Who is a real gamer has plenty of reasons to celebrate this Monday (27). This is because the date celebrates the 50 years of existence of Atari, one of the most iconic brands in the video game universe and that is still alive – but not so firm and strong – to this day.
Brief history of Atari
Named after a move from the Japanese board game Go, Atari was founded on June 27, 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. The creation of one of the most famous gaming brands in the world came a year after Bushnell and Dabney released the game Computer Space.
When creating Atari, the co-founders then hired Al Alcorn to develop an arcade game with two paddles, a ball, and a scoring system—much similar to table tennis. Entitled Pong, the title was the brand’s first game and managed to boost the company.
Image: Reproduction/CGR Publishing
Other games like Space Race and Gran Tank 10 kept Atari in the spotlight, but it was with the release of the Atari VCS (later known as the Atari 2600) in 1977 that the brand conquered the market. The compact console was largely responsible for bringing the fun of arcade machines to the homes of gamers.
It is estimated that the product in question has sold more than 27 million units, allowing games of Superman and the famous Space Invaders. But interestingly, all this success achieved in the following years was also the reason for the brand’s decline.
Image: Pit Stock/Shutterstock
If, on the one hand, the fame attracted the eyes of gamers, on the other hand, it allowed a saturation of games for the console. Several titles were made available, but many of them were of low quality. This provoked the “crash” of the North American video game in 1983. In fact, many saw Atari only as a “fad”.
And from there it was a free fall. Models like the Atari 5200, 7800, Linx and Jaguar were released, but they didn’t come close to the success of the VCS. The brand even changed its name in 2009 to Atari SA, but four years later, in 2013, its owner at the time (Infrogames Entertainment) declared bankruptcy.
Fortunately, the company managed to recover in court and, since then, has sought to diversify its investments – redirected to hotels, casinos, a new console and even cryptocurrencies – in yet another attempt to reestablish its image in the market.
Forever in the hearts of gamers
As difficult as acceptance is, it is unlikely that the brand will find any way to relive its former glory days. Wrong decisions along the way and the constant change of management certainly influenced the current situation, seen as something almost irreversible.
Despite everything, it is undeniable the importance that the company had in popularizing domestic games in a very different time than today. If gamers enjoy gameplays in the comfort of their own homes, much is due to the success of Atari and its contribution to the market.
Happy 50 years, Atari.
