Infogrames

A kind of template used on Wikis. Infogrames Entertainment SA (IESA) (Template:Euronext) is an international holding company headquartered in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France. It owns 51.2 percent of Atari|Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City|New York, N.Y., USA, and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet using the benefits from an introductory computer book. Through its subsidiaries, Infogrames video game developer|produces, video game publisher|publishes and distributes video game|interactive game for all major video game consoles and computer game platforms.

Early History

The founders wanted to christen the company Zboub Système, but were dissuaded by their juridical consultant<ref name="Ichbiah">Link to a French language website Author excerpt from Daniel Ichbiah, La saga des jeux vidéo. Vuibert. 2004. ISBN 2-7117-4825-1</ref>. They then, according to Bonnell in a TV interview, used a mix-and-match computer program to suggest other names, one of which was "Infogramme": a portmanteau of the French words "informatique" (information technology) and "programme" (a computer program). The final choice, "Infogrames", was a slightly modified version of that suggestion, and is Template:PronEng in English.

The company logo is an armadillo (tatou in French), chosen when the company was moved to Villeurbanne. Bonnell commented: "This dinosaur (sic) is our symbol. The armadillo always survives to the changes of his environment, from the thawing of the ices, to the worst of the heat waves."<ref name="Ichbiah"/>

In late 1980s Infogrames was noted for its French computer games that featured often original game ideas and occasionally humorous content. They had acquired several licences for popular Franco-Belgian comics, such as Tintin, Asterix and Les Tuniques Bleues.

1996-2002 Growth Through Acquisition

Bruno Bonnell's Infogrames in 1996 embarked on a acquisition campaign that would last seven years and cost more that $414 million and had as objective to achieve a $1 billion revenue in 2001<ref>http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-16-2000/0001142857&EDATE=</ref>. While the company's debt increased from $55 million in 1999 to $493 million in 2002, the company's revenue also increased from $246 million to $650 million during the same period.<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/column_index.php?story=8636</ref>

In 1996 IESA bought Ocean Software for about $100 million<ref>http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/bpmerg96.htm</ref> renaming the company as Infogrames UK.<ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/atari-uk-ltd</ref> In 1997 Philips Media BV was purchased.

In 1998 IESA acquired majority share of 62.5% in the game distributor OziSoft, which became Infogrames Australia,<ref>http://www.atari.com.au/misc/faq.do</ref> in 2002 IESA bought the remaining shares of Infogrames Australia from Sega and other share holders<ref>http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/Ozisoft-becomes-Infogrames-Australia/0,139023166,120267724,00.htm</ref> for $3.7 million.<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/column_index.php?story=8636</ref>. In this same year the distributors ABS Multimedia, Arcadia and the Swiss Gamecity GmbH were acquired.<ref>http://www.claimexam.com/links/Done/accolade.htm</ref><ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/uk/download/reports/infogrames_entertainment_annual_report_99_00.pdf</ref>

In 1999 IESA bought Gremlin Interactive for $40 million, renamed it to Infogrames Sheffield House but close it down in 2003<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_1999_March_25/ai_54207493</ref>. IESA also bought in same year Accolade for $60 million<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_1999_April_20/ai_54426666</ref><ref>http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/vidgame/vid1999.htm</ref> and Beam Software later renamed to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd<ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/krome-studios-melbourne</ref>.

Acquisition of GT Interactive

Then in December 1999, IESA made one of the most expensive acquisitions in the company's history. Infogrames bought for $135 million 70% of GT Interactive, assumed the new subsidiary's $75 million bank debt and had invested $30 million at GT Interactive by June 2000<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE2D9133DF935A25752C1A96F958260</ref><ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/uk/download/reports/infogrames_entertainment_annual_report_99_00.pdf</ref>. IESA justified the purchase by stating that GT Interactive provides Infogrames with a "distribution network for all of its products in the United States, as well as a catalog of products that includes Driver, Oddworld, Unreal Tournament and Deer Hunter"<ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/uk/download/reports/infogrames_entertainment_annual_report_99_00.pdf</ref>

Included in GT Interactive's purchase were the game development studios Humongous Entertainment<ref>http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/GT-Interactive-Software-Company-History.html</ref>, Legend Entertainment<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Game-Design-Second-Bob-Bates/dp/1592004938</ref> and Reflections Interactive<ref>http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article.php/249211</ref>

GT Interactive became Infogrames, Inc<ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/MT-3.34-en/mt-static/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/DOCDEREF05_06GB.pdf</ref>

In 2000 the developer Paradigm Entertainment was bought for $19.5 million and in-flight games developer Den-o-Tech Int. (DTI) , later renamed to Infogrames DTI, was also acquired for $5.6 million<ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/atari-uk-ltd</ref><ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/uk/download/reports/infogrames_entertainment_annual_report_99_00.pdf</ref>.

Acquisition of Hasbro Interactive

In January 2001, IESA purchased Hasbro Interactive and the handheld game console Game.com from Hasbro for $100 million being $95 million as 4.5 million common shares of Infogrames and $5 million in cash <ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E4DC1E3FF933A05752C0A9679C8B63&n=Top/News/Business/Companies/Hasbro%20Inc.</ref><ref>http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68329&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=137281&highlight=</ref>.

