Atari Acquires Accolade Brand and IP to Over 100 Games

[GraffitiTavern]

A few articles:

https://www.axios.com/2023/04/17/atari-wade-rosen-interview (gives a bit more detail on the retro focus, but not really enough to give a full thread about)

https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-up-over-100-groundbreaking-and-award-winning-games-from-the-80s-and-90s-and-says-many-will-be-re-released/ 

https://www.engadget.com/atari-acquires-the-rights-to-over-100-pc-and-console-classics-103507660.html

[+jgkspsx]

Unfortunately I believe that the IP for Elite and the Sid Meier games have already been sold on so they wouldn’t be part of this.

[82-T/A]

This is really cool! There were so many fantastic games under those brands. Someone in here mentioned Mean-18... damn, I played that game all the time on my 8088 back in the day.

 

A lot of these generate SOME revenue already from Good Ole Games, so there's that... but I suppose it gives them a lot of opportunity. I wonder what they paid?

[Tommy2D]

13 hours ago, zzip said:

Microprose had a lot of amazing games.   And many Accolade games were groundbreaking for their time-  Hardball!, Test Drive.

 

So in terms of IP acquisition, I think this is more exciting than the Stern deal

 

But both mostly focused on the Home Computer/PC space, meaning KB/Mouse driven, rather than the retro-console games Atari has been focused on reissuing.   So I'm not sure what they plan to do with them.

I have very fond memories of playing Test Drive, on the C64.  In retrospect, the action is so slow.  It's probably 5fps when you are driving. The little animations and the assessment texts, after each mission, remain awesome. 

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by Tommy2D

[82-T/A]

12 hours ago, Tommy2D said:

I have very fond memories of playing Test Drive, on the C64.  In retrospect, the action is so slow.  It's probably 5fps when you are driving. The little animations and the assessment texts, after each mission, remain awesome. 

 

 

Oh man... that was hands-down one of my favorite games. I LOVED Test Drive...

 

On the PC, there was some kind of cheat... if you mashed the keyboard... like the home row keys, you'd go from 0 to 120mph in a second... and as long as you didn't crash, you'd be able to maintain that speed till you got to the gas station. Hahah...

 

[Duke75]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:36 AM, swlovinist said:

Looking at the games Accolade published, does this acquisition include the Star Control series?  

Star Control seems to have a peculiar situation where Stardock owns the name/trademark while Toys for Bob has the right to make sequels to the original 2 games. There was an ugly legal situation a while back that they all sorted out through a face to face meeting.

[GraffitiTavern]

Roundup of a few more articles on the story:

https://www.ign.com/articles/atari-just-bought-a-ton-of-classic-80s-and-90s-video-game-ip

https://www.eurogamer.net/atari-has-acquired-the-rights-to-a-load-of-old-retro-ip-including-busby-and-hardball

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/04/atari-has-acquired-the-rights-to-one-of-ps1s-worst-ever-games

https://www.gamesradar.com/atari-buys-the-rights-to-over-100-retro-games-threatens-to-bring-back-the-worst-mascot-of-the-90s/

[+jeremiahjt]

14 hours ago, GraffitiTavern said:

Roundup of a few more articles on the story:

https://www.ign.com/articles/atari-just-bought-a-ton-of-classic-80s-and-90s-video-game-ip

https://www.eurogamer.net/atari-has-acquired-the-rights-to-a-load-of-old-retro-ip-including-busby-and-hardball

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/04/atari-has-acquired-the-rights-to-one-of-ps1s-worst-ever-games

https://www.gamesradar.com/atari-buys-the-rights-to-over-100-retro-games-threatens-to-bring-back-the-worst-mascot-of-the-90s/

Strange that a couple of those articles focused on Bubsy 3D. I guess they were going more for laughs than information.

[MrMaddog]

3 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

Strange that a couple of those articles focused on Bubsy 3D. I guess they were going more for laughs than information.

 

Ironic they they were all hyperactive 90's kids growing up...

 

[Atariboy2600]

Can anyone list what the 100 games are?

[Nall3k]

Maybe we'll get the Jaguar version of Bubsy for Atari 50 as DLC.

[+jgkspsx]

10 hours ago, Nall3k said:

Maybe we'll get the Jaguar version of Bubsy for Atari 50 as DLC.

Oddly enough, that was not listed in the games that Atari sold in bankruptcy. I am not sure who owned it.

[+jeremiahjt]

We knew the complete list of Stern games the very next day. I guess since this deal involves more games they have not released a quick list yet.

[GraffitiTavern]

Wow! Featured on Good Morning America(seriously)

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/announcement-atari-reaches-nostalgic-fans-98772777

[AAA177]

Law of the West was an Accolade game, I believe. Anyone know if that one is part of the purchase (the list that was posted previously did not include it, but I assume it was incomplete?)?

