• News

Nightdive Studios CEO defends Atari acquisition, claiming 'they're on the rise'

Atari surprised many in March 2023 when it announced it would be acquiring the System Shock remake and classic game restoration studio.

TJ Denzer

May 8, 2023 8:40 AM

Image via Atari & Nightdive Studios

1

Nightdive Studios has become a fairly beloved developer house for its dedication to remaking and remastering classic titles, but its acquisition by Atari was one that caught many off guard. Moreover, Atari’s curious climb into the modern gaming conversation has been riddled with ups and downs that have left many nervous about the implications of the acquisition. However, Nightdive is happy with it and CEO Stephen Kick believes Atari’s latest efforts are something Nightdive wants to be part of.

Kick shared his thoughts on the Atari acquisition and its effect on Nightdive in a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz. While many have been worried that this would affect Nightdive’s trajectory on projects like the System Shock Remake, Kick says this is hardly the case, and he believes in the direction Atari is moving.

“There is this misconception when this acquisition [happened] that we had basically chained ourselves to a sinking ship, but it couldn't be further from the truth," Kick said. "They're on the rise here again, and we wanted to be a part of that.”

Atari has been making bold moves as of late. In addition to acquiring Nightdive Studios back in March 2023, Atari also made a huge acquisition of over 100 IP and games from labels such as Microprose, Accolade, and Infogrames. Last year in March 2022, Atari also snatched up MobyGames, which is an encyclopedic database of classic games and details about them. The former gaming giant seems to be on a roll of collecting classic gaming IP and studios and organizations related to the preservation and restoration of said games, and Kick has been impressed with Atari CEO Wade Rosen’s efforts thus far.

“Wade is the X factor here,” Kick continued. “After he had become the Atari CEO, and started changing the underlying foundation of Atari toward something more game-centric...that's when we became interested in joining forces.”

Many will likely remain concerned as we see how the Nightdive and Atari relationship plays out, but with the System Shock remake right around the corner this May and further projects forthcoming from Nightdive, the studio has an arguably strong chance to eliminate some of the doubt surrounding its acquisition in the near future.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.