Atari plots TV play

Gaming pioneer Atari is pushing into TV, with plans to transform its iconic brands such as Pong into formats and to launch apps for networks.

Atari, founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell, was a pioneer in arcade and video games from the 1970s to the mid-1980s and is now preparing to enter TV by launching programming and franchise opportunities.

Robert Blagman, CEO at US-based Media Fusion, is managing Atari’s TV programming for global distribution and syndication and said its library of consoles and arcade games have “the potential to become a popular television format and deliver highly coveted eyeballs to broadcasters and advertisers.”

He added that Atari was developing mobile apps for TV networks to combine old-school and new-school content and technology.

Blagman, along with Frederic Chesnais, Atari’s CEO, will unveil further details at Discop Johannesburg, which takes begins on November 2 and is expected to attract more than 2,500 delegates.