 

This is a very interesting thread, touching on the business model. To me, Atari should continue to purchase IP, as well as develop new games for its platforms (and thus of course PC) but ... do it in the original way it was done before. Hire programmers to write these titles in assembly code, produce cartridges for the original systems (2600/5200/etc.). Hire Audacity Games to make titles, and re-release some of these systems (Circus Convoy could certainly be the in-game cartridge for a new release of the 2600). Some partnership with ATVI could be pursued such that perhaps Audacity could work on a true third Pitfall!. I would then agree with the release that perhaps the IP - and any new IP as I have described - could be turned into other ancillary opportunities, such as films/episodic. (As I always say, can anyone tell me why there has never been a Pitfall! live action movie? Always wanted to see Bruce Campbell in that role, but maybe Chris Pratt or Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd or even Downey Jr., could take that character...and this from someone who has never seen a Marvel film in full, and is not really a fan! Or I suppose Illumination/NBCUni could work its magic on that IP the way it just did for the famous video-game brothers)

[GraffitiTavern]

49 minutes ago, AAA177 said:

To me, Atari should continue to purchase IP, as well as develop new games for its platforms (and thus of course PC) but ... do it in the original way it was done before. (emphasis mine)

I'll say I disagree here. They should definitely keep making carts for the classic systems, and I love the arcade PCB revisions they just announced, but if they just stick too closely to the 'Golden Era' (1977-1982) retro that is seriously limiting. One issue is that they need to find ways to keep Atari relevant to modern gaming, if they only bank on a small pool of nostalgic fans who grew up on the 2600 then are dealing with a finite pool of customers. My thoughts are they should definitely draw on the IP and history, support the classics, but also develop new IP for modern systems, reinterpret the grand tradition of Shooting Things in Space on a Screen for gaming in the '20s. One reason I was happy to Kombinera.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Finite and dwindling pool of customers, as we've all seen, sadly, firsthand even on AtariAge.

[AAA177]

Good points from both (my like on the one from CC is because it is something to concede on my part, obviously I would rather the customer pool not decrease, for any reason, certainly; reminds me of Danny Devito's speech in Other People's Money). 

 

Let me amend and say perhaps the company can make 26/52/7800-type stuff but from the point of view of making games that appear to be from that era but more advanced in the way that the later games were. For instance, something like Montezuma's Revenge, which to me holds up today, and is as appealing as the PC versions were. Or, as the homebrews are doing now, make them with the larger memory to properly make the titles. Another possible revenue stream: adapting stuff from higher platforms to the 26/52/etc. aesthetic. Imagine if a Disney game such as Castle of Illusion were to be given the old Atari treatment...

 

I do concede that I am obviously biased in my enthusiasm here, what I suggest may not work. But maybe it could be a part of a business model, with the other part being as you say trying to find the next Resident Evil or Call of Duty. 

 

Lastly, to CC...I like the Candy image. Uncle Buck is one of my favorite films...

[+x=usr(1536)]

10 hours ago, AAA177 said:

As I always say, can anyone tell me why there has never been a Pitfall! live action movie?

It's been talked about a number of times.  Haven't heard anything about it in years, but my understanding is that in the last go-round entirely too much money was being asked for the rights to the name, characters, and setting.

[Duke75]

10 hours ago, GraffitiTavern said:

I'll say I disagree here. They should definitely keep making carts for the classic systems, and I love the arcade PCB revisions they just announced, but if they just stick too closely to the 'Golden Era' (1977-1982) retro that is seriously limiting. One issue is that they need to find ways to keep Atari relevant to modern gaming, if they only bank on a small pool of nostalgic fans who grew up on the 2600 then are dealing with a finite pool of customers. My thoughts are they should definitely draw on the IP and history, support the classics, but also develop new IP for modern systems, reinterpret the grand tradition of Shooting Things in Space on a Screen for gaming in the '20s. One reason I was happy to Kombinera.

Thanks to the growth of indie and AA-level games, there's plenty of room for Atari to not worry about being a big budget powerhouse and instead occupy a niche of making games that have a certain Atari/retro aesthetic, either updates of classic names or new games that work on a similar level. IMO, Atari should look to be a facilitator/publisher of games like Donut Dodo or Annalyn (just naming a couple of the top of my head) while keeping up stuff like the Recharged line or Akka Arrh.

[GraffitiTavern]

10 hours ago, Cebus Capucinis said:

Finite and dwindling pool of customers, as we've all seen, sadly, firsthand even on AtariAge.

Unfortunately. BUT, this is why I suggested a member drive, Atari has been making a lot of headlines the past year, and with some good press and the success of Atari 50 there might be some younger adults like me who may not have grown up with Atari but like gaming history and have had some fun with the Recharged+50 games, and as much as anything, traditional forums themselves are just less popular now. You could probably find some new Atari fans lurking in the comments of Atari history videos on Youtube or the Atari-focused subreddits.

 

[Cebus Capucinis]

3 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

It's been talked about a number of times.  Haven't heard anything about it in years, but my understanding is that in the last go-round entirely too much money was being asked for the rights to the name, characters, and setting.

That's probably good. We wouldn't want anything LOW QUALITY to sully the film industry. Must put out polished and professional product, unlike HOMEBREWS, or so I've heard.

[MrMaddog]

On 4/23/2023 at 1:13 PM, Nall3k said:

Maybe we'll get the Jaguar version of Bubsy for Atari 50 as DLC.

 

No need, there's already a Bubsy collection on Steam.  Maybe Atari can put it on the VCS and include the Jag game...

 

On 4/24/2023 at 7:54 PM, GraffitiTavern said:

Wow! Featured on Good Morning America(seriously)

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/announcement-atari-reaches-nostalgic-fans-98772777

 

A Bubsy movie!?

 

[+jeremiahjt]

I would really like to get the full list of games from this acquisition. How did the full list of Stern games become known?

[duzkiss]

On 4/19/2023 at 8:41 PM, jeremiahjt said:

After reading the article, I do have some questions. Did they buy Accolade, and Accolade owned all this? Or did they just buy these games and companies from another company? They can use Accolade and GTI names, who owns the MicroProse and Infogrammes names?

Micropose owns Micropose name as the founders bought that back minus half the assets.