Leading videogame publisher Infogrames Entertainment SA (IESA) has changed its corporate name to Atari. Infogrames (New York City and Lyon, France) acquired the Atari brand when it bought the interactive assets of toymaker Hasbro in January 2001 and has periodically used the name, one of the oldest (30 years) and most legendary in videogame history, for titles such as DRAGON BALL Z, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, SUPERMAN, TERMINATOR 3 and ENTER THE MATRIX, which debuts on May 15, 2003, day and date with the film, THE MATRIX RELOADED.
"Our industry is now outpacing the Hollywood box office," said Bruno Bonnell, president/ceo of IESA and Atari. "By choosing Atari as our signature, we are demonstrating our commitment to this growth and our determination to take entertainment to the next level for gamers worldwide."
"It's the perfect time in our history to make this change," Bonnell continued. Launching ENTER THE MATRIX "has redefined the Hollywood license, setting a new standard for the convergence of games and films," said Bonnell. "The 'break the mold' approach we took with ENTER THE MATRIX exemplifies the very personality. Atari has always represented. It captures the personality of our company today, from game development to deal-making partnerships and so on." It's also auspicious timing with the E3 gaming conference underway in Los Angeles May 13-16, 2003.
The company's French parent, Infogrames Entertainment, will retain its name and Euronext trading code "5257," all of the company's worldwide operations will be conducted under the Atari brand. The U.S. unit will be known as Atari Inc. and will trade on NASDAQ under the symbol ATAR. For more information, visits www.atari.com.
