Atari and Spark strike next-gen deal @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on March 04, 2005

News: Atari and the team behind Call of Duty: Finest Hour enter an exclusive publishing agreement.

Atari and Spark Unlimited have signed an exclusive publishing deal that gives Atari all rights to everything Spark Unlimited does for a "long-term development relationship". Spark was last responsible for Finest Hour, the console version of PC favorite Call of Duty.

The first game will be a new franchise that Atari is looking to exploit in "film, television and consumer products" (i.e. toys). It is currently scheduled for a Holiday 2006 release date on "next-generation" consoles.

"To date, our goal at Spark has been to create high-quality innovative titles that deliver uniquely realistic and cinematic gaming experiences," said Craig Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Spark Unlimited. "We are excited about this new partnership with Atari in part because they have a proven track record for publishing hit titles, but also because we share Jim's and the Company's vision for creating titles that blend many expressions of media into a dynamic new framework for audiences to experience."

Spark was formed by 27 former members of the Medal of Honor team at EA. There's no word yet whether this new project will be a war game like all their previous efforts.