Wade Rosen, currently chairman of the Atari board of directors, has become CEO from today (Tuesday 6 April), with current incumbent Frédéric Chesnais to switch focus to licensing and Atari Blockchain.

“I’m honoured to be a steward of something as iconic and legendary as Atari. I would also like to thank Fred Chesnais for turning around the company, which is now well positioned for such incredible long-term success,” Rosen explained.

“When Fred stepped into the role of chief executive officer, he inherited a situation burdened with debt. Since then, he has eliminated debt and enacted a meaningful turnaround. 

“He had the foresight to push Atari into cutting edge markets like Blockchain, the VCS, and the Atari Hotels. It’s because of him that the company is at its strongest valuation in seven years. 

“We thank Fred for his leadership and are excited to continue working with Fred as he focuses on licensing for the entire group and the development and growth of the exciting blockchain division created today.”

The group’s gaming division, which will include all assets not included in the blockchain segment, will be focused specifically on the expanding market of retro gaming.

Financially, Atari will prioritise incremental long-term growth and sustainable cashflow. To do it says that it will focus on the three key pillars of gaming, the VCS, and licensing. 

The primary goal of the Blockchain division will be the continued development of the Atari Token through further use cases and integration into the Atari ecosystem, in addition to continuing to evaluate opportunities in blockchain gaming, NFTs, and blockchain based online worlds.

As part of this venture, Atari is exploring, among several options, the potential structuring of this division as an autonomous entity with a view to a possible spin-off to Atari shareholders by listing of this new entity.

Chesnais added: “Eight years ago, when I came back, the brand was given for dead. This spectacular turnaround is the result of solid teamwork and support from the shareholders, and I would like to thank each and every one of these individuals. We can all be proud of this outcome. 

“The Atari brand is alive, more than ever, and this organization in two divisions will help us adapt to the changes in our business line.”

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The global interactive entertainment brand, founded in 1972 and behind classics such as Pong, Missile Command, and Asteroids, makes the move in its latest foray into the crypto ecosystem following the launch of its dedicated ATRI token last year.

The Atari Casino is to occupy a 20 parcel casino estate in the Casino Quarter of Vegas City, a gaming district in the group’s Decentraland‘s metaverse, which will be leased on an initial two-year term.

Set to launch in May of the year, the entity will feature Atari-themed games and  non-fungible tokens, with players able to earn Decentral Games’ native token $DG by playing with MANA, DAI and the aforementioned ATRI.

According to both Atari and Decentral Games, the introduction is expected to produce $150m of bets in 2021 rising to approximately $400m over two years.

Offering a little insight into what can be expected, a media release stated: “Look forward to Atari-themed games, where nostalgia-inducing games are brought back with a twist. 

“There will be games of luck, and games combining skill and luck. There will also be an ‘Atari special’ game where you can win by skill instead of pure luck.”

“Through collaborating with Decentral Games, we can move the Atari gaming experience onto the blockchain,” Frederic Chesnais, Atari’s CEO, is quoted as stating to Coin Desk.

Last year, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona, were pinpointed as the first locations that will see the development of the pop culture and video game inspired Atari Hotels.

This followed the signing of a licensing agreement with US real estate developer True North Studio and GSD Group, for the development of the venues in a number of cities in the country.

Subsequently, GSD hired architecture and design firm Gensler and unveiled their vision for the facilities that will also see future branded venues constructed in Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.

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Dubai, Gibraltar, and Spain and named as the first regions to host the Atari branded resorts, with the group stating that its link-up with the multinational holding group comes in addition to that entered into with GSD Group and covering eight cities in the USA.

Under the provisions of the latest agreement, Atari is entitled to five per cent of the revenues generated from the facilities, in addition to receiving $500,000 in the form of a non-refundable advance payment and consulting fees.

The collaboration comes after Atari rolled-out plans to develop a cryptocurrency casino in partnership with Decentral Games earlier in the week, this will debut within the blockchain platform’s Ethereum-backed Decentraland.

Atari updates that the establishments will be built “in accordance with the latest trends in hospitality,” with common areas that immerse visitors into the video game universe and the brand.

Furthermore, the hotels will feature Atari gaming playgrounds, several function rooms, co-working areas, restaurants and bars, bakery, movie theater, and gym. 

