Following its acquisition of System Shock Remake studio Nightdive Studios in May, Atari has announced it has entered an agreement to acquire California-based developer, Digital Eclipse for $20 million USD. The newest acquisition is better known for its fantastic retro remasters, with one of those being directly related to its new owner in the 2022 release of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.
The $20 million price tag includes an initial $6.5 million, a combination of cash and shares, with the remaining $13.5 million to be divvied out over the next decade based on Digital Eclipse’s performance. Digital Eclispse was first formed in 1992, and since then has produced well over 250 games. A press release of the purchase states the acquisition will be finalized in a couple of days.
“Digital Eclipse is the best in the world at what they do. They have a deep love and respect for the history of the games industry and are renowned for developing critically acclaimed projects based on historic franchises. Digital Eclipse, along with Nightdive, are in perfect alignment with Atari’s DNA and renewed purpose. I’m personally excited to see where we can push the boundaries of retro innovation together,” Atari CEO Wade Rosen commented in a press statement.
While now a part of the longtime video game company, it will be business as usual as Digital Eclispse says it will continue to have the freedom to develop other non-Atari IP projects. This means similar work on video game preservation compilation releases like Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary, Mega Man Legacy Collection, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, or Disney Classic Games Collection is seemingly not going away any time soon.
“Our experience collaborating on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration was revelatory. The trust that Atari showed our team and our clear mutual love and respect for the content, positioned us to produce something truly remarkable. I know Atari will continue to champion our approach and that we will be bringing fans exciting new projects for years to come,” Digital Eclipse president and creative director Mike Mika said in a statement.
