According to Bloomberg's article by Jason Schreier, Atari, under the leadership of CEO Wade Rosen, aims to build a new identity around retro gaming and re-establish its status as one of the most recognizable brands in the history of video games.
Rosen, who took on the role of CEO in 2021, is not trying to turn Atari into a modern giant that competes with all major publishers, but rather wants to position it as a leading company for retro games. In an interview with Bloomberg, he emphasized that the goal is not to increase the company's value in the short term and sell it, but to long-term revitalize Atari as a brand that has a meaningful place in the gaming industry.
In recent years, Atari has increasingly invested in studios and projects related to the preservation and modernization of older games. The company has acquired Nightdive Studios, known for remasters and reviving classics, Digital Eclipse, the studio behind the Atari 50 collection, and Implicit Conversions, which specializes in emulating classic games. Atari has also acquired the rights to over 200 Intellivision titles, as well as rights to several Ubisoft games, including Cold Fear, I Am Alive, Child of Eden, Grow Home, and Grow Up.
Rosen's strategy is based on a more careful use of the Atari name, rather than broadly licensing the brand for various products unrelated to games. The focus is back on video games, retro hardware, collections, remasters, remakes, and new projects based on old franchises.
One of the newer examples is Bubsy 4D, a game through which Atari is trying to revive a franchise that has often had a problematic reputation in the past. Rosen believes that such projects can mitigate risk if entrusted to teams that understand the genre well and have a clear vision for development.
Atari is thus moving further away from earlier experiments with cryptocurrencies, hotels, and similar licensing attempts, and is returning to what players remember it for the most. Retro gaming is no longer just nostalgia, but an increasingly significant part of the market, and Atari wants to be one of its main names.
