Atari U.S. operation files for bankruptcy

The U.S. operations of iconic but long-troubled video game maker Atari have filed for bankruptcy in an effort to break free from their debt-laden French parent.

[Y_5150]

Who cares about Atari nowadays?

[Swiggins]

Respect your roots.

[Y_5150]

I know that. I wasn't referring about anything in the past. What about now? Last thing I played from Atari was the Godzilla games on the Gamecube.

[Godmars290]

Respect the roots which repeat themselves?

Nevermind that just by the opening statement the - former? - American company is trying to get out from under it foreign owners.

[SilentNegotiator]

Article, people. Read it.

They're filing for bankruptcy simply to break from the french company that controls it. They only have 40 employees and may emerge with little to no debt.

It's really irrelevant what you think of Atari or if you think we need to have respect for the husk of a once-great ancient company. BTW, you do NOT have to respect a burn-out company because they created one of the first home consoles (also Pong was a ripoff of a magnavox system, if you didn't know).

[hiredhelp]

Well said swiggins

[savaroth]

The Atari 2600 was a great console. Post like "pong was ripped" do not show much insight.
Atari had great games in the day. Q-bert, Missile Command, River Raid, Phoenix, centipede, jungle hunt, Rampage, just to name a few.

Having said that todays Atari has little to do with those games and even back in the 70's an 80's the best games were made by Activision.

Just like Sega used to be a great company, so was Atari. Both were mostly destroyed by bad management.

[admiralvic]

No need to be an ***... even if the company is making games you don't like or even shovel ware, this could mean a LOT of people are going to be unemployed. You could at least pretend to care about those people...

[SilentNegotiator]

It's 40 people. And it sounds like none of them are actually losing their jobs.

[ATi_Elite]

Atari is So friggin DEAD!

They really revolutionized gaming but had No vision on how to push forward like Nintendo SOny MS and all the PC Devs!

So I guess they are just making some Money by trotting out Atari 2600 Classics every chance they get. Atari needs to shed the French Debt and develope Solid Modern games for Sony/MS/PC/Mobile

Starcraft 2 generates more money in a 14 days than Atari does all year and now we have a Large generation of Gamers who have Never ever even seen an Atari console let alone plyed on an Arcade machine so Atari needs to change with the times.

[Godmars290]

They made a remake of Yar's Revenge.

If you don't remember it on PSN/XBL, the demo, then say they should still be making games.

[DeadlyFire]

They do publish the Witcher series and likely Cyberpunk 2077 if they exist when its released.

I see that as their main reason for existing in the past year or so. As they have not put much else on the market that I can remmeber.

[level 360]

Atari simply forgot to move forward thus this is the consequence of their humongous mistake.

[PhillipSantanaMusic]

its an icon and unfortunately some icons do fizzle out but i hope they build up and do some good things.

#irememberthedays!

[Relientk77]

:-/ Atari is amazing

I still game on the Atari 2600 every now and again

the first video game system I ever played

[BanBrother]

Oh god, please. Your making me think of sorting out the crap in the garage. I have like 3 or 4 of them in a box somewhere, have been for years. Don't know which ones work, just that cords are freaking everywhere.

Might give it a shot this weekend. Sad to see any company file for bankruptcy, although in this case it looks as though it was necessary.

[Stoppokingme]

It's not the end for Atari yet.If they go into voluntary administration then it's over.

What worries me is this statement:

"They hope to grow a modest business focused on digital and mobile platforms."

So what now, River raid for android?

[caseh]

Personally I was hoping for a HD remake of E.T.

[b_one]

hmm they were publishers of The Witcher 1, right?

[DeadlyFire]

Witcher 2 as well. Likely future CD Project Red titles as well. If I were Atari I would certainly lock them into a deal with me.

[palaeomerus]

This Atari is not the old Atari (Nolan Busnell's Atari)that went down a long time ago after the Jaguar failed and the ST market faltered.

This Atari is more of a brand name given to a company that used to be called GT Interactive that was purchased by Infogrames (who also came to own the Atari name when they acquired what was left of the old Atari's non arcade division).

[profgerbik]

Wtf are people talking about Atari wasn't moving forward.. I still own an Atari and you want to know what I use it for making music.

I use the Synthcart and have a modified atart 2600 with a 1/4 inch audio out jack. I use it more than my 3DS and PS Vita.

They created the foundation for many to build on although of course they were far from the first people to create video games but for their time period they pushed a lot forward if you ask me.

Gameboy doesn't have shit on the Atari Synthcart either.

[3GenGames]

As an NES programmer and homebrew guy I know what you're talking about, bu still. That synth is a POS really, who cares about it deeply? If you're using it for music, you have a mentally challenged group of people. And that A2600 guitar? Man, how terrible sounding.

Atari did screw the entire industry. They single handedly caused the video game crash, and they also produced the WORST games on the Atari. If you play the 2600 more than your 3DS+Vita, you need to get your brain checked. I mean, my avatar is of the amazing 2600 game Kaboom, which I also ported to the NES for release one day, but still. Over all, man. A2600 has some good, and some bad. But mainly bad. The system was designed horribly, to be the cheapest POS ever. It actually was ONLY made to play pong, but the amazing programmers worked around it. Still, didn't make the games any better. They're amazing technologically, but gameplay matters. I love Kaboom, it was a great game, but still. Personally, I'd rather play my version with better graphics, on my NES.

[ShaunCameron]

Not only that but they were also the reason why console-manufacturers and publishers want nothing to do with licensing/publishing AO-rated games. Remember the Custer's Revenge debacle?

Anyways, it's sad to see them go.

[e-p-ayeaH]

Atari days are long gone.

[NYC_Gamer]

Atari produced nothing but garbage lately

[titans9999]

Goodbye Atari! I remember when I woke up and received you as my first game console. My dad had PAC Man up and running...it was the Atari 2600. So long old friend. I will replay you like I always do....