Gambling on Atari

[Dolt]

Here's a press release that wound up in my email at work today:

 

Sep 9, 2004 06:00 ET

 

Alliance Gaming and Atari® Announce Licensing Agreement for Series of Slots Based on Atari Video Games

 

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliance Gaming Corp. (NYSE:AGI) and Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR) announced today a licensing agreement to develop a series of slot machines based on classic titles from Atari's extensive video game library.

 

Under the agreement between Bally Gaming and Systems, a business unit of Alliance Gaming, and Atari Interactive, Inc., an Atari affiliate, slot machines based on Atari titles are under development, with the first -- based on PONG® -- scheduled to debut at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas on Oct. 5-7, 2004 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

 

In addition to PONG, the deal includes other well-known Atari classics such as Asteroids®, Centipede® and Breakout®.

 

Credited with creating both a new home entertainment and video arcade craze in the mid-1970s, Atari and its game titles have become synonymous to an entire generation of video gaming enthusiasts who were initially captivated by a simple game of electronic tennis. The millions of teenagers and youngsters who grew up playing Atari games are now middle-aged adults, the prime demographic profile of slot machine players today.

 

"Titles such as PONG and Asteroids evoke such a strong favorable response with gamers of all types and we're excited to team up with Atari to produce a series of slots that will showcase these timeless classics and give casino visitors a memorable new form of entertainment," said Richard Haddrill, incoming President and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Gaming Corp.

 

"There is a huge population that grew up with these Atari games and that audience is still clamoring for ways to recapture the fun of their first gaming experience," said Wim Stocks, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Atari. "Atari is committed to ensuring that fans of our classic games have access to them wherever and however they seek entertainment. By joining forces with Alliance and Bally, we know that we'll reach a large audience of gaming devotees."

 

Bally Gaming's display of the Atari PONG slot machine at the Global Gaming Expo will mark the debut of Bally's new dual-screen M9000 cabinet powered by the company's next-generation Game Maker® II operating system. The PONG slot machine will include a skill element that will allow players to use a traditional game paddle to play a game of PONG against the computer during the bonus round.

 

Alliance Gaming is a diversified gaming company with headquarters in Las Vegas. The Company is engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and operation of advanced gaming devices and systems worldwide and owns and operates Rainbow Casino in Vicksburg, Miss. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.alliancegaming.com.

 

New York-based Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as DRIV3R, Enter the Matrix, Neverwinter Nights, Stuntman, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2004, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children's games such as Backyard Sports, Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer, Civilization®, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

 

This news release may contain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor created thereby. Such information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect the results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward- looking statements. Future operating results may be adversely affected as a result of a number of risks that are detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

- ALLIANCE GAMING CORP. -

 

PONG, ASTEROIDS, CENTIPEDE, BREAKOUT and ATARI names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc. or its affiliates. Used with permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 

Investor and Media Contact: Robert L. Saxton

Alliance Gaming

(702) 270-7600

 

Source: Alliance Gaming Corp.

 

CONTACT: Investors and Media, Robert L. Saxton of Alliance Gaming,

+1-702-270-7600

 

Web site: http://www.atari.com/

http://www.alliancegaming.com/

[sku_u]

Good, maybe this will be an incentive for Joe to move CGE back to Vegas next year.

 

I'm not suprised by this. Given that the average 30 and 40 something grew up with Pong and later the VCSD, it was inevtitable. Now Atari needs to sign a licensing agreement with Stern to get a VCS pinball machine going.

[pinball22]

That's so cool! I really hope Cherokee gets some... the Pong-playing part should

make it OK (NC state law says that all the games have to have some skill element, so the regular slots are "lock and roll".)

[Kenwood]

Good, maybe this will be an incentive for Joe to move CGE back to Vegas next year.

 

Please make this HAPPEN!!!!

[Philflound]

PAC-MAN.....PAC-MAN.....CHERRY

 

YOU LOSE!!!

 

YAR....YAR....YAR

 

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

[bcprs1]

Last time I was at Foxwoods, they had a Pac-Man slot machine. I didn't get the chance to play it though, but it looked pretty cool.

[joeybastard]

I called it a while ago!

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.p...highlight=slots

 

 

[Dolt]

It'd be great if they made one based on games for the 2600. Just think--you could walk up to a slot machine and play...uh..."Slot Machine."

[Godzilla]

a slot machine playing pong... and I'd thought I'd seen it all! That actually sounds humorous. It will be a tough sell, though, to get a lazy lever puller to get up and twist a paddle...