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Company type | Private |
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Industry | Video games |
Founded | 2001 [1] |
Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Video game console |
Brands |
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Website | atgames |
AtGames Cloud Holdings Inc. (formerly AtGames Digital Media Inc.) is an American [1] video game and console manufacturer, known for their Legends Ultimate Arcade and the creator of the connected arcade. [3] [4] Since 2011, they have produced and marketed the Atari-licensed dedicated home video game console series Atari Flashback under license from Atari. [5] Additionally, AtGames has produced ColecoVision and Intellivision Flashback consoles, and has worked with Sega on multiple different handhelds and retro consoles.
In August 2014, GameFly announced on its website that AtGames had acquired its online games distribution service. [6] AtGames relaunched this service under the name Direct2Drive in late 2014. [7] In December 2014, AtGames purchased the IP to Calxeda through its subsidiary Silver Lining Systems, [8] and was using the acquired technology to build fabric interconnects for A1100-powered servers as of January 2016. [9]
In August 2019, AtGames acquired the royalty interest owed to General Computer Corporation (GCC) for Ms. Pac-Man. [10]
In January 2020, AtGames announced a partnership with Taito. [11]
In June 2020, AtGames announced a partnership with FarSight Studios in which 22 Gottlieb pinball tables from their Pinball Arcade video game would be ported over to AtGames' newest flagship, the AtGames Legends Pinball (ALP) machine.[ citation needed ] Since then, AtGames has continued its Legends line by adding consoles with arcade control decks (Legends Gamer, Core, and Legends Core Max) as well as their AtGames Legends Ultimate Mini (ALU Mini) and most recently, the AtGames Legends Pinball Micro (ALP Micro). A miniature version of the full size ALP.
AtGames has expanded the capabilities of these devices by adding more accessories, like the QuadPlay, a four-player control deck for the ALU. AtGames has also partnered with Magic Pixel Studios to port over their Zaccaria digital pinball tables as well as to develop new pinball tables taken from various intellectual properties.[ citation needed ]
Starting in 2018, AtGames has released HDMI dongle "Mini Console Sticks", bundled with Sega Genesis-like controllers dubbed "Flashback Blast!" These consoles contain multiple games from different companies, such as Bandai Namco, Atari and Taito. [12] Starting in 2019, the consoles included games licensed from Disney including Tron , The Jungle Book , The Lion King , and the Star Wars games. [13]
In November 2019, AtGames released the 66-inch tall Legends Ultimate arcade cabinet, [3] featuring 350 built-in licensed arcade games on a 24-inch HD screen. [14] In December 2019, AtGames announced its ArcadeNet service, offering games on demand for streaming, download, and purchase on the Legends Ultimate arcade platform. [15] [16] [17]
In August 2020, AtGames announced that the Legends Ultimate 1.1 would hit retail on August 31, 2020, [18] featuring a library of 300 arcade titles from Atari, Data East, Jaleco, The Tetris Company, and Disney. [18]
In September 2020, AtGames announced the Legends Gamer series of wireless arcade controllers, including the Legends Gamer Mini, Legends Gamer and Legends Gamer Pro. [19] The Legends Gamer Mini comes with 100 classic arcade and home video games, while the Legends Gamer and Legends Gamer Pro come with 150 classic arcade and home video games including titles from Disney, Taito, and The Tetris Company. [20]
In 2018, AtGames sent an incorrect version of its Bandai Namco Flashback plug-and-play console to reviewers. The review copy contained authentic emulated arcade ROMs while the released version contained NES versions, which were considerable downgrades and did not match the review copies. [21]
American pharmaceutical chain Walgreens sued AtGames in 2019 for a breach of contract. The suit alleged AtGames owed nearly $1.62 million for unsold and returned products. [22]
In 2019, AtGames acquired the royalties owed to GCC. AtGames had initially approached the GCC group members about licensing Ms. Pac-Man for potential products. Bandai Namco filed a lawsuit against AtGames alleging that AtGames misrepresented itself as licensed to make Ms. Pac-Man products, and created Ms. Pac-Man mini-cabinets under those claims. The suit also alleged unfair competition, false advertising, and copyright infringement. [23] The case was ultimately dismissed on October 27, 2020.
Beginning with the 2022 Arcade Archives release of Pac-Land , the Ms. Pac-Man character has been removed from games that previously featured her. [24]
An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-operated or accept other means of payment, housed in an arcade cabinet, and located in amusement arcades alongside other kinds of arcade games. Until the early 2000s, arcade video games were the largest and most technologically advanced segment of the video game industry.
