Staff safely re-housed as Euro buyout nears completion; Atari becomes US-only brand
Atari’s European operation will be history within weeks, as Namco Bandai swoops to complete its acquisition of the business, MCV understands.
Atari Europe’s sales and marketing staff will be safely transferred to newly-formed business Distribution Partners – which will handle all Namco Bandai product in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Distribution Partners is even looking to grow the operation’s current headcount to strengthen its position as Europe’s latest publishing giant.
Namco Bandai bought a 34 per cent stake in the Atari Europe business in March last year, and is expected to pick up the remaining 66 per cent from parent Infogrames next month.
MCV understands that Distribution Partners (or Namco Bandai Partners) will be headed up by former Take Two, THQ and EA exec John Galloway, and that the new deal has satisfied scrutiny from anti-competition bodies.
Article continues below
Advertisement
Codemasters
“We believe that DP will become a wholly-owned Namco Bandai games company soon, but this process requires time and we will comment further when we have an anticipated closing date,” said Atari’s European marketing boss David Miller this week.
Atari’s US division (Atari Inc) remains active – and will now become the firm’s sole HQ, overseen by Infogrames CEO David Gardner.
That business, still owned by Infogrames, plans to become an online-centric content producer. It will continue to have a presence in the UK in the shape of the London studio it opened in September, managed by ex-SingStar boss Paulina Bozek. The firm also purchased MMO studio Cryptic in December last year.
Meanwhile, Distribution Partners will exclusively handle Atari-produced boxed titles outside of the US until 2014 – which will include Ghostbusters on non-PS3 formats this year.
