Video game publisher Atari is bringing some of its most iconic titles to the blockchain, starting with the release of retro arcade title Asteroids on Coinbase‘s Ethereum L2, Base.
The is the first title in what will become Atari’s on-chain arcade. Access to this arcade requires an NFT access pass – priced at 0.0015 ETH ($5.25 at the time of writing) – which will also grant players access to future on-chain retro releases.
Players compete on the global leaderboards, with the top 3 players each week able to earn a range of prizes, including Steam game codes, merchandise credits and an Atari 2600+ retro console. The top 3 overall winners of the Asteroids event will also receive up to $1,000 USD in Atari gift cards.
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What other games are Atari bringing to the blockchain?
Classic brick-breaking title Breakout will be the next arcade classic to be released on Base, with the Atari website indicating that many more retro games are set to also release on Base in the near future
“Once you participate, it can evolve and change – the level of prizes, what games come next, [and] who owns the high-score cartridge,” said Tyler Drewitz, Director at Atari’s web3 division, Atari X – indicating that NFT holders can expect additional experiences when other classic Atari games are released on the blockchain in future.
Atari have been active in the crypto space since 2020 through a variety of NFT releases, including a digital collectible series on the WAX blockchain, and virtual fashion NFTs in partnership with blockchain gaming platform Enjin.
What is Base?
Powered by Optimism’s OP Stack, Base is a secure, low-cost, developer-friendly Ethereum Layer-2 network, incubated by the team at centralised crypto exchange Coinbase.
Base aspires to utilise blockchain to create an open, global economy that promotes creativity and innovation. It is utilised and supported by a wide array of popular names in web3, including Animoca Brands, TCG Parallel, and crypto analytics firm Nansen.
The Base blockchain plans to progressively decentralize over the coming years, with the ambition to become an open ecosystem for Coinbase products, users and assets.
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