Area 51 (series)
| Company type | Video game franchise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Atari Games |
| Fate | Acquired by Midway Games |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Area 51 (1995), Area 51: Site 4 (1998), Area 51 (2005), BlackSite: Area 51 (2007) |
| Owner | Midway Games (after acquisition) |
Area 51 is a series of video games centered around the military installation known as Area 51. Initially created by Atari Games as two arcade-style light gun shooter titles, the franchise was later revitalized by Midway Games with a shift to first-person shooter gameplay. The original arcade installments cast players as members of an elite military squad tasked with repelling an alien invasion led by the Kronn. While various home console adaptations of the initial Area 51 were made available, Midway’s subsequent releases, designed exclusively for home platforms, introduced entirely new narratives.
Games
The first Area 51 was launched in arcades in 1995 and subsequently ported in 1996 to PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and PC systems. Its follow-up, Area 51: Site 4, arrived in 1998 through Atari but did not receive any home console versions. After Atari Games ceased operations in 2003, Midway acquired its assets and rebooted the franchise with a first-person shooter approach. Midway’s Area 51 was released in 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows platforms. The series continued with BlackSite: Area 51, which debuted in 2007 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows.
Film
On August 31, 2004, Paramount Pictures secured global film rights for the franchise, intending to develop it as an action thriller. Producer Christine Peters worked closely with the original game creators during the adaptation process. By September of that year, Paramount enlisted Dean Georgaris to write and produce the project alongside Micheal Aguilar under their Penn Station banner, collaborating with Peters and Midway. As of 2011, the film remained in an uncertain stage of development.