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Atari Acquires A Dozen Classic Arcade Properties From Stern Electronics, Launches Private Investment Platform

by Rainier on March 16, 2023 @ 9:18 a.m. PDT

Atari announced the acquisition of a dozen retro arcade games, including the '80s classics Berzerk and Frenzy.

Atari will seek to expand digital and physical distribution of the classic titles, create new games based on the IPs, and explore brand and merchandising collaborations.

Berzerk is a top-down, multidirectional shooter designed by Alan McNeil that was released for arcades in 1980. Frequently ranked in "Top 100 Video Games" lists, Berzerk is best known as one of the first arcade video games with speech synthesis, and for its iconic villain Evil Otto.

In Berzerk, players navigate a maze of rooms while fighting armed robots and avoiding electrified walls, and must escape the maze before being caught by Otto. Berzerk was ported to the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200 by Atari. A 1982 critically-acclaimed sequel, Frenzy, was also acquired under the agreement.

Berzerk is one of those foundational games that so many people first encountered playing on an Atari console,” said Atari CEO Wade Rosen. “Berzerk, and the other titles included in this acquisition, are a perfect fit for our strategy of commercializing classic retro IP.”

Republic, a private investment platform, has launched the Atari Game Pool. Through the Atari Game Pool, Republic is giving individuals the opportunity to invest in the success of future Atari game projects. The fund will be used to finance new games from Atari, with projects beginning in 2023. 

In a market that rewards franchises and reboots, the Atari portfolio of over 200 titles is an invaluable asset. Because the IP is fully-owned, this allows Atari to have far greater control over production, publishing, and structuring attractive deal economics.

The Atari community is filled with passionate, die-hard fans and Atari is excited to invite investors, fans, and the global gaming community to participate in the development of innovative and exciting new games that transform the experience and narrative of these timeless classics.

Atari will leverage its portfolio of video game IP’s and partner with outstanding game developers to re-imagine these games for the next generation.  Upon release, Atari maximizes distribution across digital platforms (console PC, streaming, mobile, VR) and physical retail. 

The fund opens to investors on Tuesday, March 16 and Republic anticipates that it will remain open for 180 days, closing no later than September 2023. The minimum investment is $500, and the maximum investment is $1 million. Early investors are entitled to perks, including one of 500 limited edition Fatal Run Atari 2600 collectible cartridges, and one of 500 Atari Game Pool t-shirts.

Atari’s 2022 release Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration was partially supported by a Republic investment fund. In September 2021, the game studio Digital Eclipse used the platform to raise funds for investment, some of which went into the development of Atari 50, which was co-published by Atari and Digital Eclipse. 

The Atari Game Pool is a unique opportunity to add additional development projects to the company’s roadmap. While Atari already has many projects underway, funds raised by Republic through the Atari Game Pool will allow the company to take on additional large-scale projects.

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