Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Thu, November 12, 2009 
NEW YORK, NY and PLEASANTON, CA--(Marketwire - November 12, 2009) - Atari, Inc., an interactive entertainment company, is leveraging high-definition (HD) [ telepresence ] solutions from Polycom, Inc. (
[ Atari ] is a global producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and all interactive game platforms. The company's extensive catalog of popular games is based on original franchises, publishing properties, international licenses, and classic games covering the entire history of the video game industry including Pong®, Missile Command® and Asteroids®.
Atari relies on Polycom standards-based telepresence solutions, which provide an [ UltimateHD™ ] experience -- HD video, HD voice and HD multimedia content-sharing capabilities -- which allows teams to not only see and hear each other in life-like clarity, but also share multimedia content, like full-motion graphics from games, in HD.
"Using HD video conferencing provides a more intimate experience and brings us closer together as a company," said Roland Lesterlin, an Atari product development manager. "As we've rolled out our Polycom HD telepresence solution, users have been very impressed with the ease of use, the video and audio quality and the content sharing capabilities. There is real value in seeing real-time facial reactions of our colleagues and the ability to share our work in real-time is changing how we collaborate as a company."
The catalyst for deploying Polycom HD telepresence systems was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of critical "green light" meetings, where decisions about video game development are made. The important and often lengthy meetings connect executives and staff from all over the world.
"It's vital to get all of the executives together in one location to make sure the whole company is on the same page," said Lesterlin, whose team was tasked with finding a solution. "But in an international company that can be a challenge. In the end, a technical solution, Polycom telepresence, proved to be a very effective solution."
The Atari IT team was asked to improve the quality of the interactions and presentations during the green light meetings, in a cost-effective manner. Atari had been using legacy video conferencing systems from Polycom to reduce the travel required for green light meetings and realized that a move to Polycom HD telepresence solutions would be ideal for facilitating life-like communications and collaboration through the UltimateHD experience.
"Presentations during the meetings now include demonstrations of games, viewing of HD-quality images, videos, and reviews of builds that are going through the alpha and beta stages," said Atari IT Manager Arnaldo Espinal.
"One selling point of video games is the visual quality, especially with HD becoming ubiquitous in the home," said Lesterlin. "Being able to present these games in HD during the green light meetings is an important part of accurately assessing whether or not it is a game to move forward with."
The effectiveness of the visual communication experience is producing benefits beyond improved interaction during the green light meetings. Lesterlin also reports benefits in creative collaboration: "We have producers in locations around the world working with our developers, and these people are integral to the creative process. Polycom telepresence allows a virtual in-person communication that is necessary for any creative development. As we use the systems more and more on a daily basis, it improves the quality of our creativity."
In addition, Atari is also realizing significant [ savings in travel costs ], by cutting travel and holding the meetings over video. The reduced travel is also helping provide better work/life balance for Atari employees.
"In the video game industry, many executives are relatively young and often starting families, and the prolonged separation of travel impacts work/life balance," said Lesterlin. "Everyone wants to spend more time with their families and Polycom telepresence has absolutely helped in that area by keeping people off planes and closer to home."
Upgrading its network of standards-based Polycom video solutions, Atari has deployed Polycom's [ HDX 9000 ]™ and [ HDX 8000 ]™ telepresence systems at sites in New York, London, Lyon and Paris, France. It has also deployed a Polycom [ RMX 1000 ]™ real-time media conferencing platform to enable multisite conferences.
"Atari is benefitting greatly from its relationship with Polycom and we look forward to continuing our partnership into the future," said Lesterlin. "We are beginning to use the video systems to facilitate any situation that requires both a presentation and voice. Sitting at a desk on a phone conference, you don't have the same interaction and the same response time as you do when you can actually see your client or colleague."
Additional information:
Case Study -- Atari "Greenlights" Polycom HD Telepresence:[ http://www.polycom.com/global/documents/company/customer_success_stories/enterprise/ atari_cs.pdf ]
Polycom Telepresence
Polycom's HD telepresence portfolio includes complete immersive environments with cinematic screens, flexible conference room systems, personal desktop systems, integrated industry solutions and infrastructure and management systems. With Polycom UltimateHD technology, meeting participants can pick up every nuance of a conversation, see facial expressions, make eye contact, and read body language -- all essential to effective communication and collaboration. And Polycom StereoSurround™ delivers crisp, natural voice clarity even when multiple parties are speaking.
About Atari, SA
Atari group is a global creator, producer and publisher of interactive entertainment for interactive game platforms that include PC, online, consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony and advanced smart phones (i.e. iphone). Divisions of Atari, SA include Cryptic Studios, Atari London Studio, Eden Studios, Atari Interactive, Inc. and Atari, Inc.
Atari benefits from its global brand and an extensive catalogue of popular games based on classic owned game franchises (Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Lunar Lander), original owned franchises (Test Drive, Backyard Sports, Deer Hunter), MMO games from Cryptic Studios (Star Trek Online, Champions Online) and third party franchises (Ghostbusters, Project Runway, Dungeons and Dragons).
For more information please visit [ www.atari.com ].
© 2009 Atari Europe SASU. All rights reserved.
Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc.
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. (
© 2009 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM®, the Polycom "Triangles" logo and the names and marks associated with Polycom's products are trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc. and are registered and/or common law marks in the United States and various other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
