Atari is returning to the coin-operated arcade market through a new partnership with Utah-based developer and cabinet manufacturer Alan-1. The agreement will bring at least ten full-sized arcade cabinets based on Atari Recharged games to location-based entertainment venues over the next three years.
A new arcade partnership for Atari
Atari’s video-game arcade legacy began with Pong in 1972, followed by a long run of influential coin-op releases. The company later left the arcade business after Atari Games was acquired by Midway, renamed Midway Games West and eventually withdrawn from the market.
Although licensed Atari arcade products have appeared from time to time since then, Atari has primarily operated as a home and multi-platform entertainment publisher. The Alan-1 agreement represents a direct move back into dedicated coin-op hardware.
Alan-1 is based in Tooele, Utah, and works across game development, publishing, coin-op arcade products and esports. Its flagship game, Avian Knights, was shown at the 2023 Amusement Expo International trade show and received the International Game Developers Association of Utah’s “Pushing Boundaries” award in 2023.
The game was delayed by manufacturing challenges involving the search for a suitable production partner. At the time of the announcement, it was scheduled for release in spring or early summer 2024, with commercial coin-op distribution planned for the second quarter of 2024. Alan-1’s chief executive also operates Flynn’s Retrocade in Utah.
What is planned for the Recharged cabinets?
The partnership covers at least ten full-sized cabinets built around the Atari Recharged games. The series modernises classic Atari properties for contemporary consoles, with fast action, missions and achievement systems among its recurring features.
Examples in the Recharged catalogue include Asteroids, Berzerk, Missile Command and Centipede. The specific ten arcade conversions had not yet been announced.
Alan-1 chief executive James Anderson said the arcade versions would not simply reproduce the existing home releases. The games are intended to receive substantial changes to their gameplay and functionality so they suit coin-op venues while retaining the character of their original namesakes.
The first Recharged arcade game was scheduled to appear at Amusement Expo 2024 in Las Vegas, alongside a near-final version of Avian Knights. The announcement also indicated that the games would be designed for family entertainment centres, barcades and other location-based entertainment businesses.
Mechanical effects, tickets and competition
Alan-1’s Video Arcade System, or VAS, will power the cabinets. The platform includes interactive mechanical effects influenced by virtual pinball hardware, including pinball knockers, shaker motors and blower fans. These effects are designed to respond to events taking place in the game.
Ticket redemption will be available through the system and can award tickets according to player scores. However, redemption is described as an optional feature rather than the central purpose of the games.
VAS will also support Alan-1’s Major League eSports tournament system, known as MLeS. The system is intended to support high-score competitions and send notifications to iPhone and Android users, encouraging them to return to the venue and challenge a leaderboard result.
For operators, the proposed combination of dedicated cabinets, score-based competition, mobile notifications and optional redemption is designed to encourage repeat play and support revenue in location-based venues. For players, it adds a modern competitive layer to familiar Atari properties.
If you are considering an arcade setup for a home or business, RETROCADE’s Arcade Machine Buying Guide covers the main cabinet and use-case decisions. Our Arcade Machines collection and Upright Arcades range offer a useful comparison point for dedicated formats.
Why the return matters
Atari’s arcade and home businesses were separated during the company’s earlier corporate history. Atari Corporation, operated by the Tramiel family, was restricted from entering the coin-op market, while those rights were associated with Atari Games. The source material notes that the restriction was believed to have stopped being enforceable in the early 2000s, after Atari’s sale to Hasbro or the sale and eventual closure of Atari Games under Midway, although the precise contractual details were not confirmed.
Alan-1 was founded in 2021 with a stated aim of combining classic arcade competition with modern graphics, gameplay and features. The company says its broader purpose is to create positive, social gaming experiences, while Atari brings a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Pong and RollerCoaster Tycoon.
The partnership does not yet identify which ten Recharged games will receive cabinets, so the eventual line-up remains the key unanswered question. A successful return will depend on how well the new hardware, competitive systems and updated gameplay translate to real arcade floors.
About the companies
Alan-1 is headquartered in Tooele, Utah. Its activities span game development and publishing, arcade and coin-op manufacturing, and esports. The company’s Video Arcade System and Major League eSports technologies form the technical foundation for the Atari cabinets.
Atari is an interactive entertainment brand with offices in New York and Paris. Its shares are listed on Euronext Growth Paris under ISIN code FR0010478248 and ticker ALATA, as well as OTC Pink Current under ticker PONGF.
For Australian arcade fans, this announcement is significant because it shows how established game brands are still being adapted for dedicated public play. The final cabinets, game selection and international distribution arrangements will determine how visible the partnership becomes beyond the United States.
At a glance
- Alan-1 will create at least ten full-sized Atari Recharged arcade cabinets.
- The releases are planned across a three-year period.
- The Video Arcade System will add mechanical effects, optional ticket redemption and high-score competition.
- The first cabinet was scheduled to debut at Amusement Expo 2024 in Las Vegas.
- The Recharged titles selected for arcade conversion had not been disclosed.
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