Atari, the iconic name in gaming, has launched a new iteration of the vintage 1976 game Breakout, bringing it to the modern blockchain platform through Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network Base. This launch is a continuation of Atari’s strategic foray into blockchain gaming, evident from its earlier partnership with Base announced in July which marked the release of a blockchain-based version of the seminal game Asteroids.
As part of Base’s promotional “OnChain Summer,” gamers now have the opportunity to engage in competitive gameplay, vying for the top positions on the Atari Breakout leaderboard. The highest-scoring participants stand to win weekly rewards, which range from a nostalgic retro 2600+ game console to gift cards, among other prizes. Atari’s initiative not only modernizes classic gaming experiences but also introduces an innovative competitive element through these weekly challenges.
The design of Breakout, a collaborative effort between Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell and Steve Wozniak before his Apple days, involves players maneuvering a paddle to break through brick walls with a ball. In its latest avatar on Base, Breakout introduces additional gaming modes such as Degen, Bitcoin, and Higher, activated by hitting special bricks which temporarily double the points for a duration of 10 seconds.
To participate in this blockchain-based gaming endeavor, players are required to connect their digital wallets—from options including Coinbase, MetaMask, Rainbow, to WalletConnect—and mint a Breakout NFT for a nominal fee of 0.0015 ETH, approximately $3.60. Proceeds from the minting process will be directed towards the developers and artists who contributed to bringing these games to life, as stated by Base.
All leaderboard scores will be recorded on-chain, promising a transparent and verifiable system of ranking as highlighted by Atari director Tyler Drewitz during a Base Twitter stream in July. He emphasizes the excitement stemming from the weekly leaderboard challenges and hints at more significant prizes tied to an overall leaderboard system.
This move by Atari is illustrative of the evolving landscape where traditional gaming paradigms intersect with emergent blockchain technologies, offering both a nostalgic homage and a forward-looking digital gaming experience.