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Atari acquires Cryptic Studios

Atari has announced that it has acquired US-based MMO developer Cryptic Studios in a performance-linked deal.

The company, previously responsible for City of Heroes and City of Villains, which made over USD 100 million for NCsoft, is in production on three titles, to be released over the next three years.

Champions Online is slated for a 2009 launch, while a Star Trek MMO will follow in 2010 and an as-yet-unannounced game will be released in 2011.

Additionally the deal will see some of the studio's technology make its way into other Atari titles, as well as powering the Atari.com portal.

MORE HERE

I looked at the screenies for CO and damn if it didnt look almost exactly like CoH/V....I mean I felt as though I was in Port Oaks....something tells me there is going to be legal action forthcoming once it goes live.....maybe

Weird, huh. Cryptic creates the relatively successful MMO, 'City of Heroes/Villains', then sells it to NCSoft, their former publisher, and starts work on the 'Marvel Universe Online' thing - which promptly tanks. Then Cryptic comes back with 'Champions Online' and 'Star Trek Online' and whatever else that third MMO may be - then sells out to Atari.

The same Atari, evidently, who pushed Temple of Elemental Evil out the door before it or Troika was ready and according to what I've read screwed the pooch royally on the release of Neverwinter Nights 2 (maybe some of you NWN2 guys can confirm).

I was kinda looking forward to the Star Trek thing...

Ya know, I've read elsewhere that the devs for Stargate Worlds are going without any pay... HERE and HERE

And Sony is also making news with: THIS

NWN2 was developed by Obsidian, the RPG sequel maker. Atari was only the publisher. FWIW, the current atari is really Infogrames, if I'm not mistaken. They bought the name a few years ago. NWN2 is great - it had performance issues in the beginning, but it's a great game.

Publisher Take-Two Interactive just says NO to Champions Online.

"'We no longer intend to publish the MMOG Champions Online due to Atari's acquisition of Cryptic,' said Take-Two president Ben Feder in a post-earnings conference call with analysts."

well duh! Clearly, Atari will publish it.

Yes, yes, of course, Atari will publish it they feel it's worthwhile, but that's beside the point. The point is - well, the DRAMA.