Infogrames Changes Name To Atari

The fact that it was easily misprononunced by industry newbies? Or simply the fact that the Atari brand held so much cred in the industry? Whatever the true motivation for the decision, France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA announced that henceforth it will be known simply as Atari. The company's U.S. operations will now be known as Atari, Inc., and will trade on the NASDAQ Market under the symbol "ATAR." Although Infogrames will retain its name and its Euronext trading code "5257" on the French Bourse, all of the company's worldwide operations will become Atari, with their country of origin included in the name (e.g. Atari U.K.). The company's subsidiary, Infogrames Interactive, will change its name to Atari Interactive. Infogrames had been using the Atari brand with increasing frequency over the last year for its marquis titles, including Neverwinter Nights and various Unreal games. In retrospect, this was likely a long-planned marketing decision to help prepare the market for this announcement.