David Pierce
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More Atari trouble: Infogrames shares suspended
Newly appointed Atari CEO, David Pierce, must have been dangerously close to spilling his herbal tea this morning after reading a BBC news report regarding the suspension of Infogrames shares. If you recall, Infogrames is the French company that purchased the seemingly cursed Atari name back in 2001 -- bad news for them means bad news for Atari. Of course, Mr. Pierce's described reaction to the news is entirely fabricated. It seems ludicrous to suggest that he learned of the share woes through a website, much less that he accessed it through the sole computer which hadn't been repossessed yet. Though we jest, Atari's continuing string of financial pitfalls is no laughing matter (especially not for them). The company and its owner are clearly in strong need of some bankable intellectual property that goes beyond Dragon Ball Z and repackaged classics. Will the next generation of consoles give them a big break and the hit they need? In this industry, anything is possible. [Thanks, Jose.]
Atari appoints new CEO, hopes to avoid pitfall
David Pierce is one lucky guy. In addition to being given a fancy "CEO" title and $600,000 annual salary, the man has now been placed at the helm of Atari, currently in the process of sailing through stormy seas and various other clichés that amount to a lot failure and not an awful lot of money in the bank. He has over 20 years of management experience, including stints at Universal Pictures, MGM, Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment -- perfectly valid evidence to back up the claim that he generally knows what's he's doing. Atari stocks went up by a whole penny following the news, indicating that more than one person believes this to be a good move.The company's previous CEO and potential Marvel Comics character, Bruno Bonnell, has been shifted into the position of "Chief Creative Officer." Presumably, that entails coming up with creative ways to get the most out of the stationery and decorating the offices with cost-effective origami and pleasing fingerpaintings. Joking aside, these internal modifications may finally allow this Atari (Infogrames in disguise) to escape its current rut, reap the financial rewards and usher in an all-new video game apocalypse. Will Mr. Pierce be able to plug up that hole in the company's boat? We'll have to wait and see (and play).[Thanks cringer8!]