ICICB Group is active in a number of sectors, including, among others, digital banking, crypto trading and finance, commercial real estate, security, and luxury items. 

Last year, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona, were named as the first locations that will see the development of the pop culture and video game inspired Atari Hotels.

Following a licensing agreement with US real estate developer True North Studio and GSD Group, the latter subsequently hired architecture and design firm Gensler and unveiled their vision for the facilities that will also see future Atari Hotels constructed in Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.

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This follows news from earlier in the year that the interactive entertainment producer had announced a licensing agreement with US real estate developer True North Studio and GSD Group, for the development of Atari branded hotels in a number of cities in the country.

Subsequently, GSD has hired architecture and design firm Gensler and unveiled their vision for the facilities that will also see future Atari Hotels constructed in Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.

Promising to be built with classic and modern video culture in mind, all parties assert that the newly announced Las Vegas location will bring an experience “that has never existed in a market primed for evolution”.

“I have seen the vision that GSD Group has for Atari Hotels, and they are poised to shatter the perception of what hotels can be,” said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. 

“Atari Hotels will create a world that caters to gamers of all ages and experience levels, giving them a place to call home — a ground-breaking experience that shares Atari’s legacy of innovation.”

Atari Hotels

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Atari Hotels, which intend to blend the past, present, and future of video games and entertainment, intend to be “unlike other hospitality destinations in the Las Vegas area”.

It is said that guests will be given the chance to explore ground-breaking hospitality innovations, business opportunities, and a revolutionary variety of entertainment options.

“Like Atari’s legacy in innovation, Atari Hotels is infusing synthetic reality into every aspect of the hotel, creating an immersive hospitality and gaming experience for our guests,” added Shelly Murphy, managing partner of GSD Group.

“From our  virtual interactive world to the physical locations,  every element of Atari Hotels will offer a unique and authentic experience for everyone.” 

Analyst firm Newzoo estimates that the world’s more than 2.5 billion global video gamers will spend roughly $160bn in 2020, and anticipate the video game industry to grow to 2.7 billion gamers generating over $200bn by 2023.

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As part of the new link-up, Unikrn will gain access to Atari’s catalogue of games which includes Centipede, Pong and Asteroids as well as providing crypto technology, skill-based wagering opportunities via Unkrn’s patent-pending UMode platform, and wagering experiences to Atari Casino and Atari Token.

Rahul Sood, Unikrn co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft Ventures, said: “Unikrn and Atari are pioneers in the gaming industry, changing the world around us with creativity and innovation.

“We know the wagering will be an increasingly driving force in the game industry’s future development, and we can’t wait to get the benefits of this partnership to Unikrn’s community.”

The Atari Token, currently scheduled to launch by September of this year, was issued by Atari Chain, a subsidiary of the group created to lead the development of ongoing projects in the field of cryptocurrencies in entertainment-based industries.

“Today we have forged another essential partnership to support Atari’s journey into cryptocurrency and blockchain-based entertainment experiences,” said Fred Chesnais, Atari CEO.

“Unikrn’s thriving ecosystem will provide Atari Token holders with significant additional utility and value, while the addition of Atari’s classic arcade brands to that ecosystem will offer extensive familiar-yet-new gaming content to Unikrn’s community.”

This follows Atari’s team up with Native Gaming and Black Dog Venture Partners at the start of this month which saw the integration of Native’s upcoming cryptocurrency in the ‘world’s first massive multiplayer slot game’.

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The Atari Token is currently slated to launch by September of 2020 and is issued by Atari Chain, a subsidiary of the group created to lead the development of ongoing projects in the field of cryptocurrencies in entertainment-based industries.

“Native is building a whole new genre in online gambling and we are thrilled to partner with them on this new casino experience,” stated Fred Chesnais, Atari CEO. 

“Integrating the Atari Token in Native’s ecosystem will give gamers and gamblers the opportunity to use the Atari Token as a payment method in Native’s casino slot games, meaning more financial options and flexibility for consumers.”

As a results of the partnership Native Gaming and Black Dog are to integrate the token into the former’s library of slot titles, as well as the soon-to-launch massively multiplayer online role playing game.

Natve recently unveiled plans of its proprietary social MMO sweepstakes casino featuring “the first of its kind” patent-pending Native MMO slot game. 

