Atari To Acquire Retro Game Restorer Digital Eclipse

Atari recently announced the acquisition of Digital Eclipse. The studio is known for its expertise in digitally restoring and preserving retro titles such as Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.

Atari’s press release states that it will leverage Digital Eclipse’s experience and proprietary technology to further its growth strategy, which is retro-centric (Night Dive Studios was acquired by Atari earlier this year). Atari states that Digital Eclipse benefits by gaining access to “world-class IP” to grow its business and development capabilities further. 

Atari spends $6.5m on the purchase ($4m in cash and $2.5m in newly-issued Atari shares). The studio can earn up to 13.5m in cash in the future based on its performance. Purchase is expected to close within the next couple of days. 

Atari 50: Anniversary Celebration

Digital Eclipse, founded in 1992, began its commercial life by emulating arcade classics, such as Joust Robotron 2084 and Defender. Studio has created over 250 games. It has been a leader in creating high-quality collections of classic games since 2015. That includes well-received bundles like Mega Man Legacy Collection, Disney Afternoon Collection, TMNT: Cowabunga Collection, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, and The Making of Karateka.

These collections have not only restored lost classics for new generations of players to enjoy but have also included long-lost development materials such as concept art, original design documents, and even, in the cases of the critically-acclaimed Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka, documentary-style footage from the developers sharing stories about the games’ creation. 

“Digital Eclipse is the best in the world at what they do,” says Atari chairman and CEO Wade Rosen in the press release. “They have a deep love and respect for the history of the games industry, and are renowned for developing critically acclaimed projects based on historic franchises. Digital Eclipse, along with Nightdive, are in perfect alignment with Atari’s DNA and renewed purpose. I’m personally excited to see where we can push the boundaries of retro innovation together.”

Digital Eclipse president and creative director Mike Mika added, “Our experience collaborating on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration was revelatory. Atari’s confidence in us, as well as our mutual appreciation and admiration for the material, allowed us to achieve something remarkable. I know Atari will continue to champion our approach and that we will be bringing fans exciting new projects for years to come.”

Wade Rosen, our 90-minute interview on All Things Nintendo with Wade Rosen for more information on Atari.