise for $21.6 million to Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. In October, Shiny Entertainment was acquired by Foundation 9 Entertainment
Foundation 9 Entertainment
Foundation 9 Entertainment is an entertainment media conglomerate that has developed video games, comic books, film and television series. The company is one of the largest independent game developers in the world, and has more than 450 employees working in its various studios in California,...
for $1.6 million. In November of the same year Atari Melbourne House was sold to Krome Studios
Krome Studios
Krome Studios is an Australian video game company. Its headquarters are in Brisbane and it previously had offices in Adelaide and Melbourne. Krome Studios is best known for their Ty the Tasmanian Tiger games and for revitalising the Spyro the Dragon series...
and renamed to Krome Studios Melbourne.
In 2007 Infogrames fired the majority of Atari's directors and laid off 20% of its workforce. For the 2006-2007 fiscal year Atari posted a net loss of $70 million.
Atari Inc. buyout
On March 6, 2008, Infogrames made an offer to Atari Inc. to buy out all remaining public shares for a value of US$1.68 per share or US$11 million total. The offer would make Infogrames sole owner of Atari Inc., making it a privately held company.On April 30, 2008, Atari Inc. announced its intentions to accept Infogrames' buyout offer and merge with Infogrames.
On October 9, 2008, Infogrames completed its takeover of Atari Inc. With that acquisition the Atari brand was re-united under Infogrames. Infogrames said that it planned to reduce administrative costs and to focus on online gaming.
Namco Bandai buyout of Atari Europe and Distribution Partners
In December 2008, Infogrames bought Cryptic StudiosCryptic Studios
Cryptic Studios, a wholly owned Perfect World subsidiary, is a small American massively multiplayer online role-playing game developer headquartered in Los Gatos, California.-History:...
for $26.7 million in cash plus performance bonuses. Cryptic Studios is a massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
developer and its acquisition is in line with the company's new business strategy which focuses on online games.
Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
and Infogrames formed a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
called Distribution Partners in September 2008. Distribution Partners was defined by Infogrames as a regrouping of "Infogrames’ distribution operations in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America." This new entity consisted mainly of Infograme's distribution network in the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
. Distribution Partners was 34% owned by Namco Bandai and 66% owned by Atari.
In May 2009 Namco Bandai acquired Atari Europe from Infogrames. Its sale and marketing personnel were transferred to Distribution Partners. In March 2009, Infogrames, announced that it was getting out of the distribution business in the PAL region with its decision to sell its 66% stake at Distribution Partners. According to an Infogrames press-release, this sale allowed "Atari to focus its financial resources and creative energy exclusively on developing and publishing online-enabled games".
In July, the deal valued at €37 million was completed; Distribution Partners was renamed to Namco Bandai Partners. At that time the company had operations in 50 countries and 17 dedicated offices.
Despite restructuring, Infogrames continued to struggle to become profitable. For the 2008 fiscal year the company posted €51.1 million ($72.17 million) in net losses and for the 2009 fiscal year, which ended in March, Infogrames posted losses of €226.1 million ($319.33 million).
Transition from Infogrames Entertainment
During their fiscal year meeting (May 2009), IESA announced that it would be changing its corporate name to an Atari branded name, in line with the use of the name for its subsidiaries. In reference to this, Atari, Inc's CEO Jim Wilson said: "We've gotten rid of the Infogrames and Atari duality, the confusion around that. We are one simplified company, under one management team, under one brand."Infogrames' May 29 earnings report stated:
- "The Board agreed to change Infogrames Entertainment’s name to Atari. This decision will enable us to make the best use of the Atari brand, capitalizing on worldwide strong name recognition and affinity, which are keys drivers to implement the Company’s online, product and licensing strategies."
A later July 24 earnings press released further clarified a name change from the May 29th report, with a change from Infogrames, S.A. to Atari, S.A.. It additionally stated the continued use of Atari Group for its Atari branded and related subsidiaries.
Current
- Atari GroupAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, name acquired from Hasbro InteractiveHasbro InteractiveHasbro 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...
in January 2001.- Atari Benelux
- Atari Brazil Ltd.
- Atari Corp. (UK) Ltd.
- Atari Deutschland
- Atari France
- Atari Hellas EURL
- Atari Iberica Distribucion
- Atari ITALIA
- Atari Inc.Atari, Inc (Infogrames)The company that currently bears the Atari Inc. name was founded in 1993 under the name GT Interactive. In 1999, Infogrames Entertainment, SA acquired a 62% controlling interest in GT Interactive, and proceeded to rename it Infogrames, Inc. After IESA's acquisition of Hasbro Interactive and its...
in New York, New York, U.S founded as GT Interactive in 1993, acquired in December 2001. - Atari Japan
- Atari Korea Ltd.
- Atari Nordic
- Atari UK Ltd.
- Eden Games S.A.S.Eden GamesEden Games is a game development studio. In May 2002, the company was sold to the Infogrames Group. It is most well known for the V-Rally series of games, as well as the 2006 release Test Drive Unlimited. They have most recently developed Test Drive Unlimited 2, which was released in February 2011...
, headquartered in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, founded as Eden Studios in 1996, acquired in May 2002.
- HumongousHumongous (game developer)Humongous Inc. is an American video game developer. The company is known for its line of educational games for children. Atari now owns Humongous Inc.-History:...
