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| Overview |
Overview
"Atari will lead mass-market demand for interactive entertainment"
Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext: 5257) is one of the world's leading publishers and distributors of video games for all consoles (Microsoft®, Nintendo®, Sega® and Sony®), personal computers (PCs), and Macintosh hardware, as well as all available interactive platforms. With its acquisition of the former Hasbro Interactive (now Atari Interactive, Inc.), which is managed by its publicly traded U.S. subsidiary Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), Infogrames Entertainment SA has become one of the top five third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the world. Atari has an extensive catalog of video games to reach players of all ages, interests and regions of the world. Included in its more than 1,000-title catalog are some of the industry's most popular franchises, including Alone in the Dark, Deer Hunter, Driver, Independence War, RollerCoaster Tycoon, Test Drive, Unreal Tournament, and V-Rally, among many others. In addition, Atari has exclusive rights to some of the world's most popular and recognizable licenses, including Warner. Bros.' Looney Tunes, Warner. Bros.' The Matrix, Paramount Pictures' Mission: Impossible, Monopoly, Survivor, Le Mans 24 Hours, NASCAR, and Major League Baseball, among others. Atari distributes it games to more than 60 countries worldwide, with a particularly strong presence in Europe and the U.S. In Europe, the Company's distribution network encompasses more than 30,000 retail outlets spanning all territories; in North America, the Company's distribution network reaches more than 22,000 retail outlets, including mass merchants and superstores (e.g. Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us, etc.), specialty retailers and online outlets.
Infogrames Entertainment SA
Founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet, Infogrames Entertainment SA today has more than 1,800 employees worldwide (approximately 60% in Europe and 40% in the U.S.). A publicly traded company, Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext: 5257) is one of the top five publishers of interactive entertainment software in the world and is widely regarded for developing and distributing quality games for the mass entertainment audience.
What We DoInfogrames Entertainment SA's mission is to create unique gaming experiences for entertainment consumers of all ages and interests, crossing all platforms and geographic boundaries. The Company produces, publishes and distributes interactive games for all consoles (Microsoft®, Nintendo®, Sega® and Sony®), personal computers (PCs), and Macintosh hardware, as well as all available interactive platforms. The Atari Product LibraryWith more than 1,000 titles in its global catalog, Infogrames Entertainment SA is one of the world's largest publishers of interactive games. The Company's products span all genres of entertainment and include some of the industry's leading franchises and some of the world's most recognizable licenses. Key Franchises
Key Licenses
PublishingAtari's products are developed internally at development studios owned and/or managed by the Company around the world, as well as as with external development studios whom the Company contracts to develop specific properties. Over the years, Atari has cultivated relationships with many of the industry's most widely regarded development studios:
Distribution
With a global distribution network that reaches in excess of 50,000 retail outlets, Infogrames Entertainment SA is a major force in the interactive entertainment marketplace. In Europe, the Company is the industry leader in distribution, reaching more than 30,000 retail outlets. This distribution network spans all of Europe, as well as the Pacific Rim region. In North America, Atari's distribution organization encompasses more than 22,000 outlets, distributing titles developed and acquired by Atari, as well as titles from Atari, Inc.'s affiliate labels, which include such companies as Strategy First, Xicat, and Codemasters. Infogrames Entertainment SA Acquisition History
Atari, Inc.Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) is a majority owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA and encompasses its North American operations. With headquarters in New York City, Atari, Inc. employs approximately 750 employees across the U.S. Currently one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S., Atari, Inc. develops, publishes and distributes games for all available platforms. PublishingAtari's publishing business consists primarily of two publishing studios (Santa Monica, California and Beverly, Massachusetts) which focus on the Company's core strengths: kids/family games, action/adventure games, and sports/racing games. With its emphasis on producing interactive entertainment for a mass entertainment audience, the Company publishes games at a variety of price points, ranging from value-priced titles to premium-priced products. Major releases due out throughout the