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Atari fights to keep Dragon Ball Z

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Oct 31, 2007 12:26 pm PT

FUNimation claims deal for games based on popular anime was terminated after publisher violated license agreements.

It's been a rough month for Atari, starting with the dismissal of five members of its board of directors, courtesy of parent company Infogrames. While the outgoing directors had been replaced within a week, a group of frustrated Atari shareholders accused Infogrames of intentionally undermining the company's stock price in preparation to buy out the remaining shareholders.

The month is ending with even more corporate drama for the company, as an Atari Securities and Exchange Commission filing last week revealed that it is currently embroiled in a dispute over its Dragon Ball Z license.

According to Atari, the company has the rights to release games based on the series thanks to a pair of agreements with US anime firm FUNimation Productions. However, the publisher received a notice from FUNimation earlier this month accusing it of breaching those agreements.

As a result, FUNimation now claims that Atari's license to make Dragon Ball Z games has been terminated. Atari doesn't agree and has been distributing the games as usual. The two companies are now in talks to reach a temporary agreement that would buy them time to resolve their issues regarding the original license.

Dragon Ball Z has been Atari's most prolific licensed property in recent years, bringing in $85 million in the company's fiscal 2005, according to its latest annual report. The remainder of Atari's current catalog is headlined by properties like Dungeons & Dragons, Backyard Sports, and Godzilla. Should Atari lose the Dragon Ball Z license, it would join Driver, Stuntman, Transformers, and a handful of Hasbro games like Monopoly as high-profile losses to the publisher's stable of properties.

198 Comments

  • tenjhohedgehog9

    Posted Aug 14, 2009 9:10 am PT

    So is this why there releasing Tenkaichi 4(Raging Blast) on the 360 and PS3 only?

  • tenlong

    Posted Jun 4, 2009 5:41 am PT

    They are still making dbz games . Just not released by atari. Namco bandai will most likely released the new games.

  • owens_jay

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 2:14 pm PT

    too bad

  • skywalkerforce

    Posted Apr 7, 2009 4:49 pm PT

    KAAAAAAAAA MEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAA MEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAA

  • joedf00

    Posted Feb 3, 2009 9:37 am PT

    WHAT THE? I'm getting a wii and budokai tenkaichi 3 then no Budokai Tenkaichi 4 or 5? That's poppycock of poppycockiness of poppycockers!

  • pichblack56

    Posted Jan 1, 2009 5:04 pm PT

    Tat they get in trouble for making a good game wat kind of crap is that man ive watched that anime since i was 6

  • gavinescoe

    Posted Jul 31, 2008 11:36 pm PT

    SHUT THE HELL UP WHO DOYA THINK WILL MAKE MORE DBZ GAMES

  • gavinescoe

    Posted Jul 31, 2008 11:29 pm PT

    That SUCKS!!!!!!. SSSUUUCCKKKSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE D B Z

  • F-Gohan

    Posted Jul 30, 2008 6:31 pm PT

    What?! Now Atari is in troubule for selling a good DBZ game. ridiculous.
    i'm a huge DBZ fan. This is not good news

  • Desalater6

    Posted Feb 5, 2008 6:47 pm PT

    this is not good im a fan of DBZ iv bin watching DBZ since i was 7

  • MakUub

    Posted Dec 19, 2007 8:24 am PT

    This can't be this is not a good thing for atari

  • searingSKITSO

    Posted Dec 8, 2007 1:28 pm PT

    this could be a good thing. the last game was ok but nothing to brag about, if some one else had the rights they might actually make a realy good game, not just a mediocre fighting game.

  • MakUub

    Posted Dec 7, 2007 8:43 am PT

    This is bad please let atari keep thier liscence

  • Dark_nesss

    Posted Dec 6, 2007 4:31 pm PT

    Atari only publishes them....but i would wish spike would hand over the game making license to some1 else im tired of these crappy games...the only good ones were the original Budokais the Tenkaichi series just blows hard...

  • MakUub

    Posted Dec 2, 2007 9:55 am PT

    I think Atari should keep DBZ games what if the make it much better than the last one and the last let them keep it please I beg u

  • flash786

    Posted Nov 30, 2007 9:32 pm PT

    yeah i realy loved atari after they released our beloved dbz series......well it will be a great loss for atari if they lose dbz and it will be a loss for us to

  • megamanzero32

    Posted Nov 30, 2007 9:33 am PT

    Meh, I used to hate Atari, but until they brought out B3, I actually clapped and paid attention. I would like them to keep making the games, just ummmm.....bring back B3 please >_> *misses being a counter whore T_T*

  • perurocks914

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 6:53 pm PT

    hey guys im not a stalker but if you give me your wii number we could play online on super smash when it comes out so i can see if gamespot gamers have a real challenger. It will be fun no homo My wii number is 5237 6606 8876 2482

  • taven14

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 1:58 pm PT

    This game is amazing you should get it if you liked the first bcuase its better that tye first one but only a little and i still fun beating the hell out of ya oponent but can get boring

  • perurocks914

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 7:51 pm PT

    Im just glad that the Wii version will have online play. Finally i can beat people from Jappan who think there so hard core with these games. Americans are just as good (if we set are mind to it)

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