When you think Ubisoft, you usually think about its tentpole franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six Siege, but the company has also released several great small-scale games across PC, console, and mobile. Some of these IP have been dormant for years, but Atari has inked a new deal to acquire five Ubisoft classics and bring them to modern platforms.
As part of the deal, Atari has purchased the IP for Cold Fear, I Am Alive, Grow Home, Grow Up, and Child of Eden. These were all one-off games (save for Grow Home and Grow Up) published by Ubisoft and developed by numerous teams, but in terms of console releases, most of them remained locked to Xbox 360 and PS3. Aside from their PC, Xbox 360, and PC releases.
“Millions of players have experienced these worlds over the years, and this will open the door for longtime players to revisit those memories while inviting new audiences to discover them for the first time,” Ubisoft VP of New Business Deborah Papiernik said in a press statement (via BusinessWire). “Atari has a rich gaming legacy and deep appreciation for these classic titles, and we’re excited to see how they’ll evolve and connect with players in fresh, meaningful ways.”
Atari has picked a solid collection of games, as I Am Alive offered a tense survival experience in a post-apocalyptic world, Cold Fear played like The Thing meets Resident Evil, and the Grow games are delightful platformers. Child of Eden is the real draw here, as the 2011 game from Tetris Effect director Tetsuya Mizuguchi was a music-powered rail-shooter that appealed to fans of the developer’s previous work on Rez and Lumines.
Meanwhile, Atari has been on a strategic tear lately with acquisitions. It recently became the majority owner of Thunderful Group–the company behind the SteamWorld games–and the last couple of years saw it double down on its retro focus by acquiring Nightdive Studios and Digital Eclipse, both of which specialize in remasters of classic games. Atari also purchased the rights to the Transport Tycoon IP and its former rival, Intellivision.
This isn’t the only legacy gaming brand making a big comeback lately, as Acclaim was revived last year. The company has pledged to support indie developers and “reignite” classic franchises, and on September 10, Acclaim will show what it’s working on with a dedicated showcase event.
As for Ubisoft, it’s refocusing some its efforts with a new subsidiary–funded in part by Tencent–that will be led by Ubisoft Montreal veteran Christophe Derennes and Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot’s own son, Charlie Guillemot.
