Maybe the name doesn't ring a bell for the younger ones, but everyone knows the name Atari. For years, the company that was the video game company par excellence and the first "big one" in the industry, fell prey to its own ambitions and was almost forgotten in the nineties of the last century. Nevertheless, it has never completely disappeared, as evidenced by the occasional compilations of some of its greatest hits from the 70s and 80s (the latest, the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, where the company celebrates its 50th anniversary).
In recent years, it seems that the sleeping giant wants to wake up again, and already in 2021 announced a new strategy to develop triple A games, and now we have seen the next step, as it has just published an agreement by which it acquires 100% of Nightdive Studios, creators of the remake of SystemShock.
The deal will allow the company to refinance its debt. Atari increases its IP portfolio and will use Night Dive's publishing capabilities to support Atari's retro-focused growth strategy.
Wade Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Atari, commented: "Night Dive's proven expertise and successful track record in commercializing retro IP is well-aligned with Atari's strategy and I am confident that their combined talent, technology and IP portfolio will contribute to Atari's future success."
Stephen Kick and Larry Kuperman, principals of Night Dive commented: "Night Dive and Atari have a long history together and we know that Atari shares our passion for retro games and our focus on producing high-quality new and remastered games that do justice to the original IP. As we look to grow our business and expand our capabilities, we could think of no better long-term partner than Atari."
We will have to wait a while to see the fruits of this union. In the meantime, the newly acquired studio is still working on its new version of System Shock, which will be released on 30 May.