Long before the days where gamers would argue about strengths of the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, the first true console war took place between Atari and Intellivision. That beef was officially squashed today, as Atari has announced its acquisition of the Intellivision brand, securing the rights to more than 200 games. Plans for the long-delayed Intellivision Amico will continue, with Atari now licensing out those games so they can be offered on the console. In a press release, Intellivision CEO Phil Adam talked about the acquisition, and how Atari will handle ownership of these brands.ย
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“Atari has been a valuable partner and we have every confidence they will be a responsible steward of the storied Intellivision brand,” said Adam. “We look forward to our expanded collaboration and bringing a broad array of new Atari and Intellivision titles to the Amico and Amico Home family gaming platforms.”
Is the Intellivision Amico Still Happening?
The Intellivision Amico has had a rough road to release. The system has been pushed back several times since being announced all the way back in 2018. Last year, Intellivision released a beta for Amico Home, an app that allows select games to be played on the user’s phone. The decision was made as a way to secure more funding to actually produce the Amico console. Given how much Amico is mentioned in Atari’s press release today, it seems the acquisition might finally help the console become a reality. However, at this point, it’s anyone’s guess.ย
What Is Atari Planning for Intellivision’s Old Games?
Overall, Atari’s acquisition of the Intellivision brand makes a lot of sense. While the two companies were once major rivals, their games are often lumped together by gamers that weren’t around for those early days of the industry. Over the last few years, Atari has released both modern takes on classic games, as well as critically-acclaimed compilations like Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.ย
We don’t know what to expect from Atari’s ownership of Intellivision just yet, but hopefully we’ll see some of these older games given a similar treatment. Atari owns Digital Eclipse, the studio responsible for Atari 50, and a similar compilation centered around Intellivision games could be a great way to introduce them to a new audience. For now, fans will have to wait and see, but Atari has already started to take advantage of the deal, offering Intellivision shirts for sale on the company’s official website.ย
Are you surprised that Atari has bought the Intellivision brand? Do you still like those old games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
