80s games giant Atari has licensed its name in a deal that will see eight branded hotels opening in the US.
The company has announced that it has partnered with GSD Group for the development and design of the hotels, with plans to open in eight locations across the United States. The first will be in Phoenix, Arizona, with construction starting in the spring of this year and local real estate firm True North Studio working on this site. The company plans to set up shop in California's San Francisco and San Jose, Texas' Austin, Chicago in Illinois, Colorado's Denver, Washington State's Seattle and Las Vegas in Nevada.
According to the official website these hotels will – JESUS, WHY – "level up hotel entertainment" with experiences including some featuring VR and AR technology, while some locations will support esports events.
“We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States. Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay,” Atari CEO Fred Chesnais (pictured) said.
“Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.”
Atari is, of course, one of the behemoths of the early games industry. Founded in 1972, the company created iconic hits such as the game Pong and the Atari 2600 home console. In 1983, the firm contributed to the interactive entertainment market all but collapsing with its catastrophic launch of a title based on the film ET.
The name has lived on with various owners, including Hasbro Interactive, which was bought by Infogrames in 2001. The many Atari brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013, emerging one year later.
Since then, the company has made safe and small bets, like launching a games console which has continuously been delayed – which it has been totally cool about negative coverage – and getting into the cryptocurrency business.
