Atari buys Intellivision and ends a console war of more than 45 years

MADRID (Portaltic/EP) -Atari announced the purchase of the Intellivision brand, the video game and console development company that was its main competitor during the 70s and 80s, although the latter will continue to manufacture and distribute the Amico console.

The first Intellivision home video game console arrived on the market from the company Mattel Electronics in 1979. At that time, Atari had the popular Atari 2600 console, which it launched two years earlier, and which is currently considered the first home video game console. desktop that really succeeded among players.

It is within this framework, during the 70s and 80s, when the use of these platforms with interchangeable cartridges began to spread, both companies began strong market competition which they have referred to as “the first major console war.” . However, the Intellivision console platform managed to sell approximately 5 million units until 1990.

Now, Atari has announced the purchase of the Intellivision brand, as well as certain games from Intellivision Entertainment LLC, ending “the longest console war in history”, after 45 years competing in the market.

This was shared by the video game company in a statement on its blog, where it explained that, as a result of the acquisition, Atari has obtained the rights to more than 200 titles from the Intellivision catalog and the developer’s trademarks. For its part, Intellivision Entertainment LLC will change its name.

However, Atari also clarified that Intellivision will continue to develop and distribute the console known as Amico under an Atari license, with which it will continue to distribute new versions of Intellivision games.

Likewise, the American company stated that, with this purchase, it seeks to expand both digital and physical distribution of legacy Intellivision games, in addition to “potentially creating new games” and exploring brand and licensing opportunities. All this, with the objective of fulfilling a long-term plan to “create value from Intellivision properties”, as Atari has pointed out.

The president and CEO of Atari, Wade Rosen, has spoken about this, claiming that it is an opportunity to “unite former competitors and reunite fans of Atari, Intellivision and the golden era of gaming.”

Likewise, the CEO of Intellivision Entertainment has shared his “full confidence” in Atari to responsibly manage “the historic Intellivision brand”, while detailing that they hope to expand the collaboration and “bring a wide range of new titles to the gaming platform from the Amico family.