Atari Presents 'The Future of Play' at WIRED NextFest 2006

Atari Presents 'The Future of Play' at WIRED NextFest 2006

Iconic Interactive Entertainment Company Joins WIRED Magazine's Annual Event Fusing the Future of Technology, Entertainment and Culture

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR), one of the world's most recognized brands and leading third-party video game publisher, today announced the Company's sponsorship of WIRED Magazine's WIRED NextFest 2006. As a style-driving brand for decades, the Company will present a remarkable display of the intersection of technology and entertainment at this year's event, Sept. 29-Oct.1, 2006 at the Javits Center in New York City. Atari's Playground pavilion exhibits the impact of the digital revolution on fun and entertainment for consumers of all ages.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060925/NYM036 )

"The Atari brand symbolizes innovation and we continue our heritage by presenting tomorrow's technologies and how they will shape interactive entertainment at this year's WIRED NextFest," said Bruno Bonnell, Chief Creative Officer, Atari, Inc. "Never-before-seen objects that communicate -- like the Nabaztag and other smart devices -- and prototype versions of tomorrow's technologies will be on display. At WIRED NextFest, Atari presents a futuristic experience where interacting with machines for fun and pleasure become natural forms of entertainment."

As the centerpiece of the Playground at WIRED NextFest, Atari presents the Nabaztag Opera, featuring 100 Nabaztag devices. Created by the French company Violet, Nabaztags are the first, interactive wi-fi enabled "smart rabbits" that also double as interactive personal companions. First performed at Paris' Centre Pompidou in May, the Nabaztag Opera makes its debut in America at WIRED NextFest. Composed by Artist and programmer Antoine Schmitt and Music composer and film director, Jean-Jacques Birge, the opera is a musical and choreographic partition in three movements, transmitted via wi-fi, plays on the tension between the music ensemble communion and individual behavior to create a strong and involved showpiece.

About WIRED NextFest

Created and produced by WIRED Magazine, and presented by GE, the third annual WIRED NextFest brings together innovations from around the world. WIRED's vision of a new World's Fair will showcase the latest in exploration, entertainment, transportation, health, play (video gaming outside the box), communication, design, security, and green living from visionary inventors and R&D labs worldwide. The Future of Green Living Pavilion will debut at this year's event and two areas have been substantially expanded: Robot Row and The Playground (Future of Play). In all, 130 exhibits -- representing 100 leading companies, universities, and inventors from 20 countries -- will be presented.

WIRED NextFest 2006 is slated to begin with "Education Day" -- free for students and teachers on Thursday, September 28. Staged at New York's Javits Center, WIRED NextFest will be open for General Admission on Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Ticket information, as well as additional programming, can be found at www.nextfest.net.

Pavilion sponsors for WIRED NextFest include Atari, (Future of Play), Autodesk, (Future of Green Living), Discovery Channel, (Future of Entertainment), General Motors, (Future of Transportation), NASA, (Future of Exploration), Pfizer, (Official Supporter of Education Day) and Intel (Main Stage). Additional sponsors include CITI, Coke Blak, Hilton Garden Inn and The Science Channel.

About Atari

New York-based Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining franchises such as The Matrix(TM) (Enter The Matrix and The Matrix: Path of Neo) and Test Drive(R); and mass-market and children's franchises such as Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues(TM) and Dora the Explorer(TM), and Dragon Ball Z(R). Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext -- ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain certain "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release are not promises or guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein. Some of the factors which could cause our results to differ materially include the following: the loss of key customers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, GameStop and EB Games; delays in product development and related product release schedules; inability to secure capital; adapting to the rapidly changing industry technology, including new console technology; maintaining relationships with leading independent video game software developers; maintaining or acquiring licenses to intellectual property; fluctuations in the Company's quarterly net revenues and results of operations based on the seasonality of our industry; the termination or modification of our agreements with hardware manufacturers; and other factors described in our SEC filings.

The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060925/NYM036
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Atari, Inc.

CONTACT: Andrea Schneider of Atari, Inc., +1-212-726-4259,
andrea.schneider@atari.com; Craig Sinel of fortyseven communications,
+1-323-658-1200, craig@forty47seven.com, for Atari, Inc.

Web site: http://www.atari.com/
http://www.nextfest.net/

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