Mattel Interactive

Mattel Interactive
Subsidiary
Industry Interactive entertainment
Computer and video games
Fate Split Up
Founded 1995 (1995)
Defunct 2001 (2001)
Parent Mattel (1995-2000)
Gores Technology Group (2000-2001)
Divisions Barbie Software for Girls
Subsidiaries The Learning Company

Mattel Interactive (Known as Mattel Media until 1999) was a video game publisher and software distributor.

History

Mattel originally founded the company in 1995. The company's aim was to produce and publish CD-ROM based software based on Mattel properties like Hot Wheels and Barbie. Mattel Media later expanded to Video Games soon after, publishing titles like Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver.

In the fall of 1998, Mattel agreed to acquire The Learning Company in a stock-for-stock merger valuing the company at approximately $4.2 billion. After this buyout Mattel renamed Mattel Media to Mattel Interactive.[1]

Mattel sold both Mattel Interactive and The Learning Company in 2000 at a loss to Gores Technology group. The total financial losses to Mattel have been estimated to be as high as $3.6 billion.[2]

Mattel's acquisition of The Learning Company has been referred to as "one of the worst acquisitions of all time" by several prominent business journals.[2][3]

In January 2001, Mattel Interactive was split into 3 divisions by The Gores Group.

These divisions did not last long whatsoever under Gores' ownership. GAME Studios was sold to French publisher Ubi Soft in March 2001. The Learning Company was acquired by Riverdeep Interactive Learning Limited in September 2001 and later acquired all of Brøderbund in August 2002.

List of Games and Software

Sources

  1. ↑ "Profile: Mattel Interactive". IGN Games Newsletter. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 Cave, Andrew (September 30, 2000). "Mattel sale ends $3.6bn fiasco". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  3. ↑ Rosenbush, Steve (October 4, 2007). "When Big Deals Go Bad—and Why". Bloomberg. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
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