With acquisition of Hasbro Interactive, which was renamed as Infogrames Interactive, Inc,<ref>http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=3:23597</ref><ref>http://www.faqs.org/faqs/atari-8-bit/faq/section-85.html</ref> IESA became the owner of:

The MicroProse brand and titles, including Civilization, Falcon, and Roller Coaster Tycoon. The legendary Atari name and properties, such as Centipede, Missile Command and Pong. Infogrames also under the terms of the sale agreement, gained the exclusive rights to develop and publish games based on Hasbro properties, which included Dungeons and Dragons, Mr Potato Head, My Little Pony and others, for a period of 15 years plus an option for an additional 5 years based on performance.<ref>http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68329&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=137281&highlight=</ref>

Eden Games and Shiny Entertaiment

In 2002 IESA acquired the remaining 80% of game development studio Eden Games<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/vrally3/news.html?sid=2860904</ref> for $4.1 million<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/column_index.php?story=8636</ref> and Shiny Entertainment for $47 million with that acquisition, IESA obtained the rights to develop and publish Enter the Matrix which was the first game based on The Matrix and sold more than 5 million copies.<ref>http://pc.gamezone.com/news/04_25_02_01_49PM.htm</ref>

Atari Group

In October 2001, IESA re-launched the Atari brand when Atari Interactive, Inc. at that time a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Interactive, Inc., released MXrider<ref>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/05/07/infogrames_rechristens_itself_atari/</ref><ref>http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=3:23597</ref>. On May 7, 2003, IESA officially reorganized its Infogrames Inc<ref>http://www.secinfo.com/dsvr4.28Z7.htm</ref> US subsidiary as a separate Nasdaq listed company known as Atari Inc., named its European operations as Atari Europe, renamed Infogrames Interactive, Inc. as Atari Interactive, Inc., <ref>http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=3:23597</ref>(a wholly-owned subsidiary of IESA)<ref>http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070918/atar10-k.html</ref>, rebranded Infogrames Australia Pty Ltd as Atari Australia Pty Ltd <ref>http://www.atari.com.au/misc/faq.do</ref>, renamed Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd to Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd <ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/krome-studios-melbourne</ref>, Infogrames UK became Atari UK<ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/atari-uk-ltd</ref>, while IESA became a holding company<ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/infogramesgb/2007/04/atari.php</ref>.

Atari Inc. is a public company that, as of 2007, has as majority stockholder California U.S. Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of IESA <ref>http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071008/nym115.html?.v=80</ref>, Atari Inc. licences the Atari trademark from Atari Interactive, Inc., that license expires in 2013.<ref>http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070918/atar10-k.html</ref> Atari Inc. has the rights to publish and sublicense in North America certain intellectual properties either owned or licensed by IESA or its subsidiaries, including Atari Interactive, Inc.<ref>http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070918/atar10-k.html</ref>

Financial Difficulties

In the fiscal year of 2002 IESA had a net loss of $67 million on revenues of $650 million, in 2003 the net losses increased to $89 million.<ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/atari-uk-ltd,</ref> In 2006 IESA reported a net loss of $201 million on revenues of $525 million, and debts of around $290 million<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/column_index.php?story=8636</ref>. From 1999 to 2006 IESA accumulated losses totaling €500 million. <ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/column_index.php?story=8636</ref>

In 2004 Infogrames sold the rights to the Civilization's franchise to Take Two for $22.3 million.<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civilizationiv/news.html?sid=6117117</ref> and closed down Legend Entertainment<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/unrealiise/news_6086665.html</ref> studios. And in June 2005, Infogrames sold to back to Hasbro the digital rights to all Hasbro properties including The Transformers, My Little Pony and Connect Four for $65 million.<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/news/6127273.html</ref><ref>http://corporate.infogrames.com/MT-3.34-en/mt-static/FCKeditor/UserFiles/File/DOCDEREF05_06GB.pdf</ref>

On April 2006 Infogrames' founding chairman Bruno Bonnell left the company after 24 years, on the day of the announcement of his departure IESA's shares jumped 24%.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSL052812320070405</ref> After his resignation, Infogrames through the remainder of 2006 sold intellectual properties and some studios in order to raise cash and stave off the threat of bankruptcy.<ref>http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/atari-to-sell-off-studios-in-turnaround-attempt/68582/</ref>

On May 2006 IESA sold the rights to the games Stuntman to THQ and Timeshift to Saber Interactive both sales generated $13 million in revenue, THQ also bought developer Paradigm Entertainment from IESA<ref>http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16870</ref>. On July 2006 IESA sold to Ubisoft the game developer Reflections Interactive and the rights to the Driver franchise for $21.6 million<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/news/6161434.html</ref>. In October, Shiny Entertainment was acquired by Foundation 9 Entertainment for $1.6 million.<ref>Foundation 9 Acquires Shiny From Atari, GamaSutra, October 2, 2006</ref><ref>http://www.gamespot.com/news/6161434.html</ref> and in November of the same year Atari Melbourne House was sold to Krome Studios and renamed to Krome Studios Melbourne.<ref>http://www.mobygames.com/company/krome-studios-melbourne</ref>

In 2007 Infogrames fired the majority of Atari's directors, fired 20% of its workforce and Atari for the 2006-2007 fiscal year posted a net loss of $70 million<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/news/6180598.html</ref>