On the verge of delivering the remake of System Shock after long years of work, Nightdive Studios has therefore agreed to join a publisher whose financial capacities and recent strategic choices are nevertheless cause for hesitation. ” Believe me, it’s not the same Atari anymore », ensures Stephen Kick, co-head of Nightdive Studios, who had the opportunity to clarify some things on Twitter since the announcement of this operation. No, Nightdive Studios won’t go dip your feet into the blockchain business dear to Atari. The studio based in Washington State will remain specialized in remasters and will even be able to upgrade to a higher range thanks to the support of its new owner, at least on paper.
Old pot seeks better soup
” This is a great victory for our team! As we seek to continue producing high-quality, new and remastered games that do justice to the original creations, we couldn’t imagine a better long-term partner than Atari. “, commented the studio, which made a turnover of 3 million dollars in 2022. Working on its own development tool, the KEX Engine, Nightive Studios has released numerous remasters including those of Shadow Man, Quake, DOOM 64, Turok and Turok 2.
” With this acquisition, Atari will enrich its large portfolio of intellectual properties, use Night Dive’s publishing capabilities and technology as part of its growth strategy focused on retro games. “, explains the press release. The operation will cost Atari at least 10 million dollars, including 5 million paid in cash and 5 million in the form of new Atari shares. Depending on Nightdive Studios’ performance over the next three years, the acquirer will have to pay up to $10 million more in top-up, which still looks like a good deal for Nightdive Studios.
Still in the red economically in 2022, Atari has also announced its intention to issue bonds convertible into new Atari shares for an amount of 30 million euros. to meet its cash requirements as part of the implementation of its new growth strategy and the refinancing of its debt. »