Video game publisher Atari is partnering up with blockchain startup Animoca Brands to create blockchain versions based on two mobile games. Rollercoaster Tycoon Touch and Goon Squad will be rebuild to work on a blockchain infrastructure. That's what Atari announced on Monday.
Rollercoaster Tycoon Touch is already available for tablets and smartphones. The management game has been downloaded 19 million times globally. Goon Squad is a game where players have to build their mob empire. Both games will feature the integration of unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The deal between Atari and Animoca Brands extends through to March 31st 2022. The two companies expect to launch the games in the second half of 2019. Atari holds the license to the Rollercoaster Tycoon franchise, but this will end in 2022.
Animoca Brands is not unfamiliar with blockchain technology. They are the Chinese distributor of Cryptokitties. The company already made several games before, and has worked with brands like Garfield, Thomas & Friends and Doraemon.
For Atari this is a first step into blockchain technology. Even though Atari is still a big brand in name, the company has lost lots of its market share over the years. In the 70s and 80s the company was huge, with games like Asteroids, Centipede, Pong and its own Atari 2800 gaming console. Nowadays Atari is mostly focused on mobile games, and Rollercoaster Tycoon is obviously their biggest brand.
Posted from my blog: https://www.nederob.nl/2018/12/19/atari-embraces-blockchain-games/