The sad, slow fall of Atari

[Bill Lange]

The sad, slow fall of Atari

 

Interesting article on CNN:

 

http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/16/commentary...dex.htm?cnn=yes

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Weird article. THQ is the gaming company with the worst reputation of all - and this guy suggests that Atari should follow their path?

 

Great idea... yeah. It'll certainly rescue Atari when doing a crappy Spongebob game next... or Barbie Horseriding... great boost for their reputation amongst their core audience of hardcore gamers...

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[DanBoris]

"When we can stop shooting ourselves in the foot ...Atari's going to be a spectacular company," said Diane Baker, chief financial officer.

 

Sounds like Infogrames inherited more then just the assets and name of the old Atari

 

Dan

[sidcrowe]

"While making children's games might make Atari a little less "cool" in some eyes, it's an underserved market."

 

"Undeserved?" Huh???

 

I don't think much of the author's advice, either, essentially suggesting that Atari use popular licenses. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes a game takes longer to make than you thought it would. Yadda yadda.

 

My interest in Atari is for the 2600 stuff, or for the old arcade things that Midway now holds. With the Xbox360 and PS3, we have photrealism in games, and largely already had it with Xbox and PS2. I mean, how can you improve on Brakout or Pac Man with photo realism?

 

Through a long series of colossal fuck ups, Atari went from being André the Giant to Billy Barty. My enthusiasm for them is based upon games from over 20 years ago. I wouldn't give you 10¢ for any Matrix title, as it's all about looking cool and not being much of a damn game

 

Good luck with the classic Atari, and hopefully more new classic stuff which I will of course support, but as far as new things for the current consoles, Atari is no different from any other software company :/

 

"Hip" skateboarding games....meh.

[jsoper]

This thread title reminded me of the Atari history panel at the last CGE. There was one guy, forgot his name, who was the last one with Atari roots after JTS bought the company for its stock symbol. He assumed that JTS might have some interest in game sales because Jag stuff was already in the pipeline and being finished. This was his version of the conversations with JTS management:

 

"Here's the cost figures for manufactured cartridges with full packaging"

"Sorry, we have no intention of doing this"

 

"Well here's some rough figures for black and white printing and selling by mail order"

"Sorry, we have no intention of doing this"

 

"How bout if I make eprom cartridges, stick them in a brown paper bag, and sell them on the street corner"

"Sorry, we have no intention of doing this"

[Rhindle The Red]

Weird article. THQ is the gaming company with the worst reputation of all - and this guy suggests that Atari should follow their path?

I didn't think THQ had *that* bad a reputation. I mean they're no 3DO or Acclaim. (Not that *they're* around anymore.)

 

And, besides, this guy isn't trying to tell Atari how to make great games. He's giving advice on how to make money. THQ is a very successful company because they balance their original IP with licensed titles that earn a lot. Their games may not always be the best, but they have been able to leverage their licensed materials well, utilizing everything from Star Wars to Spongebob to WWE.

 

If Atari exploited their titles half as well as THQ does, they'd be in much better shape.

[danwinslow]

Non geeks missed what Atari was about. Management especially always missed it. The engineers knew it, but couldn't communicate it to mgmt.

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Weird article. THQ is the gaming company with the worst reputation of all - and this guy suggests that Atari should follow their path?

I didn't think THQ had *that* bad a reputation. I mean they're no 3DO or Acclaim. (Not that *they're* around anymore.)

876130[/snapback]

 

Hm... maybe I'm missing something here. I just checked their Top 200 games in Gamerankings, from which I see they only have ~ 20 titles with an 80+ rating - half of those being Wrestling games. So unless you're a hardcore Wrestling fan, you must be kidding. Maybe not as bad as Acclaim or 3DO, but easily coming in 3rd

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[cyberneticimplant]

Whenever I hear the Atari story I wanna cry.

[panda_racer]

Whenever I hear the Atari story I wanna cry.

876451[/snapback]

 

me too

[A.J. Franzman]

Atari went from being André the Giant to Billy Barty.

876102[/snapback]

Good choices... both deceased.

[A.J. Franzman]

"While making children's games might make Atari a little less "cool" in some eyes, it's an underserved market."

