The meteoric rise and equal fall of Atari has been documented umpteen times. Nevertheless, it does break my heart that a former trailblazer and video gaming behemoth is little more than a company torn to shreds and its pieces thrown to the proverbial dogs to scrap over.
Rather than give you a history lesson in what has happened to Atari in the recent past (Ed: It has had more owners than a used 1999 Honda Civic), have a read of Atari’s bankruptcy file and then come to terms with where Atari is headed – to the glitz and glamour of the gambling business!
Yep, you read that right. Atari is now hedging its bet (pardon the pun) on gambling products. Unfortunately, Atari has debts that they need to clear as part of their bankruptcy conditions and their plan is to square the ledger with their creditors via Atari Casino – a bold push into the social casino market. This casino path may stave off the rabid dogs at their heels.
I know that my nostalgic glasses can make me a cynic, but when a company with a rich heritage sells its soul, there is no coming back. I think I will stick to remembering the old Atari, you know, the one before 1998!
[…] days the Atari name is almost nowhere to be seen: the company is not the company it was when it was great. […]