Atari to Open Gaming Hotels with Immersive VR/AR Experiences Across the US
Atari is opening 8 new hotels across the US over the next few years. The Atari-branded hotels will also feature immersive virtual reality and augmented reality experiences using the latest AR and VR technology. The first of the Atari hotels will be opened in Phoenix and the construction is set to begin in mid this year.
Atari will develop the hotels in collaboration with GSD Group which has obtained the rights to build the video game-themed hotel venues and with Atari licensing its brand name for the hotels.
Atari is known more as a video game brand than a hospitality provider. In the 20th century, the company was a mega player in the video game industry, particularly for its video game hardware. It is known for some really iconic titles like the Pong and the RollerCoaster Tycoon.
The other Atari hotels will be built in Las Vegas, Chicago, Denver, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose.
A press release by the company talks of a “unique hotel experience” which will provide guests with “fully immersive experiences for all ages and gaming experience levels, including the latest virtual and augmented reality”.
It is still unclear what immersive technology the company will use in its gaming hotels. The hotels will also feature rooms that have been specially designed for e-sports events.
Atari will only provide the brand and will not be involved in the design and construction of the gaming hotels. For the licensing, the gaming company will be receiving a $600,000 one-time payment as well as 5% of the hotel’s sales. Additional information about the Atari-branded hotels can be found on the company’s website.
It is possible that we could see virtual reality experiences which are based on the IPs which were famously featured on Atari hardware including Pac-Man. These experiences have been developed already so some of them are likely to be simply licensed and be featured in Atari hotels since they have a huge significance for the Atari brand.
Apart from the press release, Atari also released a concept art which shows the potential design of the hotel. The concept features a sleek Atari logo on one side as seen in the picture below:-
Atari Founder Could Provide Virtual Reality Technology
Atari is at present working on a modern retro-style game console known as Atari VCS. This is set to appear in March 2020 after having undergone multiple postponements.
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and his company Modal VR have been in the virtual reality industry for quite some time. The startup is currently in the process of developing the infrastructure for location-based virtual reality multiplayer experiences for large areas.
Atari could leverage Bushnell’s technology which currently supports both Oculus Quest and Magic Leap.
Check out the Atari Hotels Website for additional information.
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https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2020/01/28/atari-to-open-gaming-hotels-across-the-us-with-immersive-vr-ar-experiences/https://www.xrcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/atari-to-open-gaming-hotels-with-immersive-vr-ar-experiences-across-the-us-3.jpghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/The-Atari-Hotels-Concept-150×90.jpgBusinessVR ArcadesAtari is opening 8 new hotels across the US over the next few years. The Atari-branded hotels will also feature immersive virtual reality and augmented reality experiences using the latest AR and VR technology. The first of the Atari hotels will be opened in Phoenix and the construction is…Sam OchanjiSam Ochanjisochanji@yahoo.comAdministratorVirtual Reality Times
