NEWS - Saturday, March 5, 2005
Atari Makes Deal With Spark
Atari Sparks a Deal March 4, 2005 - Atari will publish all future titles from Spark Unlimited, the creators of Call of Duty: Finest Hour, according to an announcement by the publisher today. The exclusive agreement covers worldwide publishing rights across all media. Igniting the Spark deal is a joint project for next-generation consoles based on a new intellectual property. The new franchise will live in more than games, however, as both companies hope to extend it to areas such as film and television. As for actual details, Atari is keeping the new property under wraps, promising to unveil more this spring. Atari expects the game to arrive for the 2006 holiday season. "Interactive entertainment extends across a full spectrum of mediums, not as an afterthought, but by strategic design that begins with a comprehensive creative vision," said Atari President and CEO Jim Caparro. "We are focused on working with innovative teams like Spark to launch and cultivate franchises which fully embrace the all-encompassing entertainment experience. With a track record for creating compelling, unique stories and characters, Spark is an ideal collaborative partner." Based in Sherman Oaks, CA, Spark was founded by development veterans of the hallmark Medal of Honor series. The company's primary project so far has been Call of Duty: Finest Hour for current consoles, creating a World War II shooter experience inspired by the original Call of Duty title for PC. We'll be back with more on the new Spark game, as well as additional projects from the new partnership, as soon as news comes in.Source: http://www.ign.com
