Atariis easily one of the most recognizable names from the early gaming industry. While decades have passed since its heyday in the 80s, the brand name has lived on through various mediums and owners.Atarinow appears poised to return to its roots with the announcement of a dedicated gaming division.
The iconic company’s history has certainly been tumultuous over the better part of the last decade.Atari had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcyback in 2013 prior to emerging in its current form. This was done at the time in order to separate Atari’s US branch, Atari Inc., from debt-riddled French parent company Atari S.A.
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Atari announced this week that it would begin to restructure its operations to include a dedicated gaming division, simply titled Atari Gaming. The company says the new division will focus on retro gaming, specifically through mobile games, licensing, and itsexpensive crowdfunded Atari VCS 800 console. The business promises to continue to operate and develop its free-to-play mobile games. However, Atari Gaming will shift its development to titles on console and PC, with an emphasis on revitalizing classic Atari IP for the current era. The company has said its new releases will share the classics' “instant enjoyability,” while incorporating newer elements like single-player campaigns, couch co-op/multiplayer, and online play.
On the VCS console, which has already shipped to Indiegogo backers and will go on sale publicly in Spring 2021, Atari said it would continue to support the console through “meaningful” third-party content and exclusive first-party content. It also said it would release tools that will give creators the ability to “design their own classic Atari games,” beginning with the Atari 2600. It seems like anew studio from Activision veteransmay have beaten Atari to the punch, however, as it plans to develop games for a variety of retro consoles, including the 2600.
For a company that had just 10 employees seven years ago, Atari is taking on some fairly ambitious projects. In addition to gaming, the company is also creating its own cryptocurrency and blockchain division, Atari Blockchain. Called “Atari Tokens,” the proposed currency would allow users to purchase digital goods on the VCS. The company also touts the “immense possibilities of crypto and blockchain-enabled games,” something that has yet to have a significant presence in the industry at large. Atari says it will also continue to license its IP for both gaming and non-gaming related fields. The company is licensing its name for a hotel chain, in whichconcept images for its Las Vegas locationhave already been revealed.
The company’s renewed focus on revitalizing its existing IP should be quite exciting to see, especially for the veteran gamers out there. Along with interesting endeavors like blockchain and a gaming-themed hotel chain, Atari may soon have its largest presence in the industry in decades.