first half of 2005 include: Act of War: Direct Action (PC), Backyard Baseball 2006 (GBA), DRIV3R (PC), Retro Atari Classics (DS), Dragon Ball Z: Sagas (GC/PS2/XBX), Blue’s Clues Kindergarten, Dora the Explorer Adventure 3 Pack (PC), Sid Meier’s Pirates!, Boiling Point (PC), Dragonshard (PC), Dragon Ball GT: Transformation (GBA) and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked! (PC), among others. These titles join the Company's catalog of product which includes the following franchises: Alone in the Dark, Backyard Sports, Civilization, Deer Hunter, Driver, Freddi Fish, Monopoly, Pajama Sam, Putt Putt, RollerCoaster Tycoon, Spy Fox, Test Drive, TONKA, V-Rally and Unreal, among others. In addition, the Company has forged significant relationships with many of the entertainment industry's leading film and television studios and by doing so, has amassed a list of licenses that features some of the world's most popular entertainment properties, including: BeyBlade, Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer, Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, Jeopardy, Warner Bros.' The Matrix, Warner. Bros.' Looney Tunes, Men In Black, Mission: Impossible, Terminator, Nicktoons, Wheel of Fortune, World of Outlaws and Yu Yu Hakusho, among others. Like its parent company, Atari, Inc. divides its development efforts between internal and external development studios Internal Development Studios
Key External Development Studios
DistributionIn North America, Atari's distribution organization encompasses more than 22,000 outlets, ranging from mass merchants and superstores to specialty stores, office superstores and wholesale clubs, as well as online retailers. In addition to distributing titles developed and acquired by Atari, this network also handles the distribution for Atari, Inc.'s affiliate labels, which include such companies as Strategy First, Xicat, and Codemasters. Atari EuropeAtari Europe is the European division of Infogrames Entertainment SA and represents the company's original operations in Lyon, France. A 100%-owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA, Atari Europe is not publicly traded. The Group produces and publishes interactive games for all platforms available in Europe and oversees distribution of the Atari catalog throughout Europe. In addition, as a result of significant publishing and distribution deals, Atari Europe also distributes titles of affiliate companies, including Sega, Bandai, and Square Soft, across the continent. Atari Europe is organized to serve three primary regions: Northern Europe (United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries), Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Israel), and Eastern Europe (Germany, Austria, Benelux, Switzerland and countries of Eastern Europe). Australia and New Zealand are also considered part of Atari Europe's territory because both areas utilize the European PAL video standard. |
| History |
1972 - 2004
1972On June 27, Atari is officially incorporated. In November, Atari ships, PONG®, its first commercial product for the arcade. 1976Warner Communications buys Atari for $28 million. 1977Atari launches The Atari Video Computer System (VCS) Model #2600 (the Atari 2600). Nine games are designed and released for the holiday season. 1979Atari releases Asteroids for the arcade. Atari introduces its new line of Home Computers: The Atari 400/800 Series. 1980Atari releases a home version of Space Invaders. 1981Atari releases a home version of Asteroids. 1982Atari licenses Pac Man and positions it to be Atari's mascot and central sales image. Atari releases its next-generation console, the Atari 5200 SuperSystem. 1983Atari announces and releases a new line of home computers, the 600/800XL. In June, Infogrames Entertainment (IESA) is founded by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet in Lyon, France. They publish and distribute the Company's first title, Le Cube Informatique, an educational product which sets the standard for future titles in the educational field. 1984Atari launches the Atari 7800 PROsystem gaming console. Warner Communications sells its Atari Home Computer and Consumer Electronics divisions to Tramiel Technoloties, Ltd. Atari retains a 25% stake in Tramiel Technologies' newly purchased Atari assets. Warner Communications retains the Atari Coin-op Division. 1985Atari Corp announces its new line of home computers, the Atari XE series and the all-new Atari ST series 1987Atari releases its new XEGS gaming system. IESA creates its first two subsidiaries: Infogrames Télématique, dedicated to the design and publishing of games for interactive videotex networks, and Infogrames Multimedia, established to design and publish interactive games for consoles, the PC, CD-I and CD-ROM. 1988IESA distributes Sim City, the first-ever simulation game to allow a player to create and govern a city. The title goes on to become the year's best-seller. 1989Atari acquires the "Handy," a portable color video gaming system, from Epyx Software. The product is renamed the Atari Lynx. 1990The Atari Lynx launches as a direct competitor with the Nintendo GameBoy. 