Now, that's unexpected. Atari just sent out a joint press release with Fig to announce a partnership between the two companies, with the goal to develop (through Atari's Vagabond Production Corp. subsidiary) and publish two new games. The first one will be a reboot of one of Atari's most beloved franchises, while the other one will be a brand new IP.

　　Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari, said:

　　Fig is providing a model where gamers not only help to get the titles they are most passionate about funded, but also have the opportunity to share in the financial returns with developers and publishers. We're excited that Fig has opened up the vast potential of crowdfunding to IP holder and publisher alike by changing the narrative and allowing us to partner with our fans.

　　Justin Bailey, CEO of Fig, added:

　　Atari is synonymous with video games. From the early 70s through today, they built the video game industry from the ground up through indelible franchises and groundbreaking consoles. The gamer community continues to play an ever-expanding role in helping publish games they are passionate about. At Fig, we refer to what we do as community publishing rather than crowdfunding, since a ‘crowd’ is passive, and we’re about much more than just funding. With Fig, the community is active in selecting the public campaigns we run, participating in the funding, getting the word out, playing early builds, and now even profiting like the investors who supported Kingdoms and Castles. The community has become the center of the publishing process, and this partnership provides the rare opportunity to engage with an industry legend in Atari to help publish two IPs, and share in the potential financial success of those games.

　　Nothing concrete has been shared about either game, though of course there'll be a lot of speculation regarding the specific IP Atari is planning to revive. Which one would you like to see?

　　Also, will this be related to the company's upcoming console? Stay tuned on Wccftech for more.