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Enter the Matrix studio head exits

Dave Perry resigns following Atari's announcement that Shiny Entertainment will be sold; intends to return once buyer is found.

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Last week, following a series of dismal financial reports, Atari announced plans to sell off all its internal studios. One of said studios is Shiny Entertainment, the shop behind the best-selling Enter the Matrix and the tepid-selling The Matrix: Path of Neo.

However, Shiny has done much more than make movie tie-ins. The company was founded in 1993 by iconoclastic game designer David Perry. In the subsequent 13 years, it has released a series of innovative titles including the original Earthworm Jim and the award-winning Sacrifice. It has also been owned by two publishers who were once among the greatest names in gaming: Interplay, which bought the shop in 1995, and Atari/Infogrames, which purchased the company in 2002.

Now, with the developer about to go on the auction block again, Perry is relinquishing his duties as Shiny's president to help facilitate its sale. According to a report in the Orange County Register, Perry has temporarily quit the company to help find the best buyer possible for Shiny. He told the newspaper that he made the move to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

"If I'm an employee of Atari, then I'd be stepping all over them," he said. "This way, I'm representing a buyer. I can act swiftly and get buyers on the table. I pitched Shiny last time [to Interplay] and got $47 million."

Declaring there is "a lot of interest" in buying Shiny, Perry also told the Register that speed was of the essence. "I can bring a lot of parties to the table, and I can do that faster if I hit the streets myself."

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