While Ubisoft is widely known for major franchises such as Assassin`s Creed and Rainbow Six Siege, the publisher also has a history of developing excellent smaller-scale titles across various platforms. Many of these intellectual properties have been inactive for years, but a recent agreement sees Atari acquiring five of these classic Ubisoft titles to re-release them on contemporary platforms.
The acquisition includes the intellectual property rights for Cold Fear, I Am Alive, Grow Home, Grow Up, and Child of Eden. With the exception of the `Grow` series, these were mostly standalone games developed by various studios and published by Ubisoft. On consoles, they were primarily exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PS3 generations, alongside their PC availability.
Deborah Papiernik, Ubisoft`s VP of New Business, expressed in a press statement that “Millions of players have explored these worlds over time, and this initiative will allow existing fans to rekindle those experiences while introducing new players to these gems for the first time.” She added, “Atari boasts a significant gaming heritage and a profound respect for these classic games, and we eagerly anticipate observing their evolution and how they will engage with players in innovative and impactful ways.”
Atari has curated a strong selection of titles. I Am Alive is remembered for its intense post-apocalyptic survival gameplay, Cold Fear offered a unique blend of horror reminiscent of The Thing and Resident Evil, and the Grow series are cherished platformers. Child of Eden stands out as a particular highlight; this 2011 music-driven rail-shooter, from Tetris Effect director Tetsuya Mizuguchi, captivated audiences who enjoyed his earlier works like Rez and Lumines.
Concurrently, Atari has been pursuing an aggressive acquisition strategy. Recently, the company became the majority shareholder of Thunderful Group, known for the SteamWorld series. In previous years, Atari reinforced its commitment to retro gaming by acquiring Nightdive Studios and Digital Eclipse, both specialists in remastering classic titles. Furthermore, Atari has secured the intellectual property rights for Transport Tycoon and its historic competitor, Intellivision.
Atari`s moves are part of a broader trend, as another veteran gaming brand, Acclaim, was also revived last year. Acclaim has committed to backing independent developers and revitalizing classic franchises, with plans to showcase its current projects at a special event on September 10.
Ubisoft, for its part, is realigning its strategic focus with a new subsidiary, partially funded by Tencent. This new venture will be headed by Christophe Derennes, a long-time veteran of Ubisoft Montreal, and Charlie Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.