M Network was the brand name used by Mattel Electronics in 1982 and 1983, to publish video games for the Atari 2600, IBM PC, and Apple II.[1]
History
In the early 1980s, Mattel's Intellivision video game console was a direct competitor to Atari's Video Computer System (VCS), better known as the Atari 2600. Although Mattel designed and produced video game cartridges for their own system, the company surprised the industry by also releasing simplified versions of its games for the 2600 under the M Network label.[2]
M Network produced home ports of popular arcade games, including BurgerTime, Bump 'n' Jump and Lock 'n' Chase (all 1982), as well as original titles such as Tron: Deadly Discs (1982 – based on the Disney movie) and Kool-Aid Man (1983), one of the earliest "promogames", originally available only via mail order by sending in UPC symbols from Kool-Aid containers.
Mattel programmers (named by TV Guide as the "Blue Sky Rangers") were also encouraged to develop video game tie-ins with other Mattel properties; games such as Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man (1983), leveraging Mattel's Masters of the Universe media franchise, were released.
M Network cartridges made for the 2600 were physically similar to Intellivision cartridges, but with a base designed to fit the 2600's larger cartridge slot. Most of the names were changed for the 2600 version; Astrosmash was, for example, renamed Astroblast.
Although Mattel, through M Network, released cartridges for Atari consoles, they balked at allowing Atari to release cartridges for the Intellivision: in the early 1980s, the company filed a lawsuit against Atari, alleging that Atari had stolen Mattel's trade secrets when it hired former Mattel employees to develop a line of Intellivision-compatible cartridges.
In May 2023, Atari SA obtained rights for over a dozen M Network games, including Armor Ambush, Astroblast, and Star Strike.[3] A selection of M Network games were announced for release in October 2024 as downloadable content for the Atari 50 (2022) video game compilation.[4]
References
- Computers Intellivision Lives^
- Danny Goodman. Home Video Games: Video Games Update Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games, Spring 1983^
- Atari Announces Acquisition of M Network Atari 2600 Titles and Related Trademarks Atari, May 5, 2023, retrieved November 30, 2023^
- Ollie Reynolds. Atari 50: Expanded Edition Adds 2 New Timelines and 39 New Games NintendoLife, June 25, 2024, retrieved June 25, 2024^
- <ref name="AtariAge"> Al Yarusso. AtariAge - Companies - M Network AtariAge, retrieved January 5, 2012^
- George Sullivan. Screen Play: The Story of Video Games Warne, September 1, 1983^
- Howard Polskin. Behind the scenes with the Blue Sky Rangers who dream up Mattel's video games TV Guide, June 19, 1982, retrieved January 5, 2012^
- Ian Bogost. How to Do Things with Videogames (Electronic Mediations) University of Minnesota Press, August 5, 2011^
- Ian Bogost, Nick Montfort. Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System MIT Press, 2009^
- Leonard Herman. Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames Rolenta Press, 1997^