History of Atari Timeline

After the video game crash of 1983, the assets of the home console and computer divisions of the original Atari Inc. were sold. Negotiating until close to midnight on July 1, 1984, Jack Tramiel completed the asset purchase for $240 million in promissory notes and stocks, renaming the company Atari Corporation.

Image source: Atari Corporation

In April 1985, Atari Corporation released an update to the 8-bit computer line, the Atari 65XE, the first in the Atari XE series.

June 1985 saw the release of the Atari 130XE; Atari User Groups received early sneak-preview samples of the new Atari 520ST's, and major retailer shipments hit store shelves in September 1985 of Atari's new 32-bit Atari ST computers ('ST' stands for 'sixteen/thirty-two').

Image source: Atari ST

In 1986, Atari launched two consoles designed under Warner — the Atari 2600jr and the Atari 7800 console, which had seen limited release in 1984.

Image source: Atari 7800

In 1987, Atari acquired the Federated Group for $67.3 million, securing shelf space in over 60 stores in California, Arizona, Texas and Kansas at a time when major American electronics outlets were reluctant to carry Atari-branded computers. The chain was sold to Silo in 1989.

In 1988, the company unveiled the 1040STF and the Mega ST with a bit image manipulator chip, and launched its first parallel computer.

In 1989, Atari Corp. filed an antitrust lawsuit against Nintendo. Atari eventually lost the case when it was rejected by a US district court in 1992.

Image source: Atari Games Corp. v. Nintendo of America Inc.

In 1989, Atari released the Atari Lynx, the first ever handheld console with a color display and a backlit screen, to much fanfare. A shortage of parts kept it from nationwide release for Christmas, and it lost market share to Nintendo's cheaper Game Boy.

Image source: Atari Lynx

In 1991, Atari released its PCs ABC386SXII and ABC386DXII based on Intel's i386 chip.

In 1993, Atari positioned its Jaguar as the only 64-bit interactive media entertainment system available, but it sold poorly. It would be the last home console produced by Atari and the last by an American manufacturer until Microsoft's Xbox in 2001.

Image source: Atari Jaguar

By 1996, successful lawsuits had left Atari with millions in the bank, but the failure of the Lynx and Jaguar left it without a product to sell. In July 1996, Atari merged with JTS Inc., a short-lived maker of hard disk drives, to form JTS Corp., effectively perishing.

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. Warner also established AT Games, Inc., which was renamed Atari Holdings and continued as a nonoperating subsidiary until 1992.

Image source: Atari Games

In 1987, Namco sold 33% of its shares in Atari Games to a group of employees led by then-president Hideyuki Nakajima, who had been president of Atari Games since 1985.

Starting in 1988, Atari Games also sold cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System under the Tengen brand name, including a version of Tetris. The ensuing lawsuit with Nintendo reached a settlement in 1994, with Atari Games paying cash damages and licensing several patents.

In April 1996, after an unsuccessful bid by Atari cofounder Nolan Bushnell, Atari Games was sold to WMS Industries, owners of the Williams, Bally, and Midway arcade brands, which restored the use of the Atari Games name.

On November 19, 1999, Atari Games Corporation was renamed Midway Games West Inc., resulting in the Atari Games name no longer being used, with San Francisco Rush 2049 being the final Atari-branded arcade release.

Image source: Midway Games

Atari's post-1984 arcade titles became the property of Warner Bros. Games after receiving the assets following Midway's bankruptcy in 2009.

Image source: Warner Bros. Games

On March 13, 1998, JTS sold the Atari name and assets to Hasbro Interactive for $5 million, as part of a subsidiary renamed Atari Interactive.

Image source: Atari Interactive

The brand name changed hands again in December 2000 when French software publisher Infogrames took over Hasbro Interactive, renaming it Infogrames Interactive, which intermittently published Atari-branded home titles.

Image source: Atari SA

In October 2001, Infogrames Entertainment SA announced it was 'reinventing' the Atari brand with the launch of three new games featuring prominent Atari branding: Splashdown, MX Rider and TransWorld Surf.

Image source: Atari SA

On May 8, 2003, IESA renamed its majority-owned but discrete US subsidiary Infogrames, Inc., renaming the division Atari Interactive.

On March 6, 2008, IESA made an offer to Atari, Inc.'s outstanding stock; on April 30, 2008, Atari accepted, and on October 8, 2008, IESA completed its acquisition, making Atari, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary.

On December 9, 2008, Atari announced that it had acquired Cryptic Studios, an MMORPG developer.

In May 2009, Infogrames Entertainment SA, the parent company of Atari and Atari Interactive, announced it would change its name to Atari SA, which remains the status quo. That same year, Namco Bandai purchased a 34% stake in Atari Europe on May 14, paving the way for its acquisition from IESA.

In April 2010, Atari SA board member and former CEO David Gardner resigned. As of March 31, 2011, the board consisted of Frank Dangeard, Jim Wilson, Tom Virden, Gene Davis and Alexandra Fichelson.

After significant financial issues with losses in the tens of millions since 2005, the four related companies Atari, Atari Interactive, Humongous, and California US Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Atari also sought bankruptcy protection under French law in 2013.

On June 22, 2014, Atari announced a new corporate strategy focusing on 'new audiences', specifically LGBT, social casinos, real-money gambling, and YouTube.

On June 8, 2017, a teaser video promoted a new product, and CEO Chesnais confirmed development of a new PC-based game console. A mid-July press release confirmed the hardware referred to as the 'Ataribox', styled after the 2600 with a ribbed top surface. On September 26, 2017, Atari sent out a press release about the new 'Atari VCS', confirming more details.

Image source: Atari VCS (2021 console)

In 2020, Atari launched its decentralized cryptocurrency Atari Token in equal partnership with the ICICB Group, which also received a non-exclusive license to run a cryptocurrency online casino on Atari's website based on the Atari Token.

Image source: Atari

On January 27, 2020, Atari announced a deal with GSD Group to build Atari Hotels, with the first breaking ground in Phoenix in mid-2020. In March 2021, Atari extended its partnership with ICICB Group for Atari-branded hotels outside the United States, including Dubai, Gibraltar and Spain.

On December 16, 2020, Atari shipped the first units of the Atari VCS, exclusive to backers of the system's crowdfunding campaign.

In late 2021, Wade Rosen became the new CEO of Atari.

On April 18, 2022, Atari announced the termination of all license agreements with ICICB Group and its subsidiaries, including the Atari Chain Limited license and related hotel and casino licenses, effective immediately.

In March 2024, Atari announced it will work with coin-op manufacturer Alan-1 to bring Atari Recharged titles to arcades, marking the return of the Atari brand in the arcade space after 25 years, since San Francisco Rush 2049 was released.

Image source: Atari Recharged