Infogrames renamed Atari

Infogrames Entertainment has today announced that, with immediate effect, it has decided to adopt the Atari name for all of its global commercial operations. The company's US operations will now be known as Atari, while operations elsewhere in the world will be known as Atari followed the name of the country. Infogrames Interactive, which is the wholly owned subsidiary responsible for developing many of the games based on Hasbro board games, will change its name to Atari Interactive.

"In any language, Atari is synonymous with video games and it's recognized for transforming entertainment," said Bruno Bonnell, chairman and CEO of IESA and Atari. "Our industry is now outpacing the Hollywood box office and by choosing Atari as our signature, we are demonstrating our commitment to this growth and our determination to take entertainment to the next level for gamers worldwide."

Infogrames has been publishing games under the Atari brand for several months now, including Neverwinter Nights, Stuntman, and Unreal Championship. All games in the company's extensive catalogue will be published under the Atari brand, including the eagerly awaited Enter the Matrix, which is scheduled for release next week.

"It's the perfect moment in our history to make this change," Bonnell continued. "Next week we'll be launching Enter the Matrix, an extraordinary game that has redefined the Hollywood license, setting a new standard for the convergence of games and films. The 'break the mold' approach we took with Enter the Matrix exemplifies the very personality Atari has always represented and captures the personality of our company today, from game development to deal making to partnerships and so on. Perhaps the greatest part of the Atari legacy is the recipe for creating games that capture an audience's imagination: creative ideas, the talent to bring them to life, and the passion to do so. Those elements have never been more abundant within our company than they are right now. We have the strongest lineup of properties we have ever had, deep ties with some of the world's most talented game developers, and an excitement about the future that's palpable."

Atari is expected to make several new product announcements at E3 next week, and we'll bring you more information on all the games in the company's lineup when we report live from the show on May 14-16.