TJL
02-12-2003, 11:12 PM
Sad news today for any of you who are old enough to remember their old Atari Video Game System. Read on...
Video game pioneer Atari sinks
By NANCY DILLON
DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER
It's game over for Atari.
The last studio linked to the iconic video game company is winding down its operations this month. More than a hundred employees are losing their jobs.
Some of these staffers date back to Atari's heyday in the 1970s. One employee worked on Atari's second game, Tank.
Parent company Midway Games, which bought Atari's arcade division in 1996, said the downsizing is necessary to cut costs.
Founded by engineer Nolan Bushnell, Atari shot to fame in the early '70s with a coin-operated cabinet featuring a video tennis game called Pong.
The company later made the leap to a household name with its Model 2600 game system and beloved titles such as Asteroids and Centipede.
The bulky, black and brown 2600 was the first multi-game system to attach to a user's TV and bring the arcade experience into everyday living rooms.
Vintage 2600 machines, complete with fist-grip joysticks sporting red thumb buttons, sell on eBay for upwards of $100, compared with their $79 retail price two decades ago.
"It makes me sad," Bushnell told the Daily News. "You get a strong parental feeling toward things you create. And it's distressing when they fall to earth under somebody else."
Bushnell sold Atari to Warner (now AOL Time Warner) in 1976. The company later splintered, with the arcade business going to Midway and many consumer titles eventually landing at French gaming giant Infogrames.
Infogrames has re-released some nostalgia titles in formats to match contemporary consoles. But now, there'll be no new games from Atari's creators.
Video game pioneer Atari sinks
By NANCY DILLON
DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER
It's game over for Atari.
The last studio linked to the iconic video game company is winding down its operations this month. More than a hundred employees are losing their jobs.
Some of these staffers date back to Atari's heyday in the 1970s. One employee worked on Atari's second game, Tank.
Parent company Midway Games, which bought Atari's arcade division in 1996, said the downsizing is necessary to cut costs.
Founded by engineer Nolan Bushnell, Atari shot to fame in the early '70s with a coin-operated cabinet featuring a video tennis game called Pong.
The company later made the leap to a household name with its Model 2600 game system and beloved titles such as Asteroids and Centipede.
The bulky, black and brown 2600 was the first multi-game system to attach to a user's TV and bring the arcade experience into everyday living rooms.
Vintage 2600 machines, complete with fist-grip joysticks sporting red thumb buttons, sell on eBay for upwards of $100, compared with their $79 retail price two decades ago.
"It makes me sad," Bushnell told the Daily News. "You get a strong parental feeling toward things you create. And it's distressing when they fall to earth under somebody else."
Bushnell sold Atari to Warner (now AOL Time Warner) in 1976. The company later splintered, with the arcade business going to Midway and many consumer titles eventually landing at French gaming giant Infogrames.
Infogrames has re-released some nostalgia titles in formats to match contemporary consoles. But now, there'll be no new games from Atari's creators.