In brief

  • The Atari Token will be available in a Bitcoin.com public sale in November.
  • The token is designed for gaming applications, such as online games and a casino.
  • Atari has already raised more than $1.5 million through token pre-sales.

Atari has been reborn as a crypto brand, with an Atari Token designed for use in online games and gambling apps, plus a modern Atari VCS game console releasing in November with some built-in crypto hooks.

November won’t only be the launch window for the game system, but also the public sale of the Ethereum-based ERC20 Atari Token. Yesterday, Atari announced that it has partnered with Bitcoin.com to hold the public sale next month, as well as list the Atari Token.

So far, Atari has sold more than $1.5 million worth of its token between two pre-sales. The first raised a total of $514,000 and was primarily “contributed by the partners” to stress test and launch the blockchain. A second sale for $1 million came from partner the ICICB Group and third-parties, while a third pre-sale is currently underway and will end before the public sale.

The first two pre-sales offered the Atari Token at $0.08 apiece, but there’s no word yet on how much it will sell for in November’s public sale. The Bitcoin.com Exchange will offer the Atari Token for purchase using Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash.

Decrypt has reached out to Atari for comment on the impending public token sale and will update if we hear back. According to a release, an Atari Exchange will launch at the same time as the Bitcoin.com Exchange listing, “to achieve a better synchronization with the other project stages.”

Atari has detailed a vision for the Atari Token that aligns with its roots at the company that popularized video games in the 1970s and early 1980s. According to the website, Atari will offer competitive games, a borderless online casino, and an online sports and esports betting platform powered by the Atari Token.

Additionally, Atari will integrate the blockchain-based Ultra game delivery platform within its new VCS console, letting owners purchase PC games that are playable on the device. Ultra users can also purchase the console itself from the platform using Atari Tokens, plus classic Atari games such as Pong and Rollercoaster Tycoon will be available via Ultra.

Atari also inked a $4 million deal in August with Animoca Brands, publisher of blockchain games The Sandbox and F1 Delta Time, that allows Animoca to release crypto-infused updates of games like Centipede and Asteroids. The deal also made Animoca the exclusive provider of blockchain content for the new Atari VCS, although it’s not clear how the last month’s Ultra partnership aligned with that agreement. Atari did not respond to an earlier request for comment on that topic.

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