What would James say? Atari US files for bankruptcy

In a recent post in my Empoprise-IE Inland Empire blog, I talked about an Upland, California business called James Games, which has apparently bucked the negative trend exhibited by an entire industry. Although I didn't mention it, the fortunes of video game arcades mirrored the up and down trajectory of a company called Atari. Atari took off in the early 1970s, and video game arcades mushroomed. But things changed within a few short years, as this Guardian post chronicles:

The company was sold to Warner Bros in 1976, but the failure of later consoles, as well as the Atari ST home computer, saw the legend passed between a succession of different owners. In 2000 it was bought by French publisher Infogrames, which changed its name to Atari....

Well, now the US subsidiary Atari wants to break from the French parent Atari.

In one way or another, the brand will probably survive. Some brands are killed after mergers - when was the last time you heard anyone at Wells Fargo mention Charles Crocker? - but the Atari brand is strong enough to live on.

Take note, Hostess fans.