Earlier this year, the U.S. branch of Atari filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with the aim to sell all of its assets and secure a fresh start for the company. Four months on, the sale isn't going so well.
Despite reaching out to 180 potential purchasers, only 15 preliminary bids were made, none of which were deemed acceptable by Atari, reports the Wall Street Journal [subscription required].
With this in mind, Atari has now decided to go for broke and auction off all of its assets -- including the Atari brand itself -- over the course of four days in July.
The RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise will set you back at least $3.5 million, while the minimum bid for the Test Drive series is $1.5 million.
Meanwhile, the Total Annihilation franchise has a floor price of $250,000, while the Humongous, Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise and Math Gran Prix assets will be sold together for $500,000. In total, Atari has priced itself and its assets at nearly $22.2 million.
"The Debtors believe that this type of a targeted bidding process affords the Debtors the best opportunity to market the Assets and maximize the value thereof for the benefit of all stakeholders," the company stated in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.
Atari wants to set a July 10 deadline for bids, with auctions running from July 16-19. The company first needs court approval for the sale process to go ahead.
Or an old one (old style anyway). Go "full retro" with 2D graphics, cartridges (repackaged SD cards), boxes with hand-drawn cover art. Go after a hipster/maker market that craves physical things in the age of digital. Make it easy for developers to create their games for the platform and sell their own cartridges. Make it a joyful celebration of gaming and the antithesis of the Xbone.
"With this in mind, Atari has now decided to go for broke and auction off all of its assets -- including the Atari brand itself -- over the course of four days in July."
Who holds the rights to the old Atari IPs (the once, that were not sold to whoever with Midway)? Does the european branch (Inforgrames) still holds them? And what would be the consequence for the european Atari if the US branch sells the brand? Would it mean we have two Ataris (again like so often in the past)?
Christian, there was no "European branch." Infogrames (now known as Atari SA) is the owner of the whole thing, including the US subsidiary (hence it being a subsidiary). The Atari brand name and old IP is all under Atari SA's subsidiary Atari Interactive, which combined operations with the US subsidiary (Atari Inc) ages ago. There will not be two Ataris, there's only one owner and sale of the Atari brand name and IP. Likewise, what was sold to Warner with Midway was the IP of Atari Games, a completely different company. Atari SA's legacy IP is all the original Atari Inc.'s (1972-1984) IP and Atari Corp.'s (1984-1996) IP.
Thanks for the explanation Martin.
I was aware of the difference between Atari Games and Atari Inc./Corp. but I find it difficult to understand who owns the rights to some games, even more as Hasbro licensed some of the IPs to Activision in the late 90s (Battlezone, Asteroids) and I don't know if Activision still holds them.
It becomes even more complicated, when Tengen Ic. becomes involved, originally started as a Atari Games subsidary for the homecomputer and console market (where Atari Games wasn't allowed to use the name Atari), they ended up making games for the Atari Lynx (the handheld from Atari Inc.). My S.T.U.N. Runner and Gauntlet III cartridges say "TM Atari Games Corp. (c) Tengen Inc." but these games were published by Atari Inc.
Tengen Inc. was discontinued in 1993 and relaunched under the name TWI (Time Warner Interactive). As I understand the rights for the arcade games went to Midway, but obviously Tengen Inc. also had licenses for homeconversions of these games, I wonder who owns them now. If these conversion rights weren't time limited, the owner of TWI (Time Warner Interactive) (is it still Time Warner?) could publish games based on these IPs.
Elite Systems for example still holds the licence to Paperboy, it seems they own the licence since the 1980s.
This just makes it official.
But hey! Maybe TA Spring people will buy TA and turn their game officially into a TA???
Who holds the rights to the old Atari IPs (the once, that were not sold to whoever with Midway)? Does the european branch (Inforgrames) still holds them? And what would be the consequence for the european Atari if the US branch sells the brand? Would it mean we have two Ataris (again like so often in the past)?
I was aware of the difference between Atari Games and Atari Inc./Corp. but I find it difficult to understand who owns the rights to some games, even more as Hasbro licensed some of the IPs to Activision in the late 90s (Battlezone, Asteroids) and I don't know if Activision still holds them.
It becomes even more complicated, when Tengen Ic. becomes involved, originally started as a Atari Games subsidary for the homecomputer and console market (where Atari Games wasn't allowed to use the name Atari), they ended up making games for the Atari Lynx (the handheld from Atari Inc.). My S.T.U.N. Runner and Gauntlet III cartridges say "TM Atari Games Corp. (c) Tengen Inc." but these games were published by Atari Inc.
Tengen Inc. was discontinued in 1993 and relaunched under the name TWI (Time Warner Interactive). As I understand the rights for the arcade games went to Midway, but obviously Tengen Inc. also had licenses for homeconversions of these games, I wonder who owns them now. If these conversion rights weren't time limited, the owner of TWI (Time Warner Interactive) (is it still Time Warner?) could publish games based on these IPs.
Elite Systems for example still holds the licence to Paperboy, it seems they own the licence since the 1980s.