Atari Reviews

Pros

Good benefits, vacation accrual better than most companies. Very laid back atmosphere and fun environment to work in. The excitement of midtown NYC.

Cons

Declining staff due to lay-offs, downsizing. People did not know whether or not the company would continue to exist or if they were next on the chopping block.

Pros

Old school fun, great people.

Cons

A little too old school thinking.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work and push forward.

Pros

Gaming-centric company culture and fast moving. You'll never want for projects and work to be done, and updates/changes are implemented quickly and quietly. Its intense work, but immensely satisfying and you learn fast.

Cons

During crunch, support can be life-consuming. You have to learn to do a lot with less, and you adapt quickly to finding cheap/easy solutions to last minute problems.

Advice to Senior Management

Plan ahead ! Last minute emergencies should not be commonplace. If you plan accordingly, folks will put in the time to make things happen. If you drop things on their lap at the last second, they become less and less inclined to rush for a resolution.

Pros

Atari continues to be one of the most recognizable brands in the world and resonates with a broad demographic. It's just cool to say you work(ed) there.

Cons

The parent company was always a leach on this company and there is a lot to the urban legend the Atari Brand is cursed…everyone that takes over this brand believes they will be the ones to turn it around…but the results are always the same…

Advice to Senior Management

Take a disciplined approach to development and where you spend your money. Content drives game sales not the brand. If you think the brand will sell your games then you have already failed…

Pros

As an intern I had a lot of exposure to people very high up in the company. I always felt that I got sufficient praise for the work I did, and I had plenty of valuable work experiences to discuss when I was recruiting for a full time job. Additionally, my bosses were extraordinarily nice, and there were plenty of opportunities for socializing.

Cons

Occasionally, the hours could be fairly long, although that is to be expected when you're working New York City. Sometimes I felt that it really took a lot of initiative in order to get assigned enough tasks to fill my work day.

Advice to Senior Management

Create a more structured internship program.