Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the video game industry, Atari played a crucial role in the development of both arcade gaming and home video game consoles.

Founded in Sunnyvale, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Atari initially focused on arcade games. Its first major success came with the release of Pong in 1972, a simple yet groundbreaking game that helped launch the commercial video game industry.

As advances in low-cost integrated circuits made home gaming more practical, Atari expanded into the consumer market. Around 1975, the company introduced dedicated home versions of Pong and several of its popular arcade titles. In 1977, Atari revolutionized home entertainment with the release of the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), later renamed the Atari 2600, one of the first successful cartridge-based home video game consoles.

To finance the launch and growth of the Atari VCS, Nolan Bushnell sold Atari to Warner Communications in 1976. Two years later, Warner hired Ray Kassar to help manage the rapidly growing company. Kassar's influence steadily increased, and in 1978 Bushnell was dismissed from Atari. Kassar officially became the company's Chief Executive Officer in 1979, ushering in a new era for Atari under Warner's ownership.