1992IESA unleashes the now-famous Alone in the Dark, the first survival-horror game, onto the PC market. 1993Atari launches the Atari Jaguar 64 video game console. On December 16, IESA floats an offering on the Paris "Second Marché" Stock Exchange. Demand for shares outstrips supply by a staggering ratio of 530 to 1 (61 million share requests to 115,000 shares at 162FF each). The proceeds generated are used to support the Company's growth and to finance development of new products. IESA launches the first Asterix game, which becomes the best-selling cartridge in Europe with more than 700,000 copies sold during the year. 1994IESA's expansion continues with the creation of two more subsidiaries: Infogrames Entertainment Benelux in Brussels and Infogrames Entertainment GmbH in Cologne (in association with CLT, a leading player in the European audiovisual industry). In June, IESA offers an additional 230,062 shares, raising 75,920,460 FF. 1996Atari announces a reverse merger into JTS, a small hard disk maker. IESA acquires British publishing company Ocean Software Ltd., enabling the Company to increase its software development capacity, broaden its product line-up, and extend its geographical reach. In June, more IESA shares are issued (276,232 shares for a total of 220,981,600 FF comprising the shares issued in consideration of the acquisition of Ocean and the shares in Infogrames Entertainment GmbH sold by CLT). 1997On July 1, Philips Media transfers its multimedia publishing and distribution activities to IESA, making IESA the leading developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software in Europe. An agreement is signed with EMME to distribute IESA's cultural and educational catalog and IESA takes a 26% stake in EMME. IESA's nominally priced stock is re-issued on a five-for-one basis on December 12, to increase share liquidity and availablity. 1998JTS sells its Atari assets to Hasbro Interactive for $5 million. IESA secures the illustrious Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes license, ulitmately generating a catalog of five titles featuring the world-famous stable of characters. IESA and Canal+ launch Europe's first TV channel dedicated to video games. The Company obtains exclusive worldwide distribution rights to Canal+ Multimedia's existing and future catalog. IESA raises additional capital by issuing shares with redeemable share warrants (ABSA) valued at 597 million FF. 1999Hasbro Interactive releases a new line of revamped Atari titles: Missile Command, Pong, Centipede and Atari Arcade Hits, among others. IESA embarks on a major strategic expansion initiative: In February, IESA acquires a 62.5% stake in Australian interactive game distributor Ozisoft, making IESA a leader in the Australian interactive gaming market. Additionally, the relationship between Canal+ Multimedia and IESA continues to grow, as IESA takes a 50% stake in Canal+ Multimedia. In March, the Company launches a friendly takeover of U.K.-based Gremlin; by April 30, 1999, IESA controls 85.6% of Gremlin. In April, IESA acquires and integrates development teams from Psygnosis Paris and Australian Beam. In November, IESA significantly increases its presence in North America with the acquisition of sports and action gaming specialist Accolade and a controlling stake in major American publisher GT Interactive, including its MacSoft and WizardWorks units. The two acquisitions position IESA as a leading global force in interactive entertainment. GT INTERACTIVE IS RENAMED INFOGRAMES, INC., NORTH AMERICAN SUBSIDIARY OF IESA 2000IESA initiates a five-for-one stock split. In February, the Company launches Infogrames.com, a 100% owned subsidiary combining all of the Company's online assets. IESA continues its acquisition strategy in North America: In April, IESA acquires a controlling interest in Den-O-Tech, a Canadian company specializing in in-flight entertainment. In June, IESA acquires Paradigm Entertainment, the Dallas, Texas-based devlopment studio behind the successful Pilotwings 64. In October, IESA's international expansion is further bolstered through a joint venture with Japan's Hudson Soft Co. Ltd. In November, Driver 2, the sequel to IESA's massively successful Driver (released in June 1999), hits shelves and rockets to the top of the charts, selling more than 2 million units in two weeks. At year end, IESA announces plans to make another major acquisition in North America: Hasbro Interactive, which encompasses Microprose, Atari and Games.com. 2001IESA completes its acquisition of Hasbro Interactive, which becomes part of and is rebranded Infogrames, Inc., the US arm of IESA. Infogrames, Inc. emerges as the second largest publisher of interactive entertainment in the U.S., and one of the biggest video game companies in the world. In October, Infogrames, Inc., which continues to release and celebrate the classic Atari titles, begins to reintroduce the Atari brand with the release of a new Atari line-up, including innaugural titles: Splashdown and MX Rider for PlayStation 2 and Transworld Surf for Xbox. 2002In February, through an