Atari

Atari  is the producer of video games created in 1972.

The company is known for Atari 2600 video game consoles and classical video games, such as Pong, Asteroids and Centipede. In further Atari lost competitive struggle in the market of consoles to the Japanese producers.

As a result of Atari left this segment and began to be engaged in development of games for the PC, smartphones, tablets and video game consoles.

History

The brand and company assets several times changed the owner. In October, 2001 the French company Infogrames Entertainment purchased the name Atari, and in May, 2003 refused the use in its advantage - Atari SA.

In 2005 many old video games Atari were reissued by Nokia company for the game N-Gage panel under the Atari Masterpieces Vol logos. I and Atari Masterpieces Vol. II.

2013: Statement for bankruptcy and attempts of rescue of the company

In January, 2013 the Atari company submitted the application for protection against creditors according to the American bankrupcy law. Thus the American enterprise tries to keep separate from the French parent company Atari SA which went bankrupt because of a difficult economic situation in Europe too.

Judicial petitions about protection against creditors gave Atari, Atari Interactive and two more American companies belonging to Atari SA. Now assets of Atari SA in the United States should be sold or transformed to the independent enterprises. As declare in Atari U.S., independent financing sources which will allow the companies to develop further are found.

Later in March, 2013 it became known that the former CEO of Atari Interactive Frederik Shesne is going to redeem 25.23% of its shares that will allow it to be engaged in search of financing for further work of the company.

For March, 2013 the main shareholder and the main creditor of Atari Interactive is the BlueBay Asset Management group. Shesne will acquire at it shares and the convertible bonds Atari Iteractive for only 400 euros, and his investment company Ker Ventures will grant a short-term loan in the amount of 250 thousand euros the French Atari SA (the American Atari Iteractive is its subsidiary company). Further, Atari debt to BlueBay in the amount of 21 million euros will buy up Alden investment fund. He will grant loans to other American subsidiary companies Atari. Frederik Shesne works in the game industry long ago. Except a post of the CEO of Atari Interactive he held positions of the chief financial officer and deputy operating officer of Atari Group^[1].

Despite appearance of new shareholders, the situation in Atari remains difficult. Decisions of the American court on bankruptcies should play an important role in it.

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