Many of you may not remember Atari – it certainly doesn’t have the place in popular culture it once did. Back in the 80’s Atari was part of the gaming revolution and was at the forefront of the industry. The great video game crash of that decade brought the once powerful company to its knees. Soon they may be top of mind for gamers, though, as a new travel destination may be Atari gaming hotels.
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While Atari won’t be building hotels anytime soon, they want to lend their gaming credibility (albeit, dwindling) to the hospitality industry. They have signed a new deal that allows a real estate developer to license its name and branding. This real estate developer will reportedly build eight hotels with this branding in tow, starting in the US.
These hotels will all have esports studios, which is the main draw of an otherwise stock standard hotel. As the esports industry continues its monumental growth the developer believes the big tournaments and cup championships need a dedicated space which will supply the accommodation and gaming space. Each of the hotels will include an “Atari gaming playground” as well.
The Atari gaming hotels will only be licensed as such, so Atari won’t have any direct influence about what the hotels offer or what the “Atari gaming playground” will entail. However, they have already received a $600,000 payment in advance for use of their name and branding.
It is expected that these gaming focused locations will become more widespread than you might think, with dozens needed around the world as e-sports keeps growing. The industry believes these tournaments will draw just as many, if not more people, than more traditional sporting occasions.
What do you think about concepts like these hotels? Is the esports industry going to keep growing?