Pac-Man, originally called Puck Man in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The player controls Pac-Man, who must eat all the dots inside an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating large flashing dots called "Power Pellets" causes the ghosts to temporarily turn blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points.
Namco Limited is a dormant subsidiary owned by Bandai Namco Holdings that used to be a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, and Shanghai Namco in mainland China.
Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade video game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is a spin-off sequel to Pac-Man (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's wife, the player is tasked with eating all of the pellets in an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating the larger "power pellets" lets the player eat the ghosts, who turn blue and flee.
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to Galaxian (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a starship, the player is tasked with destroying the Galaga forces in each stage while avoiding enemies and projectiles. Some enemies can capture a player's ship via a tractor beam, which can be rescued to transform the player into a "dual fighter" with additional firepower.
Dig Dug is a maze arcade video game released by Namco in 1982. It was distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player digs underground tunnels to attack enemies in each level, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rocks.
Pac-Land is a 1984 side-scrolling arcade platform game developed and released by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Bally Midway, and in Europe by Atari Games. Controlling Pac-Man, the player must make it to the end of each stage to return a lost fairy back to its home in Fairyland. Pac-Man will need to avoid obstacles, such as falling logs and water-spewing fire hydrants, alongside his enemies, the Ghost Gang. Eating large flashing Power Pellets will cause the ghosts to turn blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for points.
The following article is a broad timeline of arcade video games.
1982 was the peak year for the golden age of arcade video games as well as the second generation of video game consoles. Many games were released that would spawn franchises, or at least sequels, including Dig Dug, Pole Position, Mr. Do!, Zaxxon, Q*bert, Time Pilot and Pitfall! The year's highest-grossing video game was Namco's arcade game Pac-Man, for the third year in a row, while the year's best-selling home system was the Atari 2600. Additional video game consoles added to a crowded market, notably the ColecoVision and Atari 5200. Troubles at Atari late in the year triggered the video game crash of 1983.
Namco Museum is a series of video game compilations developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for home video game consoles. The first title in the series, Namco Museum Vol. 1, was released for the PlayStation in 1995. Entries in the series have been released for multiple platforms, including the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Xbox 360. the latest being Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2, released in 2020.
The Atari Flashback series are a line of dedicated video game consoles designed, produced, published and marketed by AtGames under license from Atari SA. The Flashback consoles are "plug-and-play" versions of the Atari 2600 console. They contain built-in games rather than using the ROM cartridges utilized by the 2600. Most of the games are classics that were previously released for the 2600, although some Flashback consoles include previously unreleased prototype games as well.
Gee Bee is a block breaker/video pinball hybrid arcade game developed and published by Namco in 1978. The player controls a set of paddles with a rotary knob, with the objective being to score as many points as possible by deflecting a ball against bricks, pop bumpers and other objects in the playfield. It was developed by Toru Iwatani, known as the creator of Pac-Man and Pole Position. Outside Japan, it was published by Gremlin Industries.
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating large flashing "Power Pellets" will allow Pac-Man to eat the ghosts for bonus points, which lasts for a short period of time. A new feature to this game allows Pac-Man to jump over the ghosts to evade capture. It is the ninth title in the Pac-Man video game series and was the last one developed for arcades up until the release of Pac-Man Arrangement in 1996. Development was directed by Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani. It was licensed to Atari Games for release in North America.
Masaya Nakamura was a Japanese businessman and the founder of Namco. He was the company's president up until 2002, where he took a ceremonial role in its management. Following the formation of Bandai Namco Holdings, Nakamura would retain an honorary position in the video game division, Bandai Namco Entertainment.
M2 Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer and publisher, best known for handling emulation of re-released games, such as some Sega Ages titles, Virtual Console titles for Nintendo systems, the 3D Classics series for the Nintendo 3DS and their ShotTriggers range of classic STG games. M2 has also created entirely new titles such as WiiWare games for Konami under the ReBirth moniker and more recently a new GG Aleste game. In addition, M2 currently holds the rights of Aleste series and all NEC Avenue and NEC Interchannel games on TurboGrafx-16 and variants, previously owned by Lightweight.
An arcade video game is an arcade game where the player's inputs from the game's controllers are processed through electronic or computerized components and displayed to a video device, typically a monitor, all contained within an enclosed arcade cabinet. Arcade video games are often installed alongside other arcade games such as pinball and redemption games at amusement arcades. Up until the late 1990s, arcade video games were the largest and most technologically advanced sector of the video game industry.
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