Atari announced on May 23, 2024, that it had bought the Intellivision brand, its trademarks and rights to more than 200 games in the portfolio from Intellivision Entertainment LLC. It did not buy the Amico console business: that business continued separately under the name Amico Entertainment.
What did Atari buy from Intellivision?
Atari described the transaction as a purchase of the Intellivision trademarks and rights to more than 200 titles from the portfolio. The announcement did not identify every title individually or disclose a purchase price or other financial terms. Atari’s May 23, 2024 announcement said it intended to pursue broader digital and physical distribution of legacy Intellivision games, consider new games, and explore licensing and other opportunities for the brand. Those were announced intentions, not confirmation that particular releases or deals had happened.
Did Atari buy the Amico?
No. Atari’s announcement said Intellivision Entertainment would rebrand and continue developing and distributing the Amico console business. In a July 2024 update, the company, then called Amico Entertainment, said it retained the Amico hardware intellectual property and patents, along with licensed rights to develop reimagined Amico versions of games from the classic Intellivision catalog. The deal therefore separated the legacy brand and game rights Atari acquired from the continuing Amico business.
| Went to Atari | Stayed with the continuing Amico business |
|---|---|
| Intellivision brand and trademarks, plus rights to more than 200 portfolio titles, as described by Atari in its May 2024 announcement. | Amico hardware IP and patents, and licensed rights to develop reimagined Amico versions of classic Intellivision games, according to Amico Entertainment’s July 2024 update. |
Atari said Intellivision Entertainment would have a license to distribute new versions of Intellivision games on Amico. That licensing arrangement did not transfer ownership of the Amico business to Atari. Amico Entertainment’s update provides the company’s account of its name change and retained assets.
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What happens to Intellivision games after the acquisition?
Atari said it would seek wider distribution of the legacy games in digital and physical formats and might develop new games. It also announced that Intellivision T-shirts were available on the deal announcement date, with more apparel and collectibles planned. The announcement establishes these as plans and contemporaneous merchandise availability; it does not establish that every proposed game, licensing project, or later collectible became available.
Atari’s current Intellivision page lists the Intellivision Sprint, described in the page navigation as a console with 45 games and wireless controllers, and includes a preorder link. That current listing is not evidence that Sprint was among the assets named in the 2024 announcement. Amazon availability has not been established.
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Why were Atari and Intellivision rivals?
The rivalry began with competing home consoles. Mattel Electronics released the first Intellivision in 1979 to compete with the Atari 2600. Atari’s brand-history page estimates that Intellivision sold 5 million units through 1990; this is Atari’s own estimate, not an independently verified sales count. Atari also says Mattel launched its M Network label in 1982 to publish games for the Atari 2600, including ports of some Intellivision titles, and closed its software division in 1984 after the 1983 video game market crash. Atari’s Intellivision history page provides this company-published account.
Atari framed the 2024 purchase as a reunion of competitors. Mike Mika, Studio Head at Atari-owned Digital Eclipse, said: “Uniting Atari and Intellivision after 45 years ends the longest-running console war in history.” That is Mika’s characterization of the rivalry, not a neutral historical finding. Atari Chairman and CEO Wade Rosen called the transaction “a very rare opportunity to unite former competitors and bring together fans of Atari, Intellivision and the golden age of gaming.” Intellivision Entertainment CEO Phil Adam said: “Atari has been a valuable partner and we have every confidence they will be a responsible steward of the storied Intellivision brand.”
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