 

"Undeserved?" Huh???

876102[/snapback]

Not un-deserved, under-served!

In other words, not enough product being made for that particular demographic. Therefore profitable to the few companies that do make them.

[sidcrowe]

Ah.

[mister_pal]

The reason Atari's in it's position it is today is because of bad manegment, lame controllers(5200) and bad games(E.T.,Pac Man) and Jack Tramiel.

[ApolloBoy]

The reason Atari's in it's position it is today is because of bad manegment, lame controllers(5200) and bad games(E.T.,Pac Man) and Jack Tramiel.

876839[/snapback]

 

 

Atari is completely different then it was 20 years ago.

[dwh]

I read this article and could not help but notice how the 'new' Atari is going through CEO's like the 'old' Atari did.These CEO's do not care about what is going on, they just want their stock options and bonuses...If the current company has the childrens games moneymaker division doing OK,then it should put the new mature audience beta games on-line to see if people are even interested before dumping so much money into marketing and production.The internet is out there, they just need to use it...But what do I, a college dropout know, huh?

[Bryan]

The next time Atari sells for a few million dollars, we (the fans) have got to find a way to be there with the cash.

 

-Bry

[sidcrowe]

The next time Atari sells for a few million dollars, we (the fans) have got to find a way to be there with the cash.

 

    -Bry

877094[/snapback]

 

Fans were gonna do that with the Muppets before they sold to Disney, too. It never gets together

 

Any Tramiels reading? GO TO HELL YOU BLITHERING IDIOTS

[classicgamingguy]

Two cents time..please don't stone the responder!

 

Anyway, Atari has changed since 20 years ago. It was a great company back in the day, and since I really only bother with the classic stuff from THAT era, I don't think of Atari much in today's market. Which of course, is idiotic of me.

 

It's still Atari, of course, but they are drowning from what I've seen. I do weep at the state it's in, however. This was my favorite game company of the day, and now...well, not so much.

 

I probably will always be stuck in the past with the Atari company. And yes, I *do* realize the idiotic mistakes they made back then, too. Of course, I was much more forgiving then.

 

Steve

Edited June 20, 2005 by classicgamingguy

[Curt Vendel]

Atari is in the middle of a major reworking of its management, discontinuing relationships which have not been as profitable as planning, also they have sold back certain assets and licenses back to Hasbro as part of a profitable deal and further enhancing that relationship.

 

Their new CFO is also very experienced and unlike other companies is very upfront and honest which actually may boost investor confidence since they wont feel like the firm is leaving them in the dark like many companies do with paper thin facades of positive times ahead.

 

The company is also recognizing that it should'nt be running and seperating itself from Atari's roots in an effort to "reimage" itself, but it is mixing more of its legacy heritage and its newer games together. Its re-entry (albeit small) back in the hardware arena as well as new strategic partnerships is laying out a path for future growth financially and more exposure for the firm back into the industry and the retail markets.

 

 

 

Curt

[ehenciak]

Atari is in the middle of a major reworking of its management, discontinuing relationships which have not been as profitable as planning, also they have sold back certain assets and licenses back to Hasbro as part of a profitable deal and further enhancing that relationship. 

 

Curt

877524[/snapback]

 

 

Curt,

 

Please do us all a favor...SHUT UP AND GET BACK TO WORK ON FLASHBACK 2 >>>> NOW!!!! YOU HAVE A COMPANY TO SAVE !!!!! IF YOU WASTE ONE MORE MINUTE I'M TELLING ON YOU ...

 

/*for the humor impaired, that was a joke*/

 

Which numbnut at Atari in 1980 called Atari engineers ""high strung primadonnas?". I'd like to kick that person in the shins. What an ass. I'm an engineer...I'm high strung....I hope I am not a primadonna....and I would literally WALK OUT THE DOOR ON MANAGEMENT LIKE THAT (done it twice...in the process of doing it now). Seems like Atari-Warner didn't want stuff that sold-worked once they bought it.

