Atari’s Plan To Manufacture Smart Home Devices

Gaming console company Atari is venturing out into manufacturing IoT devices as it looks into expanding beyond mobile and casino game offerings.

The New York-based company’s decision to return to manufacturing devices comes on the heels of several less-than-successful attempts at reinventing itself after filing for bankruptcy in 2013.

While the company didn’t give out too many details, it said, the new range of IoT devices will vary from being very simple to highly sophisticated. In an announcement, the company said it has partnered with Sigfox, a French wireless company that has previously developed IoT devices for Antarctic research expeditions, to manufacture Atari-branded connected home devices. The partnership, Atari says, will give instant connectivity and longer battery life to its devices.

“Our network bridges the virtual and physical worlds simply, reliably and inexpensively and this collaboration will launch a new dimension to gaming, while supporting features that are limited only by the imagination,” said Sigfox CEO Ludovic Le Moan.

Atari’s partnership with Sigfox unlocks a big user base for the gaming company. Sigfox currently operates in 18 countries and has over 7 million devices registered on its network.

The new product range will be placed in the home, pet, lifestyle and safety devices category. The company is reportedly looking into manufacturing the devices for mass market and the charity sector.

Some of the device functionalities would include GPS tracking, a panic button, and status updates on temperature and low levels of gas. The company is also targeting the market for kids tracker, pet collars, sports and travel, Engadget said.