Chris Trottier on Nostr: Today, I discovered there’s a Japanese video game publisher called “Atari” ...

Today, I discovered there’s a Japanese video game publisher called “Atari” that’s totally unrelated to the Atari we all know and love.

I’m talking about Natsume Atari, the makers of Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kamen Rider, and Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising.

Now where does the “Atari” in their name come from? In 2002, Natsume Co., Ltd. founded Atari Inc., and eventually merged with it in 2013 – renaming itself Natsume Atari. Again, not the current French-American company called Atari Inc., but a company that makes pachinko machines.

Natsume Co., Ltd. is not to be confused with Natsume Inc., which used to be the American subsidiary of Natsume Co., Ltd. – but is now its own company. Natsume Inc., the publisher of Harvest Moon. Even more confusingly, now Natsume Inc. has a Japanese division called Natsume Inc. Japan that has no connection whatsoever to Nastume Atari.

And to make this whole thing more bizarre, Bandai Namco is the direct successor of both the original Atari Japan, used to own a large chunk of Atari Games (hence Tengen), and bought Atari Europe from Atari Inc. No, not the Japanese Atari Inc., but the French-American company that owns the current Atari brand.

Anyway, if you’re from Japan, please send me a picture of an Atari pachinko machine!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsume_Atari