Atari Inc.

Atari Inc.
source
Name	Atari Inc.
Type	Public
Industry	Video games
Founded	1972
Founder	Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney
Defunct	1984
Fate	Split into Atari Corporation and Atari Games
Location	Sunnyvale, California

Atari Inc. was a pioneering American video game and home computer company that played a significant role in the development of the video game industry. Founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in 1972, the company is best known for its iconic Arcade games such as Pong, Asteroids, and Centipede, which were developed in collaboration with Lyle Rains and Ed Logg. The company's early success was fueled by the popularity of its Home console systems, including the Atari 2600, which was designed by Jay Miner and competed with the Intellivision console from Mattel Electronics. The company's innovative products and marketing strategies, such as its partnership with Warner Communications, helped to establish it as a major player in the emerging video game market.

● History

The history of Atari Inc. began in 1972, when Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded the company in Los Gatos, California. The company's first product was Pong, a simple tennis-like game developed by Allan Alcorn, which was released in 1972 and became a huge success. The company's early success was fueled by the popularity of its Arcade games, including Space Invaders, which was developed by Taito and licensed to Atari Inc. for distribution in North America. The company's Home console systems, including the Atari 2600, were also highly successful, with popular games such as Missile Command, developed by Dave Theurer, and Defender, developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar. The company's success was not limited to the United States, as it also established a strong presence in Europe and Japan, with partnerships with companies such as Namco and Sega.

● Products

Atari Inc. developed and published a wide range of products, including Arcade games, Home console systems, and Home computers. Some of the company's most notable products include the Atari 2600, which was designed by Jay Miner and competed with the Intellivision console from Mattel Electronics. The company also developed and published popular games such as Asteroids, developed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg, and Centipede, developed by Lyle Rains and Dona Bailey. The company's Home computer line, including the Atari 400 and Atari 800, was also highly successful, with popular software titles such as Microsoft BASIC, developed by Microsoft, and Atari BASIC, developed by Paul Laughton. The company's products were often designed in collaboration with other companies, such as General Computer Corporation, which developed the Atari 7800 console.

● Financial Troubles

Despite its early success, Atari Inc. faced significant financial troubles in the early 1980s. The company's Home console market was highly competitive, with companies such as Coleco Industries and Sega competing for market share. The company's Atari 2600 console, which had been highly successful in the late 1970s and early 1980s, began to decline in popularity, and the company's attempts to release new consoles, such as the Atari 5200, were unsuccessful. The company's financial troubles were exacerbated by the North American video game crash of 1983, which was caused in part by the company's own E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial game, developed by Howard Scott Warshaw, which was widely panned by critics and consumers. The company's financial troubles ultimately led to its split into Atari Corporation and Atari Games in 1984.

● Legacy

The legacy of Atari Inc. is still felt today, with the company's iconic games and consoles continuing to be popular among retro gaming enthusiasts. The company's innovative products and marketing strategies, such as its partnership with Warner Communications, helped to establish it as a major player in the emerging video game market. The company's influence can be seen in the work of other companies, such as Nintendo, which developed the highly successful Nintendo Entertainment System console, and Sony Computer Entertainment, which developed the PlayStation console. The company's legacy is also celebrated through various museums and exhibitions, such as the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, which features a collection of Atari Inc.'s historic products and artifacts.

● Notable Figures

Atari Inc. was led by a number of notable figures, including Nolan Bushnell, who founded the company in 1972, and Ted Dabney, who served as the company's first president. Other notable figures include Jay Miner, who designed the Atari 2600 console, and Lyle Rains and Ed Logg, who developed the company's iconic Asteroids and Centipede games. The company also employed a number of other notable figures, including Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who worked at the company before founding Apple Inc., and Ron Milner, who developed the company's Atari 800 computer. The company's notable figures also include George Lucas, who partnered with the company to develop the Atari 2600 game Star Wars, and Steven Spielberg, who partnered with the company to develop the Atari 2600 game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.