For any adult today who was a video gamer in the early 1980s, news of Atari’s demise will tug at the heart a bit.
On Monday, following a memorable thirty-year run, Atari filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Without question, gaming industry analysts say, the rise of mobile gaming – along with cutting edge video game systems like PlayStation, Xbox, Wii, etc. – has left the venerable Atari brand somewhat out of date. And despite having created groundbreaking games for the industry – games like “Pong” and “Asteroids” – Atari has been plagued by financial problems for years.
Fortunately for the company’s fans, however, Atari isn’t folding it in by any stretch of the imagination. According to the L.A. Times:
Its leaders hope to break the American business free from French parent Atari S.A. and in the next few months find a buyer to take the company private. They hope to grow a modest business focused on digital and mobile platforms, according to a knowledgeable person not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Representatives for Atari are yet to speak publicly on the bankruptcy filing.
