Atari Europe: Game development goes on

The company wants to make clear that financial and restructuring issues at Atari, Inc. will not affect the European arm.

Earlier this week, troubled publisher Atari hit the headlines after its latest financials showed the US company's figures taking a nosedive across the board. In a statement, Atari admitted that it was concerned about its ability to continue to operate, and after selling off its development studios, it will concentrate on publishing and distribution in the US.

However, Atari's head of UK PR, Lee Kirton, told GameSpot today, "For Atari Europe business is fine. There's been some restructuring in the US but it doesn't affect Europe."

He reassured gamers that Alone in the Dark, Test Drive Unlimited, and the other titles that Atari had coming up would not be affected.

Earlier this month, Atari's US CEO David Pierce resigned after just over one year on the job, and figures were released for both the first and second quarter, both of which painted a bleak picture for the company.

46 Comments

  • EMZayas

    Posted Nov 27, 2007 8:00 pm PT

    I don't care about "Atari Europe". Its only Infogrames Entertainment, Atari's parent company. Atari needs to get on the ball here. Their holiday releases look good. Godzilla, DBZ(with online), Witcher. I hope these titles bring them up. Screw Infogrames. If they aren't gonna help Atari out, then why dont they sell Atari to a better company?

  • classicfan

    Posted Nov 26, 2007 1:33 am PT

    I don't like EA they censor there games just so a little kid can play them!. F'n@SSes..And where the hell is Freedom Fighters 2 damn!..EA also never did the sequel to Black!..Damn..That game had Potential!.

  • classicfan

    Posted Nov 26, 2007 1:25 am PT

    Damn its the Economy's fault its like 1987 when the stock market crashed on Black Sunday 1987..But I hope Atari makes a comeback there from my generation 1976-1984..Oh the games were fun back then..But I'm shocked to see that theres no classics in the PS3 store Centipede, Kangroo, Mario Bros, Pacman etc- or be it the Wii!?.Come on Atari get the rights to put them up on PS3 and Wii!..If you would get more of your old school games out then maybe things would turn out alright perhaps?..And stop making crappy games that is?.No Offense but I'm sure you know some of your games did horrible!..All The Best!

  • theclaw135

    Posted Nov 25, 2007 8:11 pm PT

    Everyone's forgetting one high point of theirs.

    UNREAL TOURNAMENT 2004. If those words don't ring a bell... I'm sorry, but you're not an actual gamer.

  • dark-zazo

    Posted Nov 25, 2007 7:00 pm PT

    Ah, Europe... what would the world do without you...?

  • okassar

    Posted Nov 25, 2007 10:29 am PT

    Omg,Atari has little chance of recovering.Even in its terrible state right now,it's still in decline.You never no though,there is a small chance that they make a recovery through an amazing game.Do they have sufficient recsources for that though?I doubt it.

  • hassam7

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 10:35 pm PT

    Hoo cares Atari stink LOL!!!

  • wood_jl

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 9:51 pm PT

    Just as the post above this one indicates - people still think "this Atari" has anything to do with the "old Atari" that was responsible for the 2600. Unbelieveable.

  • flashsc85

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 2:46 pm PT

    so theres a tdu 2 o o o rumer time

  • ablance82

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    r they making test drive unlimited 2

  • hector1313

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 6:28 am PT

    Atari have actually published good games, but they tend to do an EA and milk their successes for all their worth, usually ending up in the entire series of games being tainted by the time that last game rolls around...

    They've done it with Driver, and X-Com and Worms, and I'm quite sure they'll do it with other series they have.

    They should just keep being creative and not working on the same things all the time...

  • suprsolider posted Nov 24, 2007 5:35 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    suprsolider

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 5:35 am PT (hide)

    Just F-ing die already Atari.

    What you did to the game industry is still nearly unforgivable.

    Yes, I know this isn't the real Atari and the game crash of 83 was from the old Atari. But the new Atari seems to keep with the tradition that lead to the the crash, making crappy games.

    Give up Atari. Just go away and leave the industry to people who care more for it than Atari ever did.

  • Petri87

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 4:29 am PT

    THE_PREZIDENT Well at least if Atari US goes poof, we can still rely of the European division to give us Test drive and Along in the dark.

    Atari Wont maka any Test Drive games for 6years because they have licenced it of to infograme. Atari got 5million and Info gets to make and release two TD games and Atari wont get any money of those games since they dont "own" the license anymore.
    And by the looks of it, i wont be surprised if they sell of the AITD licence too very soon. To bad, thay made alot of good games 10+years ago

  • ctg867

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 6:40 pm PT

    Where's my "Support Atari" group? Don't knock Atari, otherwise you're a fool. If you have the money, support them.

  • Nicolas00-0g

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 6:10 pm PT

    Atari won't survive too long. They sold Driver and Reflection to Ubisoft last year, Probally will lost the Dragon Ball license and other things, they will close their door in 2 or 3 years. So I just expect that the new Atari games save them.

