Infogrames could change name to Atari

by Alexander Sliwinski { Apr 14th 2008 at 3:30PM }

Infogrames CEO, David Gardner, tells GI.biz that the company may drop its name (which rocks our world) completely for the Atari marquee brand. He wants the company thought of as a "start-up" and the name change to represent the "final mark" of transformation. Directeur Général Délégué Phil Harrison chimes in that the company, as it stands now with a new management team less than a year old, is "absolutely a start-up" -- it's just a start-up with 25 years of history (and some serious financial drama).

Harrison and Gardner had apparently been talking about doing their own company for a long time. Harrison explains that the two had made significant plans and then the Atari opportunity came along. It was a company that had global infrastructure, offices, branding and was exactly the type of company the two were looking for. It'll probably become much easier to think of Atari as a "new" company once it announces some new IPs and gets the "old" company's games out the door, like the oft-delayed Alone in the Dark.

Tags: atari, david-gardner, gardner, harrison, infogrames, phil-harrison

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

J.Goodwin @ Apr 14th 2008 3:37PM

Oh man, this is a BAD idea.

Who said Phil Harrison knew what he was doing? They might as well have hired Bernie Stolar at this rate.

HighFiveJesus @ Apr 14th 2008 3:38PM

Could change its name?

Call it.

Batzarro @ Apr 14th 2008 3:39PM

Gotta see that damn movie!

Also, WHAT?

Benny @ Apr 14th 2008 5:47PM

That pretty much sums up how I felt at the end of the movie.

StrangeBum @ Apr 14th 2008 6:42PM

@Benny

haha, hilarious but oh so true.

and as for you Batzarro, it's definitely a recommended movie to watch. The Coen brothers are fantastic as usual but it is a little...off kilter(?)

NATO_Duke @ Apr 14th 2008 3:39PM

I wish the best for those kids and their Atari or whatever they call it. I'm sure it will be a huge success, kinda like that game machine I got in 1977 by that one company....what was their name? Damn.

Anyway, I'm sure that with a name like Atari, folks are gonna beat down the door for your games, even if you're just a new start-up.

Esat Dedezade @ Apr 14th 2008 3:40PM

Anton Chigurh = best villain ever.

Benny @ Apr 14th 2008 3:45PM

I wouldn't give him my shirt though.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 14th 2008 3:53PM

Heads or Tails......call it!

Shmil (Brawl Code 2621-2310-1994) @ Apr 14th 2008 5:39PM

friendo

Benny @ Apr 14th 2008 3:42PM

I've never understood the name Infogrames. It's like 'Infogames', only with an 'r'.

Chase @ Apr 14th 2008 3:47PM

It's pronounced "in-fo-grr-ahmz" as opposed to popular belief of "in-fo-grr-aimz."

Benny @ Apr 14th 2008 3:59PM

I Wiki'd it and it's French.

Explains quite a lot, actually.

Chase @ Apr 14th 2008 3:46PM

Infogrames is innovation. Power of imagination. Infogrames is entertainment - that rocks my world. Rocks, rocks, rocks my worlds. Rocks, rocks, rocks my world...

McWeen @ Apr 14th 2008 3:48PM

Atari reminds most people of old school stuff not new products.

Noah @ Apr 14th 2008 3:49PM

I don't get the reference. What does this have to do with NCfOM?

HighFiveJesus @ Apr 14th 2008 4:01PM

everything, friendo.

StrangeBum @ Apr 14th 2008 6:43PM

Just call it....friendo..

PojoMofo @ Apr 14th 2008 3:54PM

why do people think the Atari still holds weight?

Infogrames/Atari/whatever the hell they call themselves= Chapter 11 in

Deck @ Apr 14th 2008 3:58PM

They are going down I am sorry to say. And how this really is a "start-up" is beyond me. A change of management/team doesn't make it a start-up.

Bluemanrule @ Apr 14th 2008 4:33PM

I think Phil's point is that strategically, Atari is moving in a completely different direction just like a start-up company. I'm really behind this and I want Phil to tell Infogrames to rethink the Dragonball series.

Zertoss @ Apr 14th 2008 4:21PM

What next? Are they going to appear on the cover of a Madden game? Maybe they could play Superman in a movie or TV series too.

vegi-saurus @ Apr 14th 2008 4:25PM

InfogrAtari? No?

I just have too much time today.

Reid b. @ Apr 14th 2008 5:11PM

Greatari? No?

Here's an idea (maybe AMD can use this too before EVERYONE leaves their company) how about instead of worrying about a stupid name, they produce and sell great products? Call me crazy.

Kye - NDF Sniper @ Apr 14th 2008 5:32PM

Everytime I see that logo I think of an armadillo.

Am I the only one?

Benny @ Apr 14th 2008 5:46PM

Mmm... I see it at a mildly musical spring.

Markusdragon @ Apr 14th 2008 8:00PM

It looks like an armadillo because it's an armadillo. Their corporate mascot has been an armadillo for as long as I can remember.

Markster @ Apr 14th 2008 6:04PM

Didn't they already do this years ago? hmm...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infogrames#Atari_Group

Ah, I see. They renamed several of their subsidiaries, but not the entire company.

Akukami @ Apr 14th 2008 7:15PM

1983. It's been traveling twenty-five years to get here. And now it's here. And it's either Atari or Infogrames. And you have to say. Call it.

*Awesome movie*