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Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and video game console and home computer development company which operated between 1972 and 1984. During its years of operation, it developed and produced over 350 arcade, console, and computer games for its own systems, and almost 100 ports of games for home computers such as the Commodore 64. Atari began its operations by developing and producing some of the first arcade video games; the first commercial arcade video game, Computer Space, was released in November 1971 by Atari founders Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in partnership as Syzygy Engineering. The game in part marked the end of the early history of video games and the start of the rise of the commercial video game industry. After its founding in 1972, Atari released Pong, believed to be the third arcade video game after Computer Space and a clone game and the first commercially successful arcade video game machine, and thereafter produced numerous arcade games, including video games and pinball machines.

The arcade game market is split into manufacturers, distributors, and operators; manufacturers like Atari sell game machines to distributors—who handle several types of electronic machines—who in turn sell them to the operators of locations. In the early 1970s, distributors bought games on an exclusive basis, meaning that only one distributor in each distribution region would carry products from a given arcade game manufacturer, restricting the manufacturer to only the operators that distributor sold to. In 1973 Atari set up a secret subsidiary company, Kee Games, which was intended to sell clones of Atari's games in order to reach more distributors; Kee was merged with Atari the following year. Atari itself was sold to Warner Communications in 1976 and merged with Warner's WCI Games division, keeping the name Atari, Inc.

In 1975 Atari released Home Pong, its first of several Pong-based dedicated video game consoles, and in 1977 released its first home video game console, the Atari Video Computer System (later renamed the Atari 2600). From that point onward Atari developed both arcade games and console games, and in 1979 added games for their home computers, the Atari 400 and 800. Atari produced a second home video game console in 1982, the Atari 5200, and four more home computer versions. Beginning in Summer 1981, Atari published the Atari Program Exchange, a quarterly mail-order catalog of software written for Atari computers by external developers which Atari then distributed to customers. In May 1983, Atari started the Atarisoft division, which produced ports of games by Atari and others for non-Atari home computers. In July 1984, as a result of falling sales due to the video game crash of 1983, Atari, Inc. was split apart by Warner Communications; the arcade division continued as a subsidiary of Warner under the name Atari Games, while the console and computer games divisions were sold off as Atari Corporation.

Games

Atari's dedicated consoles and many of their early console games were licensed for sale through Sears, which often sold them under a different name, on some occasions months prior to the Atari-branded version. When different, these variant names are listed in the table below. When the same arcade game was released with minor variations by Atari and Kee Games, the two games are listed together.

See also

• List of Atari 2600 games
• List of Atari 5200 games

Notes

1. The original developer of the game, rather than the developer of a specific port of the game
2. The dedicated console version of Pong is commonly referred to as Home Pong, despite not bearing that name.
3. ^ Initially released through Sears under the same name as the later Atari version
4. World Cup was released solely in Europe
5. Kee Games officially merged with Atari in December 1974; Pursuit was the last game developed by Kee as a distinct company, though the brand continued to be used.
6. ^ Released under the Kee Games brand after the company merged with Atari
7. 2-player console game version of the 8-player arcade game Indy 800
8. Shark Jaws was the only game by Atari released under the Horror Games brand.
9. ^ Namco arcade game published by Atari in North America
10. ^ Beginning in Summer 1981, Atari published the Atari Program Exchange, a quarterly mail-order catalog of software written for Atari computers by external developers which Atari then distributed to customers.
11. ^ Console and computer game versions of the Taito arcade game
12. Console game version of the Exidy arcade game Circus
13. Computer game version of the Taito arcade game Gun Fight
14. ^ Console and computer game versions of a Namco arcade game
15. ^ Console game version of the Williams Electronics arcade game
16. Console version of the Stern Electronics arcade game
17. Kaneko arcade game published by Atari in Europe
18. Nintendo arcade game published by Atari in Europe
19. ^ Console and computer game versions of the Nintendo arcade game
20. Console version of an Irem arcade game
21. Console version of a Coreland arcade game
22. Console version of a Vid Kidz arcade game
23. Cinematronics/Advanced Microcomputer Systems arcade game published by Atari in Europe
24. Cinematronics/Advanced Microcomputer Systems arcade game published by Atari in Europe
25. Console version of the Dan Gorlin Apple II game

References

1. Smith, Alexander (2015-09-03). "A Nutty Idea". They Create Worlds. Archived from the original on 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
2. Smith, Keith (2014-05-17). "What Were the First Ten Coin-Op Video Games?". The Golden Age Arcade Historian. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
3. Atari, Inc., p. 120
4. "What the Hell has Nolan Bushnell Started?". Next Generation (4). Imagine Media: 6–11. April 1995.
5. Sanger, David E. (1984-07-03). "Warner Sells Atari to Tramiel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
6. Atari, Inc., p. 98
7. Fulton, Steve (2007-11-06). "The History of Atari: 1971-1977". Gamasutra. UBM. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
8. "C. A. Robinson Hosts Atarians Reception". Atari Coin Connection. Vol. 1, no. 4. March 1977. p. 1.
9. Bunch, Kevin (2023). Atari Archive: Vol.1 1977-1978. Press Run Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-955183-21-5.
10. Smith, Alexander (2019). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry Volume 1, 1971-1982. CRC Press. p. 463. ISBN 978-1138389908.
11. Fulton, Steve (August 21, 2008). "Atari: The Golden Years -- A History, 1978-1981". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
12. "Availability Update". The Video Game Update. Vol. 1, no. 6. September 1982.
13. "The Year in Review". The Video Game Update. Vol. 2, no. 10. January 1984.
14. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Summer Edition—1981 (PDF). Atari, Inc. 1981. pp. 6–13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
15. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Fall Edition—1981. Atari, Inc. 1981. pp. 16–28.
16. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Winter Edition—1981. Atari, Inc. 1982. pp. 27–45.
17. Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Spring Edition—1982. Atari, Inc. 1982. pp. 33–50.
18. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Fall Edition—1983. Atari, Inc. 1983. pp. 23–59.
19. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Summer Edition—1982. Atari, Inc. 1982. pp. 36–73.
20. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Fall Edition—1982. Atari, Inc. 1982. pp. 37–73.
21. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Winter Edition—1982–1983. Atari, Inc. 1983. pp. 41–80.
22. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Spring Edition—1983. Atari, Inc. 1983. pp. 26–30.
23. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Summer Edition—1983. Atari, Inc. 1983. pp. 28–33.
24. "Crystal Castles". United States Copyright Office. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
25. "Atari 2600". Computer Entertainer includes The Video Game Update. Vol. 3, no. 1. April 1984. p. 16.
26. "Dragon's Lair (Atari)". The Arcade Flyer Archive.
27. ^ Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Winter Edition—1983–1984. Atari, Inc. 1984. pp. 2–9.
28. "Space Ace (Atari)". The Arcade Flyer Archive.

Sources

• Goldberg, Marty; Vendel, Curt (2012-11-25). Atari Inc.: Business Is Fun. Syzygy Press. ISBN 978-0-9855974-0-5.

• Atari games
• Video game lists by company