  • redskinStu

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 3:56 pm PT

    I'm holding out hope that a good Alone in the Dark game is coming.

  • RebelMac

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 2:59 pm PT

    Please hold on Atari. I love this neon-sign from "Blade Runner". Future awaits.

  • THE_PREZIDENT

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 11:41 am PT

    Well at least if Atari US goes poof, we can still rely of the European division to give us Test drive and Along in the dark.

  • dynomitemasta

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 10:47 am PT

    that's good

  • endocrine

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 6:34 am PT

    masterchief725: infogrames owns atari. They just sometimes use the atari label on games for familiarity.

  • Pastehunter

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 6:16 am PT

    Well at least that one is going OK ... lets hope for the best for Atari ... its allways sad when a game producing company goes bankrupt , especially if its an old one

  • mattcake

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 4:12 am PT

    After reading the Jeff Minter news post, I recommend they do a next gen (sic) version of Frogger

    Alone in the Dark, at the time, was a fantastic game but we all know itll be butchered into some Res Evil clone that couldve been called anything. The thing that made the orig AitD was the creepy atmosphere and (fixed) dramatic camera angles, I dont see how that can carry over. Still, might be a decent game in its own right...

  • Strike_Zer0

    Posted Nov 23, 2007 3:08 am PT

    Good news. Alone in the Dark looks like it could be pretty impressive.

  • Percy6744

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 8:39 pm PT

    okay good for a second there i thought they had screwed up the plans for TDU 2 *whew!*

  • trigun0006

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 8:13 pm PT

    Wow Atari has gone a long way, but ive read that they have been loosing money for a looooooooooooooooooooooooongggggggggggg time. I remember reading "atari looses money" for probably atleast the last 2 or 3 years.

  • bdhoff

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 7:23 pm PT

    The licenses wouldn't be lost. They would be liquidated and someone else would carry them on. Or not.

  • MasterChief725

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 5:47 pm PT

    jeez, well at least atari Europe aint goin anywhere. But how can Test Drive be infrogames in the US, and...atari in Europe? hm....interesting...and does atari have the DBZ license in Europe?

  • uklegendkiller

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 5:28 pm PT

    This is at least some good news for atari but not much the future look's grim for them. EA should just buy them already i mean what are they waiting for??

  • tyzwain

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 3:54 pm PT

    Lol @ Kori911... If EA hasn't bought it, then Atari can't be worth it.

  • PolkaStripe

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 3:19 pm PT

    hope atari pull through this!!

  • mashom

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 11:34 am PT

    It is proff that ATARI Future is dark, like alone in dark.

  • kori911

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 11:21 am PT

    Come on EA, buy it already.

  • Montrealien

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 11:20 am PT

    atari is not former infogrames, atari was GT interactive wich infograms owns. Eitherway, hope they pull through this. To the EA haters....go put on a tinfoil hat pls, lol

  • NorthernRT

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 11:00 am PT

    I'm a fan of Atari, but I guess I'll have to wait and see how they pull through

    (Booo to Atheno's comment)

  • SaintRasmus

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 10:20 am PT

    Keep fighting Atari, you can do it

  • stika

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 10:05 am PT

    come on Atari i have faith in you... you can pull out of this one yet

  • Jd1680a

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 9:48 am PT

    Atari's loss is someone else's gain. Just a couple days ago, Codemasters reported their revenues went up 332% in the US this year.

  • maxbeeck

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 9:20 am PT

    atari = former infogrames
    infogrames is still the name of the holding

  • dangerbean

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 9:17 am PT

    Atheno, you seem to misunderstand why people dislike EA. Its really that they make bad games, its just that having a company get as big as EA is bad for the industry as a whole and reducesa the variety of games available

  • jasper061992

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 9:08 am PT

    Unfortunatly, not many people know that Aytheno.

  • Atheno posted Nov 22, 2007 8:57 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Atheno

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 8:57 am PT (hide)

    This Atari IS NOT THE ATARI that made those systems long ago. That company has been dead for along time. This is another company that is using the name of Atari from what I can remember. And also another poster said EA is a bad company, well obviously it isn't if its BUYING OUT all the other companies, and don't give me that crap about this not meaning they are a good company. Obviously people are buying their games and enjoying them enough to buy the sequals. They make bad games sometimes yes, but most of the games I own are either developed or published by EA and I love them. I wish people would get off this stupid FAD about hating EA, most haven't even played an EA game.

  • sturshel

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 8:30 am PT

    Go Atari!!!!

  • tig1979

    Posted Nov 22, 2007 8:06 am PT

    Shame that companys like Atari are having trouble, after all it was one of the first video game companys in existence, made the groundbreaking 2600 all those years ago, sad though that good companys like Atari have problems while bad companys like EA buy everything they can get their hands on

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