‘Eat, Sleep and Play’: Atari Plans to Open 8 Video-Game Themed Hotels

According to the 2019 Global Games Market Report, by the e-sports analytics firm Newzoo, there are, broadly, about 2.5 billion gamers — meaning anyone who plays on a PC, console or mobile device — across the world. The firm estimated that they would spend $152.1 billion on games in 2019, a 9.6 percent increase from the previous year. The report projected that the global games market would grow by billions of dollars over the next few years, rising to nearly $200 billion by 2022.

Atari’s move into hospitality follows a trend to build larger venues to accommodate e-sports’ growing audiences. In 2018, the E-Sports Stadium Arlington opened the largest dedicated e-sports facility in North America, a 100,000-square-foot space in Texas with a broadcast studio and an 85-foot-long LED wall. Construction is also underway for a $50 million, 3,500-seat e-sports arena in Philadelphia, and venues like the Barclays Center in Brooklyn have sold tens of thousands of tickets for e-sports competitions held there.

It’s evident these spaces are in demand. Last July, more than 19,000 people attended the three-day Fortnite World Cup at U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, according to the video game’s maker, Epic Games. Prize values have mounted with the events’ popularity: Kyle Giersdorf, who plays as “Bugha,” won the event and a $3 million prize.

Harrison Chang, who plays as “Psalm” and placed second in the competition, said the idea of an Atari hotel was “pretty cool” and he’s glad that the brand is “trying to take e-sports to a more mainstream space.”

Beyond large-scale gaming events, the popularity of immersive video-game settings is also on the rise. This summer, a life-size Super Nintendo World will open at Universal Studios Japan, and there are plans to bring the concept to the United States.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/business/atari-hotel-phoenix.html?emc=rss&partner=rss