Atari Interactive
Logo of Atari Interactive since 2012.
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| Subsidiary of Atari, SA | |
| Industry |
Computer and video games Interactive entertainment |
| Founded | January 2, 1996 (as a division of Atari Corporation) 1998 (as a subsidiary of Hasbro Interactive) 2003 (as a subsidiary of Atari, SA) |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York, United States |
| Products | Video games |
| Parent | Atari, SA |
| Website | Atari.com |
Atari Interactive is a name used by several separate groups and corporations since the mid-1990s. 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. was the name of the corporate entity that held the Atari properties purchased from JTS by Hasbro in 1998, and functioned as the retro publishing subsidiary of Hasbro Interactive. It is currently the name of a wholly owned subsidiary of Atari, SA (formerly Infogrames), who is the current owner of the Atari brand and various other properties formerly belonging to Hasbro Interactive. It was formed in 2001, when IESA acquired Hasbro Interactive and proceeded to rename it to Infogrames Interactive. In 2003, IESA then changed the company name entirely to Atari Interactive, Inc. as part of its worldwide reorganization to focus on use of the Atari brand.
On January 2, 1996, at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Atari Corporation formally announced the formation of Atari Interactive to "address the worldwide PC market". Planning to initially launch with four titles, Tempest 2000, Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods, Baldies, and FlipOut!, further releases were to include Missile Command 3D, Return to Crystal Castles, Interactive Rocky Horror Show, and Virtual War. By February 12, however, Atari Corporation was announcing a planned merger with drive manufacturer JTS, who had no interest "to compete in any way in the video-game or PC markets". Atari Corporation suspended its business, laid off about 80 percent of its staff and reportedly began liquidating its assets – which included the closing of the newly formed Atari Interactive division.
On February 23, 1998, JTS sold all assets and properties of its Atari division to Hiat XI Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hasbro's Hasbro Interactive created in Delaware for the purpose of the purchase. It then proceeded to rename Hiax XI to Atari Interactive, and Hasbro began publishing retro-themed remake titles under the Atari brand name beginning with Centipede. and later expanded with The Next Tetris, Missile Command, Pong: The Next Level, Q*Bert, Glover, Nerf Arena Blast and Breakout.
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