Atari with the Tramiels – Six Years of Loving Battles

Game On

Not sure why, but I was recently asked to shed some light on the real gaming era … when Atari reemerged under JT (Jack Tramiel).

You know, the period where game developers slept under their desks, survived on Twinkies and HoHos, wrote elegantly tight code and had to figure out which platform to develop for.

First, the credentials:

I hold the dubious honor of being the only PR person to have worked for the company for six years … two years starting in 1986, fired, brought back a year later for another two years, fired, brought back for another two years, fired, discussed/passed on another engagement.

JT and his sons (you can’t separate them) – Sam, Leonard and Gary – bought Atari from Warner Bros (the gaming market was on its back at the time) probably so the boys – Sam, Gary, Leonard – could work with him to run a company.

JT focused on two things – his family and winning in business. He enjoyed them both with relish.

Any Atari and gaming fan knows the eight years covered the:

–          Atari 7800

–          Atari ST

–          Atari Portfolio

–          Atari Lynx

–          We passed on the Jaguar

Today, I still have a virgin (still in the box) 7600, two Portfolios and two Lynx systems, plus a lot of game cartridges and accessories.

JT, Sons

Family Team – Jack Tramiel (standing center) like a lot of industry pioneers had stories around him that sometimes seemed bigger than life.  Together with his sons; Sam (seated), Gary and Leonard launched a lot of Atari products that have a following even today.  He was a brilliant businessman and devoted family man. 

I’ve heard a lot of stories about what an SOB JT was but that was never my experience with him or the family.

Tough?  Yes!

Determined?  Yeah!

Opinionated?   Darn right, and you always hated to admit it but he was usually right.

JT had no love for the company he founded and then resigned from because of a “disagreement” with the board – Commodore.

He wasn’t too happy about the brash young kid who started the fruit company either … something about him just ticked JT off.

Jobs wanted products for “the rest of us” and JT wanted products for “the masses.”

The truth is, JT just plain loved to win in business … ethically.

As long as you didn’t lie to him, stretch the truth, take credit for something you hadn’t done, worked your butt to the bone and delivered … things were good.

Of course, seeing him walking toward you in one of the Atari halls did get the adrenaline going because he just looked meaner than a junkyard dog. In the darkest reaches of your mind, you wondered what you had sc***ed up.

Sales-Driven

At the time, Atari wasn’t really a marketing company, just one that focused on the bottom line that allocated 10 percent for advertising, PR, whatever.

JT and Sam, the CEO, hired some really brilliant marketing guys (they were always guys in those days) and about every six months, there would be a new brilliant marketing guy.

On one occasion, I sat in the new “boss’s” office as he outlined our new strategy and asked him if he had run the plans by JT and Sam.

He didn’t have to I was told because he was given full reign.

My response was something to the effect of “Yeah, but final decisions are made by the two corner offices – opposite sides of the building – and Friday night over family dinner.” (think Blue Bloods).

JT relished helping the new guy by bringing him into his office, reaching down his throat, tearing up his heart (ideas), ripping them up with logic, ramming them back down the throat and saying he was glad they had the little talk.

At least that’s the way one of the marketing types we got to know better than most (and who lasted longer) described the weekly results meetings.

For JT, it was all about sales … not elaborate strategies, plans.

Fortunately, most of my time was spent with Sam, Gary and the rest of the team.