Atari

This article is about the corporate brand. For other uses, see Atari (disambiguation).

Atari
One of the variants of the Atari "Fuji" logo
Product type
OwnerAtari SA (2001–present)
CountryUnited States (Atari), France (Atari SA)
Introduced27 June 1972; 52 years ago (1972-06-27)
MarketsVideo gaming
Previous owners
Websitewww.atari.com

Atari (/əˈtɑːri/) is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames).[b] The original Atari, Inc., founded in Sunnyvale, California, United States in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, was a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles, and home computers. The company's products, such as Pong and the Atari 2600, helped define the electronic entertainment industry from the 1970s to the mid-1980s.

In 1984, as a result of the video game crash of 1983, the assets of the home console and computer divisions of the original Atari Inc. were sold off to Jack Tramiel's Tramel Technology Ltd., which then renamed itself to Atari Corporation,[5][6] while the remaining part of Atari, Inc. was renamed Atari Games Inc.[7] In early 1985, Warner established a new corporation jointly with Namco subsequently named Atari Games Corporation, which took control of Atari's coin-operated games division. The rights to Atari, Inc.'s game properties were shared between the two companies: Atari Corporation receiving the trademarks and the home rights,[8] while Atari Games receiving the rights to use the logo and brand name with appended text "Games" on arcade products. In 1996, Atari Corporation reverse-merged with disk-drive manufacturer JT Storage (JTS)[9] and effectively perished. In 1998, Hasbro Interactive, part of the toy company Hasbro, acquired all Atari Corporation–related properties from JTS,[10] as part of a subsidiary which it then renamed to Atari Interactive.[11] Meanwhile, Atari Games was acquired by Midway Games in 1996, and effectively retired the Atari name on arcades by 2000 to avoid public confusion with Hasbro's Atari home releases.

Infogrames Entertainment (IESA) – precursor of the present-day Atari SA – became the new owner of the Atari brand after buying Hasbro Interactive in 2001, renaming it Infogrames Interactive, which intermittently published Atari-branded home titles. In 2003, it renamed the division Atari Interactive. Another IESA division called Infogrames Inc.,[12] which was founded as GT Interactive, changed its name to Atari, Inc. the same year, licensing the Atari name and logo from its fellow subsidiary.[2][13][14] In 2008, IESA completed its acquisition of Atari, Inc.'s outstanding stock, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.[15] IESA renamed itself Atari SA in 2009 which remains the status quo. It sought bankruptcy protection under French law in 2013. On the other hand, Atari's post-1984 arcade titles is the property of Warner Bros. Games since receiving the assets following Midway's bankruptcy in 2009.[16]

As of 2023, the current Atari's focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and blockchain".[17]


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  1. ^ "Atari Celebrates 40th Anniversary with New Game Releases and Special Promotions" (Press release). Atari. June 27, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012. "Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc."
  2. ^ a b Atari Inc. (March 31, 2003). "10-KT · For 3/31/03". Atari Inc. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  3. ^ "ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT/REGISTRATION DOCUMENT Fiscal Year 2010/2011" (PDF). Atari, SA. 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT 2016/2017" (PDF) (Press release). p. 11.
  5. ^ Sanger, David E. (July 3, 1984). "Warner Sells Atari To Tramiel". New York Times. pp. Late City Final Edition, Section D, Page 1, Column 6. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016.
  6. ^ Atari Corp. (March 29, 1994). "Amendment to General Statement of Beneficial Ownership – Schedule 13D". Atari Inc. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  7. ^ Current, Michael D. (2004–2007). "A Brief Timeline of the Atari Divisions Initially Retained by Warner Communications, July 1984 to Present". Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  8. ^ "Atari Corporation Part 2". Retro Gamer. No. 94. September 2011. p. 86.
  9. ^ "Atari Agrees To Merge With Disk-Drive Maker". The New York Times. Bloomberg Business News. February 14, 1996. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008.
  10. ^ "FORM 8-K Filing for transfer of assets to Hasbro Interactive from JTS". Securities And Exchange Commission. February 23, 1998. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  11. ^ "Atari Goes to Hasbro". GameSpot. 1998. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "Infogrames Entertainment Corporate Profile and Annual Report" (PDF). Infogrames Entertainment SA. 2006. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  13. ^ "Civilization III:Play The World Press Release". Infogrames Inc. May 8, 2002. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  14. ^ Atari Inc. (March 31, 2003). "10-KT · For 3/31/03, Overview Subsection". Atari Inc. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  15. ^ "Infogrames completes Atari Inc acquisition". October 11, 2008. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  16. ^ Packwood, Lewis (2024). "Breakout". Edge. No. 397. pp. 72-.
  17. ^ "About Atari". Atari. Retrieved August 15, 2023.