agreement with game developer BioWare Corp., Infogrames, Inc. secures the global publishing rights for the hotly anticipated role-playing game (RPG), Neverwinter Nights, the first computer game to completely recreate the classic "pen and paper" Dungeons & Dragons® in 3D. In April, IESA acquires Eden Studios, one of Europe's leading developers of console games and a specialist in car rally simulations and action games. In May, Infogrames, Inc. acquires Shiny Entertainment, a transaction through which the Company gains exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish games for the PC and all console platforms based on upcoming sequels to The Matrix, the highly acclaimed motion picture from Warner Bros. Pictures. In December, Infogrames, Inc. sells the exclusive worldwide theatrical feature film rights to Alone in the Dark, as well as DVD, television, cable and pay-per-view rights for the film, to Germany-based Boll Kino. 2003In January, Infogrames, Inc. sells its MacSoft business unit to Destineer, Inc. In February, Infogrames, Inc. options the film and television rights for its successful Driver franchise to Constantin Film, the leading independent production and distribution company in Germany. Impact Pictures, a subsidiary of Constantin, is slated to produce the motion picture. In March, Infogrames, Inc. announces the change of its fiscal year-end to March 31 from June 30. The Company's new year-end date goes into effect for the 2003 fiscal year, thus ending its 2003 fiscal year after the nine months ended March 31, 2003. On May 7, Infogrames, Inc. officially rebrands its global operations as Atari. All titles published under the Company are now under the Atari brand name. The Company's U.S. operations become Atari, Inc. (formerly Infogrames, Inc.) and its trading symbol on the NASDAQ becomes "ATAR." Although majority shareholder IESA retains its current name and symbol on the Euronext under the code: 5257, all of the Company's worldwide operations are renamed Atari. On May 15, Atari releases Enter The Matrix, which sells through more than 2.5 million units in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) in just over one month at retail, making it the fastest-selling title in Company history. On August 7, Atari and majority shareholder IESA reach an agreement in principle under which all of Atari's net indebtedness to IESA will be satisfied by the issuance of Atari stock, leaving Atari with no long-term debt. Atari files a registration statement with the SEC for a proposed offering of $125 million of common stock. On September 18th, Atari sets the terms of a $200 million recapitalization through the issuance of new shares priced at $4.25 under an agreement with IESA. Upon completion of the public offering and recapitalization transactions, Atari eliminates all of its long-term debt, and IESA's ownership stake in Atari is reduced to 71% from approximately 88%. In December, IESA moves forward with its financial restructuring as it launches a Public Exchange Offer for the OCEANE 2004 and 2005. Nearly 8 million new shares of IESA stock are issued, resulting in an increase in stockholders' equity. 2004In January, Atari retains Ridley Scott Associates (RSA) - the commercial production company owned and run by filmmakers Ridley and Tony Scott - to produce the original three-minute live-action film Run The Gauntlet, based on Atari's highly anticipated, upcoming DRIV3R and the first of its kind in the video game industry. In May, Atari joins forces with Marc Ecko, creator and founder of the urban lifestyle brand Ecko Unltd. and publisher of COMPLEX magazine, to create the first authentic video game based on urban culture and graffiti art. The game, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, is being developed by The Collective and is slated for release in the second half of 2005. In August, Atari announces its wireless distribution strategy, designed to create a new revenue stream from its extensive product library and deliver its catalog to consumers worldwide. The Company's strategy includes wireless licensees from around the globe: Handmark (U.S.), iFone (U.K.), JAMDAT Mobile (U.S.), Mforma (U.S.), Nokia (Finland),; Sorrent (U.S.), TKO Software (U.S.) and Com2uS (Korea). In September, Atari joins with Bally Gaming and Systems, a business unit of Alliance Gaming, to develop slot machines based on classic Atari titles, including PONG®, Asteroids®, Centipede® and Breakout®. In November, Atari introduces its first stand-alone gaming console in more than 30 years, the Atari Flashback Classic Gaming Console. The retro-style console is a small-scale hybrid of the Atari 2600 and 7800 systems and features 20 classic Atari games, including the never-before-released Saboteur. On November 29th, Bruno Bonnell appoints James Caparro President and Chief Executive Officer of Atari, Inc. Mr. Caparro assumes overall executive management of Atari's global operations. As Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Bruno Bonnell continues to oversee Atari's creative direction and planning for the next stages of technological advancement in gaming. |
