Atari Acquires Intellivision, Ending Decades-Long Console Rivalry
In a move reminiscent of one beverage giant acquiring another, Atari has announced its acquisition of the Intellivision brand along with the rights to over 200 games from Intellivision Entertainment.
The rivalry between Atari and Intellivision is often considered the first console war in the gaming industry, dating back to the late 1970s. Mattel Electronics released the first Intellivision home video game console in 1979, which sold around 5 million units by 1990, competing directly with the Atari 2600, which debuted in 1977. The competition was so intense that Mattel even enlisted George Plimpton for a series of comparative advertisements and an eight-minute promotional video showcased at Gamescom.
Atari, founded in 1972 and now owned by France’s Atari SA (formerly Infogrames), has a rich legacy of classic games such as Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command.
The acquisition will see Intellivision Entertainment rebranding and continuing its work on the Amico game console under a license from Atari. This license will allow Intellivision to distribute new versions of its game portfolio on the Amico console. Notably, Intellivision boasts the release of the first 16-bit game console, two generations before it became an industry standard.
“This was a unique chance to bring together former rivals and unite fans of both Atari and Intellivision, celebrating the golden age of gaming,” stated Wade Rosen, chairman and CEO of Atari.
Mike Mika, head of Digital Eclipse, an Atari-owned game studio, added, “Bringing Atari and Intellivision together after 45 years marks the end of the longest-running console war in history.”
Atari plans to enhance both digital and physical distribution of Intellivision’s classic games, explore new game development, and pursue brand and licensing opportunities as part of a strategic plan to leverage Intellivision properties.
“Intellivision has found a valuable partner in Atari, and we trust they will uphold the legacy of the Intellivision brand responsibly,” said Phil Adam, CEO of Intellivision Entertainment. “We are excited about our expanded collaboration and the potential to introduce a wide range of new titles to the Amico gaming platform.”
To celebrate the acquisition, Atari will begin selling new Intellivision T-shirts on its website starting Thursday, with additional Intellivision apparel and collectibles to follow.
