Animoca Brands launches Atari Capsule Collection of NFTs for iconic “Centipede”

Animoca Brands launches Atari Capsule Collection of NFTs for iconic “Centipede” and “Pong” video games

Rare collection includes multiple digital collectibles across multiple price points for purchase on Blockparty, OpenSea, Quidd, Harmony

29 March 2021 – NEW YORK – Animoca Brands , the global leader in branded blockchain gaming, and its digital collectibles subsidiary Quidd have partnered with legendary gaming brand Atari to launch the Atari Capsule Collection of non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles. The collection commemorates video game pioneers who helped to create the industry, and begins with Dona Bailey (Centipede) and Al Alcorn (Pong), who were both involved in the creation of this collection. The first item will go up for sale at 7 p.m. ET (11 p.m. UTC) on Tuesday, March 30 with the final auction concluding on the evening of Friday, April 2. Information about this project is available at https://www.ataricapsulecollection.com.

The Atari Capsule Collection is a curated collection of rare retro-collectibles made possible by the partnership between Animoca Brands and Atari. Various companies collaborated to bring the Atari Capsule Collection to market: Quidd, Animoca Brands’ digital collectibles subsidiary; Blockparty, the artist-centric NFT marketplace; Harmony, the first proof-of-stake and sharding mainnet blockchain; and OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace.

The NFTs in the Atari Capsule Collection will be issued on the Ethereum and Harmony blockchains, guaranteeing their provenance, authenticity, and originality, and enabling Atari fans, premium art collectors, retro games enthusiasts, and crypto investors to own a piece of video game history.

The first Atari Capsule Collection features collectibles based on beloved games from two of Atari’s most notable creators: Dona Bailey, the co-creator of Centipede and one of the first female programmers employed by Atari, and Al Alcorn, the creator of Pong. Both Dona and Al worked closely with Quidd and Animoca Brands to create this collection, which contains heavily researched, museum-grade pieces commemorating two of the most important video games of all time and their creators.

At launch, the public will be invited to go behind the scenes on the making of these groundbreaking video games, gaining access to visual and audio materials from the personal archives of these legendary Atari gamemakers. Rare photographs and exclusive interviews set the stage for the sale of unique flagship Atari digital collectibles.

This Atari Capsule Collection includes an assortment of collectibles across a broad range of price points in order to appeal to all Atari fans, Centipede and Pong fans, casual collectors, Quidd users, crypto collectors, investors, and digital museums. The collectibles are of the following categories:

NFTs issued by Blockparty and Opensea (ERC-721 standard)
Quidd collectibles that are NFT-convertibles (owners will have the choice to mint them as NFTs at a later date)

The items in the Atari Capsule Collection will be sold via four key channels starting on 30 March 2021 Blockparty, OpenSea, and Harmony for auctions and direct sales, and Quidd for pack purchases.

Centipede: Dona Bailey

Originally released in 1981, Centipede is a fixed shooter arcade game that became one of the most successful titles of its time, and one of the first to attract a significant female player base. Co-creator Dona Bailey is celebrated in this series of collectibles, which boasts the only physical item in the series. Available for purchase are the following:

Centipede Flagship (limited series of one): beautifully restored and working original Centipede Coin-Op physical cabinet accompanied by one fully interactive, 1/1 digital Centipede Coin-Op cabinet NFT bearing the digital autograph of Dona Bailey; the owner of this combined physical-digital piece will also receive a unique augmented reality experience
Centipede Reality (Limited series of three): 3D NFTs featuring stylized, pixelated Centipede arcade sprites

Centipede Artist’s Rendition (limited series of ten): 2D digital collectible NFTs of Centipede-inspired pixel art
Centipede 2600 Cartridge Classic (limited series of twenty): 3D digital collectible NFTs of the original Centipede 2600 cartridge. The first five cartridges purchased will be gold editions, and the remaining fifteen will be the standard black cartridge.

Pong: Al Alcorn

First released in 1972 and originally created by Al Alcorn as a training exercise, Pong is the quintessential arcade game: the massively popular commercial blockbuster is one of the pillars of the $180 billion video game industry that we know today. The Pong installment of the Atari Capsule Collection offer the following products for purchase:

Pong Flagship (limited series of one): unique, fully interactive 3D NFT of the original Pong cabinet featuring a digital autograph from Al Alcorn
Pong First Quarter Relic (limited series of three): 3D NFT of the first quarter inserted into the first Pong arcade game at Andy Capp’s Bar in 1972, based on the actual physical quarter owned by Al Alcorn
Pong Artist’s Rendition (limited series of ten): 2D digital collectible NFTs of Pong-inspired pixel art.

For more information about the Atari Capsule Collection and to view the products, please visit https://www.ataricapsulecollection.com.

Management commentary

According to Yat Siu, the co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands, “The Atari Capsule Collection is a tribute to the legendary pioneers who helped to make the video game industry into the titanic force that we know today. It is our privilege to work closely with Dona Bailey and Al Alcorn to offer these exclusive and rare items for connoisseurs of the history of digital entertainment and for collectors of NFTs.”

“The Atari Capsule Collection is an exciting new way for Atari fans and crypto collectors to share their enthusiasm and love for Atari," said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “By incorporating legendary game makers Dona Bailey and Al Alcorn, this collection of NFTs is incredibly authentic. For those of us that grew up with Atari, the collection will feel like touring a museum or being a fly on the wall witnessing the dawn of the video game era.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Blockparty, OpenSea, and Harmony to bring Atari digital collectibles to blockchain,” said Michael Bramlage, CEO of Quidd. “The NFT format gives collectors the confidence they need to invest in great pieces. This is the very first set of NFTs that we issue, and we plan to produce more in the near future.”

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About Quidd
Quidd is the original digital collectibles marketplace, home to over 7 million digital collectors. Featuring limited-edition digital stickers, digital trading cards, and digital 3D figures from 325 of the world’s most beloved brands, including Marvel, Disney, Game of Thrones, Rick And Morty, Star Trek, and many more, Quidd offers the largest assortment of branded digital collectibles on the planet. Available for free on iOS and Android devices, and now available on the web at https://market.onquidd.com, Quidd is the first and best place for pop culture fans to start their digital collections. With its introduction of Cash Accounts in 2021, Quidd collectors can now buy and sell their digital collectibles for cash, turning vintage items from the past into real profit today. Quidd is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands with headquarters in NYC. For more information, check out our press kit or visit quidd.co.

About Atari

Atari is an interactive entertainment company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment, and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com.

© 2021 Atari Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. Atari and the Atari logo are registered trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. All individual Atari game names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc. or its affiliates. Used with permission.

About Animoca Brands

Animoca Brands is a leader in the field of digital entertainment, specializing in blockchain, gamification, and artificial intelligence technologies to develop and publish a broad portfolio of products including the REVV token and SAND token; original games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes; and products utilizing popular intellectual properties including Formula 1®, Marvel, WWE, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Doraemon. Animoca Brands’ portfolio of blockchain investments and partnerships includes Lucid Sight, Dapper Labs (creators of CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot), WAX, Harmony, and Decentraland. Subsidiaries include The Sandbox, Quidd, Gamee, nWay, and Lympo. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or get updates by following Animoca Brands on Facebook or Twitter.