I really don't see how that's comparable, especially in the case of Nintendo.
I don't think 'the original Atari died as soon as Bushnell sold it to Warner Bros' because that would mean the original Atari died in 1976, which I think is ridiculous
But at the same time, the Atari, Inc. (the original Atari):
- Warner sells the home computer and console division of the company to Jack Tramiel (the founder of Commodore) in 1984, who renames his recently founded Tramiel Technology, Ltd. to Atari Corporation after these are sold to him.
Atari Corporation releases products such as the Atari ST, 7800, Lynx, and - the greatest console ever made - the Jaguar but then in 1996, Atari Corporation agrees to a reverse merger with a company called JTS Corporation, a company that made hard drives. Two years later, in 1998, JTS sells the Atari name and assets to Hasbro Interactive and then, in 2001, Hasbro sells Hasbro Interactive to the French company Infogrames - who rename them to Infogrames Interactive. In 2003, Infogrames Interactive is renamed to Atari Interactive and then in 2009, Infogrames renames themselves to Atari SA.
Then meanwhile rest of Atari, Inc. that Warner retained ownership of (the coin-op division mostly, since that was the only part of the company that made money in 1983) is renamed to Atari Games, Inc. In 1985, they transfer the coin-op division to a new company called AT Games that they jointly own with Namco (60% Namco, 40% Warner) and they then rename Atari Games, Inc. to Atari Holdings, Inc. and AT Games to Atari Games Corporation. Namco then sells 33% of their own shares in the company to a group of employees and Atari Games Corporation effectively becomes an independent company because it's now owned by three entities and none have a controlling interest in it.
Atari Games continues to make arcade games and also home console games for the NES but, while they can use the Atari name for arcades, they can't use it for home consoles or computers, so they create the Tengen branding. Warner merges with Time, Inc. in 1989 to form Time-Warner and they reacquire controlling interest in Atari Games in 1993 and while they retain usage of the Atari Games brand for arcade games originally, by mid-1994, Atari Games, Tengen, and Time Warner Interactive (the brand they began using instead of Tengen for console games) are all consolidated under the Time Warner Interactive banner.
Time-Warner then sells Atari games to WMS Industries, who own the Williams, Bally, and Midway arcade brands in 1996 - after a failed bid from Nolan Bushnell to acquire them, who restore the usage of the Atari Games brand name.
WMS splits off its video game division in 1998 as Midway Games, with Midway recieving control of the Atari Games division (the same year Hasbro bought the remnants of Atari Corporation from JTS) and in 1999, Atari Games Corporation is renamed to Midway Games West, ending the usage of the Atari Games brand name.
Midway leaves the arcade industry in 2001 but Midway Games West continues to make games for home consoles until 2003, when the studio is closed.
Despite being closed, Midway Games West continued to exist as a holding entity for the trademarks and copyrights for the games that Atari Games originally created, until 2009 when Midway was undergoing bankruptcy and sold most of their assets to Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment - ironically meaning that Time-Warner once again has ownership of what was once Atari Games.
(Incidentally this is why the 'newest' arcade game in Atari 50 is I, Robot from June 1984 because that was the last game released by the original Atari, Inc. before it was split and all arcade games after that are owned by Warner Bros)
Anyways meanwhile Nintendo is the same company they've been since 1889. Obviously they've expanded far beyond their origins as a hanafuda playing card manufacturer in the late 19th century, but they've been never been sold, split up into different companies, had their brand name disappear from the market because their current owners decide to rebrand them before being resurrected just because of its notability in the industry, etc. The Nintendo that existed in 1889 selling hanafuda cards is the same Nintendo that's currently selling the Nintendo Switch.
