The first of Brash's many orphan games has found a new home.

As I'm reporting in tomorrow's Daily Variety, Atari has bought North American publishing rights for the PC, PS2 and Wii version of the game from Brash (though not the 360; so much for that). It has also picked up the deal Brash made to distribute the DS version for Universal, which is funding and producing that game itself. (Details on the original deal between Universal and Brash are here)

I've been hearing for a little while that Atari was going to pick up a few of Brash's completed games that need a publisher ASAP. Apparently it didn't (or hasn't) bought the completed Wii version of "Six Flags Fun Park," but "Despereaux," which needs to come out before the film's Dec. 19 release date, was more appealing.

Atari, of course, has been on a bit of a spree buying homeless movie-to-videogame adaptations of late, since it also picked up Sierra cast-offs "Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" and "Ghostbusters" from Activision Blizzard in October (details here).

The newly revived publisher also announced some new games in the works at a London event today, including a new Wii music title from the creator of RezHD, Lumines Live and Every Extend Extra Extreme. GameSpot has a good summary.

Atari won't have any time to market the game and will be relying on primarily on some promotions Universal has in the works. But, as is always true, if a kids' movie is successful and the tie-in game is halfway decent, it should sell just fine. Even the famously abysmal "Alvin and the Chipmunks" moved a few hundred thousand units last year. And Brash ex-employees assure me that "Despereaux" is much better.

The deal is so last minute that Brash actually had the game in production when it shut down. So while Atari is publishing, the box art will say Brash. Making this game, in a sense, the last hurrah for Hollywood's (dearly?) departed videogame publisher.