Acquisitions have been rampant in the games industry recently. While the prime example on everyone’s mind is likely Xbox’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard, several have already occurred in 2024. The latest was announced today by Atari, which confirmed it is acquiring its longtime rival, Intellivision.
Atari announced it has purchased the Intellivision brand and more than 200 games from Intellvision Entertainment. As part of the deal, Intellivision Entertainment will rebrand and continue developing and distributing the Amico game console with a license from Atari to distribute new versions of Intellivision games on the console. Atari will also look to expand digital and physical distribution of legacy Intellivision games, potentially create new games, and explore licensing opportunities.
“This was a very rare opportunity to unite former competitors and bring together fans of Atari, Intellivision, and the golden age of gaming,” chairman and CEO of Atari Wade Rosen said in a press release.
“Atari has been a valuable partner and we have every confidence they will be a responsible steward of the storied Intellvision brand,” CEO of Intellivision Entertainment Phil Adam said. “We look forward to our expanded collaboration and bringing a broad array of new Atari and Intellivision titles to the Amico and Amico Home family gaming platforms.”
Atari has been experiencing a bit of a re-emergence in the public consciousness lately. In addition to other acquisitions, such as Nightdive Studios and Digital Eclipse, Atari has also published well-received games like Mr. Run and Jump and Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. For more on Atari’s outlook and current strategy, be sure to listen to a 2023 episode of All Things Nintendo, which featured an in-depth conversation with Wade Rosen right here.