Atari Restart

[MadManCK]

Some useful links for those interested


http://www.atari.com/corporate/financia ... orate-news

http://atari.com/sites/default/files/AT ... _DEF_0.pdf

http://www.bmcgroup.com/restructuring/D ... ientID=316

[RamteamJax]

PS Who is Dave

[SpeedFreak.be]

It looks like tdu is over atari wants to sell the franchise: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 30972.html (damn it won't load without a account) btw for those in the Netherlands or Dutch speaking here's another article on Tweakers.net: http://tweakers.net/nieuws/89246/atari- ... ation.html

Tip use google search atari sells tdu franchise and the the first or second link is the article if you do that google will bypass the paywall.

[MadManCK]

$1.5M for the TDU franchise. Sounds interesting...

Unable to find a suitable lead bidder for its assets, Atari Inc. wants to put its videogame business on the auction block in pieces.

Bidding on a pool that includes the Atari brand itself is set to start at $15 million, according to court papers. The minimum bid for the company's "RollerCoaster Tycoon" franchise is $3.5 million, while prospective purchasers must offer at least $1.5 million for Atari's "Test Drive" franchise.

Altogether, the minimum bids listed in a Wednesday filing from Atari total nearly $22.2 million.

It is still unclear how much enthusiasm for the assets Atari will be able to drum up at the four days of auctions that it wants to host. The company sought bankruptcy protection on Jan. 21 and soon commenced a hunt for a buyer, or buyers. Its investment banker reached out to more than 180 potential purchasers: financial and strategic buyers, game and nongame companies. More than 90 signed confidentiality agreements and dug deeper into Atari's financials, but only 15 submitted preliminary bids, none of which Atari deemed "acceptable" to serve as a stalking-horse bidder that would set a floor price for the assets.

Instead, Atari has split its brands and intellectual property into various pools and assigned them July auction dates. A pool composed of Atari's "Humongous" franchise, "Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise" and "Math Gran Prix," for example, is scheduled to hit the auction block on July 17 with a minimum bid of $500,000. The "Total Annihilation" franchise will be offered the same day with a $250,000 floor price.

"The Debtors believe that this type of a targeted bidding process affords the Debtors the best opportunity to market the Assets and maximize the value thereof for the benefit of all stakeholders," Atari said in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.

The company still needs court approval to put its sale process into motion. It wants a judge to consider signing off on its bid rules at a hearing June 11. It is aiming to receive bids by a July 10 deadline in advance of auctions proposed for July 16, 17, 18 and 19. Atari wants a judge to consider giving his blessing to the transactions at a sale hearing July 24.

Atari, a 40-year-old company that helped start what has become a $70 billion videogame industry with games such as "Asteroids" and "Pong," has shifted focus in recent years from traditional videogames to digital games and licensing. It still owns some valuable properties, including licensing rights to "RollerCoaster Tycoon" and the intellectual-property rights to "Backyard Sports" and "Test Drive Unlimited."

In addition to seeking to sell those assets in the July auctions, Atari wants permission to sell certain games that are "of minor value" outside of the auction process.

"These assets have generated insufficient interest to be included in their own respective category," the company said.

[SpeedFreak.be]

My prime concern is what this means for tdu 2 and who get it (I certainly hope not EA)

[snake250]

It looks like tdu is over atari wants to sell the franchise: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 30972.html (damn it won't load without a account) btw for those in the Netherlands or Dutch speaking here's another article on Tweakers.net: http://tweakers.net/nieuws/89246/atari- ... ation.html

Tip use google search atari sells tdu franchise and the the first or second link is the article if you do that google will bypass the paywall.

when i got tdu2 i knew that atari was good... well i got that wrong

If ea buys tdu well i will be playing euro truck sim 2 more

[grooks10]

As Atari sells their assets, does that mean they are only selling the rights to the names, or do the potential buyers also receive the rights to all of the included data files, programs, and software used in the production of the game? I ask because I still have hope that someone could pick up the pieces to TDU2, but it's more likely that a buyer will just begin a third installment to the series. Either way, I hope the Ubisoft rumor turns into more than just a rumor here; I trust them to make a good game.

[MadManCK]

If UbiSoft buys the right to TDU it would fit. They don't have a big open world race title yet.

TDU is still a strong brandname. If you buy it, including the rights to other, already released Test Drive Titles, it can be an interesting package.



PS Any serious party would start with TDU3 straightaway and continue to support TDU2, as long as TDU3 is still in development.

[DDastardly00]

If Ubisoft buys TDU they will probably just use the title for the Ivory Tower game (which has been in development since 2009). The Reflections studio (Driver) has also been a partner to the development of the Ivory Tower game. It should be awesome.

[Rockdo-do423]

If Ubisoft buys TDU they will probably just use the title for the Ivory Tower game (which has been in development since 2009). The Reflections studio (Driver) has also been a partner to the development of the Ivory Tower game. It should be awesome.

Ivory tower game?