Atari, a household name until a few decades ago, came back in the news earlier this year. The company’s share increased by about sixty percent when it announced plans to invest in cryptos in February.
The company joined hands with a crypto-based online casino to create its own cryptocurrency called the Atari Token. While the Token did not receive much acclaim, Atari is back in the news for its plans to release blockchain versions of two of its most popular games.
What the Company is Planning
Atari recently joined hands with Animoca Brands, a blockchain startup, to kickstart the initiative.
Animoca is a small but quickly growing developer and publisher of mobile games. Founded by Yat in 2014, it is the name behind some popular games like Pretty Pat Salon and Star Girl: Beauty Queen.
On the other hand, Atari is known for a lot of much-loved games like Pac Man and Tetris. The company recently announced the agreement in a press release confirming it plans to release blockchain versions of its two games “Goon Squad” and “RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch”.
Yat Siu, the chairman co-founder of Animoca Brands, said: “This deal marks a special moment for me because I started my career working with Atari and using Atari computers.”
Ceo of Atari, Frédéric Chesnais, also spoke very positively about the development. He said:
“We are proud and delighted to enter into this long-term and strategic relationship with Animoca Brands, which also allows us to become a shareholder in one of the most exciting innovators in the world of decentralized gaming. We hope that this agreement paves the way to further cooperation with other Atari products.”
The games will be available globally except for a few regions including Macau, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan.
More About the Games
The company has chosen two of its most popular games.
According to a statement released by Atari, RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch has been “downloaded over 19 million times”. The game has received numerous upgrades in the past, resulting in a massive interest worldwide. Moreover, a partnership with Jonathan Cheban also gave it a major boost.
Similarly, Goon Squad is also quite popular and highly rated.
What the Agreement Says
While the exact details are yet to be made public, reports indicate that the two companies have entered into a MoU to explore future opportunities in blockchain, gaming, and product development.
The agreement runs through the first quarter of 2022 and will see the games hit the market in the last leg of 2019. Moreover, the games are also expected to feature integrated non-fungible tokens (NFT).
According to rumors, Animoca has paid Atari “a minimum guarantee against future revenues of $250,000, payable in shares of the company’s stock.”
We’re not yet sure how successful this venture will be for both the companies but with Atari planning to use blockchain to introduce gaming, other companies may also jump the bandwagon.