http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=6746 Perhaps the atari brand is like the hope diamond? The remains of something bigger , much more spectacular, and hopelessly cursed! :smt042 :smt042
I spent two and a half years working as a dev in one of atari's studios. I'm not surprised by the news of some of the studios closing, i'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner. I found there problem wasn't schedules and bad work environments like EA, there problem seemed to stem from a complete lack of direction. Every group within the company had it's own plans, it's own focus and none of them really meshed well. Maybe since the CEO position was just replaced something will bring it all together.
what have they done that's worth a shit this whole generation? They've slapped their name on horrible games like Driver 3 and Enter the Matrix. no wonder they're losing money. Make some games people give a shit about.
Hah. Everyone seems to forget that it is not really Atari. Atari were cool. Then the NAME got bought by Hasbro, who got bought out by Infogrames, who decided they'd use the name as their main name, in a vain attempt to gain some respect, and at the same time if things didn't go well, its Atari's name getting slanged, not theirs. Funny really - Infogrames swallowed most of the small development houses from the 80s and 90s. Now they themselves are f$cked. Still, could see some nice things appearing again!!! Just about every UK software house of the 90s ended up bought out by Infogrames, Acclaim or EA.
Their name was on the recent Unreal Tournament games, which were good. But it's blatantly just a name, they went bankrupt and any of the glory days Atari staff that were still there by that point (post Jag) went too.
To clear matters up.... Atart closed down COMPLETELY. Then Hasbro bought the name and the rights. They were under no obligation to keep on staff - they'd already lost their jobs years before, and found jobs elsewhere. It wasn't the normal case of a takeover (e.g. Infogrames bought Hasbro), it was someone buying a name that was no longer being used. Somewhat like if someone decided to buy the Acclaim name nowadays, and the rights to their games. Hasbro bought the rights so they had a nice back catalogue, and the rights to rerelease / license rereleases of classic games. Infogrames bought the rights so they could BECOME Atari.
