Atari, one of the most recognisable names in the video gaming industry behind classics such as Asteroids, Breakout and Centipede to name but a few, has today announced that it is partnering up with the Litecoin Foundation, a Singapore based non-profit that advocates and promotes the use of Litecoin.
The partnership will see Litecoin added as a method of payment to interact with the Atari ecosystem. Full details are yet to be published on what exactly this entails although we do know Atari’s VCS game and streaming console (built on a linux based OS and using the same name as its 1977 Video Computer System) will be purchasable with Litecoin for a discount and can be pre-ordered via Atari’s website. Likewise it will also be available via the Litecoin Foundation which will see a percentage of each sale go directly towards supporting their efforts.
Of the announcement, the Foundation’s managing Director, Charlie Lee said
“Many of us remember growing up and playing games from Atari” … “It is great to see Litecoin being used in a variety of different ways within the Atari ecosystem, from purchasing the new Atari VCS gaming console to being used as a way to invest in Atari Tokens. The Litecoin Foundation is excited to see the possibilities a partnership like this can have for not only Litecoin and cryptocurrencies but also the gaming industry and lifelong fans of Atari.”
Regarding future collaborations, Lee shared some further insights with us stating:
“We are definitely going to talk in the future about other ways we can work together. Like using LTC in game maybe.” “We will like do some joint merchandising like tshirts with Litecoin and Atari on them.”
Atari are creating their own digital asset which will act in much the same way as a casino chip for their platforms. This appears to be intended as a digital casino chip for the Atari ecosystem, perhaps to recreate the same effect of popping in a quarter into a physical 80s arcade machine, something Atari is most associated with. As such it would not be too far fetched to see Litecoin included alongside. Atari CEO Fred Chesnais stated in the announcement:
“Litecoin’s ease-of-use and low transaction costs make it a perfect fit for use alongside the Atari Token and other projects.”
