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Alphabet’s DeepMind AI is better than you at Atari games

Having AI agents learn how to play simple video games is an ideal way to test their effectiveness, thanks to the ability to measure success via a score. Alphabet's DeepMind designated 57 particular Atari games to serve as a litmus test for its AI...

Evercade’s cartridge-based retro handheld makes more sense than you think

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Atari’s latest attempt at milking nostalgia is a ‘Pong’ RPG

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Atari classic ‘Missile Command’ is coming back as a mobile game

Atari has been milking Missile Command nostalgia for a while with re-released games and even plans for a movie (not that it has materialized), but its latest may be appealing for its relatively straightforward appeal. It's developing Missile Command:...

Looks like ATARI is entering the hotel industry with its line of ‘gaming hotels’

Here’s a statistic courtesy of The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. The gaming industry (valued at $139 billion) is bigger than Hollywood, the music industry, the NFL, NBA, and MLB… COMBINED. I’m no expert, but I assume a company like Atari would own a significant piece of that 139 billion dollar pie. Responsible for Pong, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, the company which shut down in 1984 and was later acquired by Hasbro is now making a comeback… but not as a gaming company.

The Atari Hotel is best described as a luxurious cyber-cafe you can spend the night in. Designed to be the computer-gaming version of casinos, Atari’s line of hotels will be a unique Atari-themed lodging experience along with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination. “Select hotels will also feature state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events”, says the Atari Hotels website.

The design of the hotel comes courtesy True North Studio, an architectural and spatial design firm based out of Phoenix. These mock-ups from True North showcase a lavish casino-hotel-esque building with the Atari logo prominently forming the front facade of the building. There’s even space on the terrace of the building for holding performances and livestream events for patrons.

The first in the line of Atari hotels is expected to break ground in Phoenix, Arizona this year itself, with the promise of more hotels in Las Vegas, Austin, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle in years to come. It’s worth noting, however, that Atari doesn’t own these hotels, but is rather just licensing their brand to GSD Group, an innovation and strategy agency. Atari will, however

Designer: True North Studio for GSD Group and Atari