Unlike traditional “spin for and a chance to win” style online slots, the new entrant is to be a full video game that replaces the traditional, casino-style slot mechanic with a monster-catching system similar to the popular Pokemon games. 

Monsters can then be used to battle and earn money or cashed in directly to the casino, however Native Gaming has not announced a release date as yet.

Justin McCool, Native Gaming CEO, commented, “We are excited to be a part of what Atari is doing in both the casino and blockchain space. It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate partner to help us take our new Native MMORPG casino slot game to market and bridge the gap between gamers, gamblers, and the cryptocurrency community.”

NativeGaming.io is lauded as an “ambitious new online casino” that allows players to ‘be the house’ by directly taking a stake in the bankroll. Stakeholders receive gross gaming revenue generated by over 5,000 titles from over 70 game providers, including Evolution Gaming, Netent, Play’n GO, and Microgaming.

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As per the agreement, Atari will be entitled to 5 per cent of the revenue of these hotels and has received a non-refundable advance of $0.6m at signing. Moreover, the Atari hotels will feature common areas which will attempt to follow the latest trends in hospitality, with a focus on the video game universe and the Atari brand. 

The hotels will also include an esports studio, Atari gaming playground, meeting and event rooms, co-working spaces, restaurants, bars, a bakery, a movie theatre and a gym. 

Atari released a statement which read: “True North Studio is a truly innovative specialist in commercial real estate development, active in Arizona. The group is deploying its ‘TNS lifestyle’ concept, allying design and food & beverage offers with the latest trends in hospitality, by offering dynamic and immersive experiences.”

Although both the operational budget and financing plan remains uncertain, the first hotel is scheduled to break ground in 2020 in Phoenix, close to the first ‘Woz U’ university campus, created in 2017 in Phoenix, AZ by Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple. 

Other cities set for an Atari hotel include Austin (Texas), Chicago (Illinois), Denver, (Colorado), Las Vegas (Nevada), San Francisco (California), San Jose (California), and Seattle, (Washington). Atari retains the rights to develop similar activities in other cities in the United States and the rest of the world.

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After celebrating its 45th anniversary last year, Pong becomes the latest branded release by video games publisher Atari.

Previous branded releases under the partnership with gaming systems and content provider Pariplay includes Asteroids, Star Raiders and Black Widow.

Fred Chesnais, chief executive officer of Atari, said: “Pong is the game that has defined the video game industry. It was natural for us to bring it to real-money slot machines, as it is a game that millions have enjoyed and keep enjoying. Best of luck to all players.”

With an availability in over a dozen languages, this new HTML5 offering has been designed to ensure cross platform engagement.

The new release also further expands Pariplay’s iGaming content portfolio of over 100 video and classic slots, instant-win games, online scratch cards and bingo games.

Richard Mintz, commercial director at Pariplay, said: “As the first truly popular arcade video game, Pong holds a unique place in the history of gaming and we’re very excited about its addition to our robust collection of online slots.

“Designed to appeal to a wide range of players with varying experience levels, we’re confident that Pong will prove to be Pariplay’s greatest Atari branded slot yet.”

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As part of the partnership, Pariplay’s suite of online casino games are live on the operator’s online sportsbook and casino brands, Betclic.com and Expekt.com, along with their stand-alone casino MonteCarloCasino.com.

Richard Mintz, Commercial and Marketing Director at Pariplay Ltd, commented: “We’re very excited to see our casino portfolio go live on Betclic.com and Expekt.com, which enjoy very high brand recognition in the European market, as well as MonteCarloCasino.

“We’re confident that our cutting-edge content will add another dimension to the casino offerings of these three major Betclic Everest Group brands.”

The Pairplay gaming portfolio is available via London based developer iSoftBet’s Game Aggregation Platform (GAP), with the company also in the final development stage of new branded Atari and original slot titles.

Upon being launch in Q1 2018, they too will integrate with Betclic.com, Expekt.com, and MonteCarloCasino.com

Andre Swedberg, Casino Product Manager at Betclic Everest Group, added: “Online casino is an increasingly important complement to our core sportsbook offering, so we’re excited to partner with a major software developer serving the vertical.

“Pariplay’s high-quality games, especially their Atari and Valiant Entertainment-branded content, will significantly enhance our players’ casino gaming experience.”

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