NetherRealm Studios

From WE Computers Museum
(Redirected from WB Games Chicago)

This article is about the company originally known as Atari Games and Midway Games. For the company formerly known as Syzygy Engineering, the company formerly known as Atari Corporation and the company formerly known as Infogrames, see Atari, S.A. For the company formerly known as Atari Japan, see Namco. For the company formerly known as Legacy Engineering, see Syzygy Co. For the former Atari Games home subsidiary, see Tengen.

NetherRealm Studios logo.png
NetherRealm Studios
Type Subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery
Founded 1958 (Midway Manufacturing)
1971 (Syzygy Engineering)
June 27, 1972 (Atari, Inc.)
1981 (Bally/Midway)
1984 (Atari Games)
1991 (Midway Games)
January 2000 (Midway Games West)
2009 (WB Games Chicago)
2010 (NetherRealm Studios)
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Key people Henry Ross (Midway Games)
Marcine Wolverton (Midway Games)
Nolan Bushnell (Atari Games)
Ted Dabney (Atari Games)
Industry Video games, consumer electronics
Products Video games, consumer electronics
Number of people not disclosed
Website http://www.netherrealm.com/

NeatherRealm Studios is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which itself is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Midway Manufacturing

Midway Manufacturing was founded in 1958 by Henry Ross and Marcine Wolverton. It was acquired by Bally Manufacturing in 1969.

Atari

Syzygy Engineering was founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in 1971, and was incorporated as Atari on June 27, 1972. In 1976, Warner Communications purchased Atari as they wanted to get into the interactive entertainment business.

Bally/Midway

Midway Manufacturing was renamed Bally/Midway in 1981.

Atari Games

On July 1, 1984, because of the video game crash of 1983, Warner sold the home division of Atari to Tramel Technology, while Warner kept the arcade division. The arcade division became Atari Games and the home division became Atari Corporation.

Namco purchases controlling interest in Atari Games

The controlling interest in Atari Games was sold to Namco in 1985. Atari Games began publishing games for the home video game market in 1987 under the Tengen brand name.

Williams acquisition of Bally and Time merger with Warner

In 1988, WMS Industries purchased Bally Manufacturing through its Williams Electronics division.

In 1989, Warner merged with Time to become known as Time Warner.

Midway Games

1n 1991, Bally/Midway was renamed Midway Games.

Time Warner reacquires Atari Games

In 1993, Time Warner bought a controlling interest in Atari Games and created Time Warner Interactive. The arcade division continued to operate under the name Atari Games, while releases for the home video game market used the Time Warner Interactive label.

Midway acquisition of Atari Games

In 1996, Atari Games was sold to WMS Industries and was made part of their Midway division.

Atari Games becomes Midway Games West

In 1998, WMS Industries spun off its remaining shares in Midway. In January 2000, Atari Games became Midway Games West. Midway's arcade division was closed in June 2001.

WB Games Chicago

Most of Midway's assets were acquired by Time Warner under its Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment division in 2009, and it was renamed WB Games Chicago.

NetherRealm Studios

WB Games Chicago became NetherRealm Studios in 2010.