Legendary retro gaming studio Atari has announced that it has acquired 12 classic arcade gaming properties. The studio says this acquisition has been effected in order to "expand digital and physical distribution" of the titles in question, as well as to create new games in their respective franchises.
In a press release, Atari confirms that it has acquired "a dozen retro arcade games", including 80s classic titles Berzerk and Frenzy. We don't know which other games Atari has acquired, but if new games in their franchises - as well as what Atari calls "brand and merchandise collaborations" - are on the way, then it's likely we'll find out soon.
Atari CEO Wade Rosen says that the games featured in the acquisition, including Berzerk, are "a perfect fit for [Atari's] strategy of commercializing classic retro IP". It's not clear whether or not Atari intends to incorporate these new properties into its Web3 and blockchain strategy, but given how enthusiastic the company is about this technology, it wouldn't surprise us.
You might know Berzerk more by reputation than by name. It was the origin of the iconic villain Evil Otto, who, despite being a simple yellow smiley face, is pretty terrifying when you come up against him in the game. Frenzy, being a sequel to Berzerk, also stars Evil Otto, so you'll have plenty of chances to get acquainted with this horror.
Atari celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, marking the occasion with a series of projects including an NFT collection and a museum-style game taking players through the studio's history. Despite these celebrations, Atari's financial state has been touch-and-go recently; in late 2022, CEO Wade Rosen offered to purchase the company from its shareholders after revenue plummeted 27% compared to the previous year.
Stay tuned to TechRaptor for more news on all things Atari, including whatever projects the studio decides to create based on the Berzerk IP (such as it is).
