Atari Sells 1 Million Matrix Games in Week
PARIS – Atari Inc. Friday said it had sold more than 1 million copies of “Enter the Matrix” one week after the computer and video game hit shelves in the United States and Europe.
New York-based Atari shares closed Friday up 73 cents, or 17 percent, at $4.96 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The heavily indebted company, a subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA of France, is counting on blockbuster games such as “Enter the Matrix” to revive its fortunes.
The game was released May 15, the same day as the movie it is tied to, “The Matrix Reloaded.” The game includes additional footage and is one of the most expensive ever made.
In early May, the company said it expected to sell 4 million units of the game for a total of $160 million in revenue. Infogrames had total sales of $770 million for the year ended in June and does about 65 percent of its sales in the United States.
Atari sales expectations, if reached, would put “Enter the Matrix” on track to be one of the best-selling games of all time.
Atari said the game will be released in Japan June 19.
Categories