Defunct
- Accolade (game company) in San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, U.S founded in 1984, acquired in 1999, folded into Los Angeles Studio. - Atari Interactive Chipping SodburyMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
, founded as Microprose Software in 1982, closed September 2002. - Atari Interactive Hunt Valley StudioMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
, founded as Microprose Software in 1982, closed Nov 4, 2003. - Atari Interactive BeverlyMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
in Beverly, MassachusettsBeverly, MassachusettsBeverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
, U.S closed February 10, 2005. - Atari Interactive Santa MonicaMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
, U.S closed February 10, 2005. - Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd., founded in 1980 as Beam Software, acquired in 1999, sold to Krome StudiosKrome StudiosKrome Studios is an Australian video game company. Its headquarters are in Brisbane and it previously had offices in Adelaide and Melbourne. Krome Studios is best known for their Ty the Tasmanian Tiger games and for revitalising the Spyro the Dragon series...
. - Atari UKOcean SoftwareThe British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
in Manchester, England, founded in 1984 as Ocean Software, acquired in 1998, renamed in 2004, closed in 2005. - Gremlin InteractiveGremlin InteractiveGremlin Interactive was a British software house based in Sheffield and working mostly in the home computer market.- History :...
in Sheffield, UK, founded in 1984 as Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd, acquired in 1999, closed in 2003. - Humongous Entertainment in Bothell, WashingtonBothell, WashingtonBothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
, U.S founded in 1992, acquired by GT Interactive in July 1996, closed in 2005. - Infogrames Interactive Alameda StudioMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
, founded as Microprose Software in 1982, closed December 1999. - Infogrames Interactive Chapel HillMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
, founded as Microprose Software in 1982, closed December 1999. - Legend EntertainmentLegend EntertainmentLegend Entertainment was an American developer of computer games, best known for their complex, distinctive adventure titles throughout the 1990s....
in VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, U.S founded in 1989, acquired in December 1999, closed January 16, 2004. - WizardWorks SoftwareWizardWorks SoftwareWizardWorks Software was a video game developer and publisher located in Minneapolis, MN. Focused on casual consumer games sold through mass-merchants like Target and Wal-Mart, WizardWorks was best known for publishing the Deer Hunter series of video games developed by Sunstorm Interactive but also...
in Minneapolis, MN, U.S acquired by GT Interactive in 1996, folded into the Beverly office in 2004.
Sold
- Atari Australia Pty Ltd in Sydney, Australia, founded as Ozisoft Pty Ltd in 1982, completely acquired on April 15, 2002, sold to Namco Bandai Holdings on July 7, 2009.
- MacSoft in Plymouth, MinnesotaPlymouth, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 65,894 people, 24,820 households, and 17,647 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,002.0 persons per square mile . There were 25,258 housing units at an average density of 767.4 per square mile...
, U.S founded in 1993, sold to DestineerDestineerDestineer is a computer game developer and publisher based in Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 2000 by former Bungie Studios vice-president, Peter Tamte...
on January 30, 2003. - Paradigm EntertainmentParadigm EntertainmentParadigm Entertainment was an American video game development company. Paradigm is perhaps best known for its vehicle simulation games. Founded as a 3D computer graphics company in 1990, Paradigm primarily worked on realistic flight simulation technology for major space and aviation clients...
in Carrollton, TX, U.S founded in May 1998, acquired by Atari InteractiveAtari InteractiveAtari Interactive is a name used by several separate groups and corporations since the mid-90's. In 1996 it was the name of Atari Corporation's PC publishing division, bringing games like the Atari Jaguar's Tempest 2000 to the PC platform. From 1998 to 2001, Atari Interactive, Inc...
on June 29, 2000, sold May 2006 to THQTHQTHQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
. - Reflections InteractiveReflections InteractiveUbisoft Reflections Ltd., formerly known as Reflections Interactive, is a video game developer based in Newcastle, United Kingdom. The studio focuses on racing games and it is best known for creating the award winning Driver series.-History:...
in Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, founded in 1984, sold to UbisoftUbisoftUbisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
in August 2006. - Shiny EntertainmentShiny EntertainmentShiny Entertainment was an American video game developer based in Laguna Beach, Southern California, and the creator of several popular titles such as Earthworm Jim, MDK, Sacrifice and The Matrix: Path of Neo. Shiny was founded by David Perry in October 1993...
in Laguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
, U.S founded in 1993, acquired in 2002, sold on October 2006 to Foundation 9 EntertainmentFoundation 9 EntertainmentFoundation 9 Entertainment is an entertainment media conglomerate that has developed video games, comic books, film and television series. The company is one of the largest independent game developers in the world, and has more than 450 employees working in its various studios in California,...
. - Atari Europe, founded in 2003, sold to Namco BandaiNamco Bandai, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
in 2009, merged into Distribution Partners. - Cryptic StudiosCryptic StudiosCryptic Studios, a wholly owned Perfect World subsidiary, is a small American massively multiplayer online role-playing game developer headquartered in Los Gatos, California.-History:...
in Los Gatos, California, U.S, founded in 2000, acquired on December 9, 2008, sold on may 2011 to Perfect WorldPerfect World (company)Perfect World is a China-based online game company specializing in MMORPGs. Beijing Perfect World Co. was founded in 2004 by Chi Yufeng, the president of Human Software Corporation. The company aims to develop and market games with Chinese characteristics...
.
External links
- Infogrames.com (Archive)
- Atari profile on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...