 

Yeah, let's piss off the people who made the lineup of arcade and home games prior to the Warner buyout. THEN, let's permit douchebags who know nothing about gaming demand stuff like "make something that simply looks like Pac Man...people will buy it", and, "Wow! Let's make E.T. in 6 weeks...doesn't matter, people will buy it" (although I still don't think the game is *that* bad). Then, when the stock tanks and all the finger pointing goes on, the blame is usually passed onto the engineers! "Jim Bagodoughnuts couldn't port Doom 3 to the 2600 in 48 hours...we missed our marketing window and the company is tanking".

 

I understand marketing pressures and the like, but there are ALWAYS better solutions than "panic" and "get done, to hell with quality" mentality. Done rapidly doesn't always imply done poorly....unfortunately, "done rapidly with no plan" always winds up in disaster.

 

I have been working in telecom for the past 5.5 years. Panic mode carrot chasers tend to suck the life out of people that want to get something done. All the idiots jumped on the bandwagon in 1999-2000 when my cat could have managed a telco and made millions...now, all the idiots know are chasing golden carrots & never selling anything that works....they don't know how to navagate through bad times and their lack of vision destroyed the company. Innovation @ one company I work for is a swear word. If there was ever a good comparison to the video game crash of the mid 80s, look at telecom in general....fortunately, it's comming out of the rut it's been in.

 

I'd love to know why Atari dropped Firaxis?!?!?! I'm sorry, but the new Pirates! game is friggin amazing...it has been a LONG time since I played a PC game until 4AM on a work night.....hats off to them on a fine game! I'm sure the XBox version is just as good! I hope they made out in the deal!

 

Eh, sorry for the rant, but I loathe the fact that Sony and Microsoft are gaming giants and Atari is this obscure little company that gets kicked around by idiots....I hope those in charge take advantage of the history and IP available from Atari and make better use of it. I know many out there may disagree with the above, but people like my Dad (65 years old...likes old games) know "Atari" ... they wouldn't "know" how to turn a Playstation on. Give my dad BlackJack and Trick Shot and he'll be busy for hours...

 

I still love Nintendo (in the minority there) so I'll give them a pass..

 

Again, Curt, GET BACK TO WORK!

 

Actually, I have to get back to work !

 

Ed

 

PS Atari FPGA is still comming along...I should have something on www.retrocircuits.com VERY soon...I've been *sidetracked* so to speak. But I think you all will be happy with the end result if you've been following my exploits !!! That link is dead, but my webpage is almost ready for primetime.

[cd-w]

An article was posted on the BBC news website today saying that share trading in Atari stock has been suspended:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5333826.stm.

This is usually a prelude to very bad news ...

 

Chris

Edited September 11, 2006 by cd-w

[Inky]

"When we can stop shooting ourselves in the foot ...Atari's going to be a spectacular company," said Diane Baker, chief financial officer.

 

Sounds like Infogrames inherited more then just the assets and name of the old Atari

 

Dan

 

 

Sounds to me like Atari learned from the Jim Hendry / Andy McPhail / Dusty Baker School Of Baseball Management.

Edited September 11, 2006 by Inky

[pocketmego]

The reason Atari's in it's position it is today is because of bad manegment, lame controllers(5200) and bad games(E.T.,Pac Man) and Jack Tramiel.

876839[/snapback]

 

 

Atari is completely different then it was 20 years ago.

 

Not really.

 

 

-Ray

[pocketmego]

Atari is in the middle of a major reworking of its management, discontinuing relationships which have not been as profitable as planning, also they have sold back certain assets and licenses back to Hasbro as part of a profitable deal and further enhancing that relationship.

 

Their new CFO is also very experienced and unlike other companies is very upfront and honest which actually may boost investor confidence since they wont feel like the firm is leaving them in the dark like many companies do with paper thin facades of positive times ahead.

 

The company is also recognizing that it should'nt be running and seperating itself from Atari's roots in an effort to "reimage" itself, but it is mixing more of its legacy heritage and its newer games together. Its re-entry (albeit small) back in the hardware arena as well as new strategic partnerships is laying out a path for future growth financially and more exposure for the firm back into the industry and the retail markets.

 

 

 

Curt

 

That game on the PSP...The Wario-Style thing that is coming out is evidence of this mindset. It mixes street culture with Mini-games (many of which are goingto be classic Atari games).

 

-Ray