If you aren’t familiar with Basic Math (https://www.basicfun.com/arcade-classics/), they make these tiny toy arcade cabs (pictured above) which are not really accurate scaled down or in looks to the real arcade cabs.
You can buy these in Targets for $24.99.
Basic Math describes them as follows on their website linked above: “Arcade Classics brings the magic of iconic retro gaming to life with meticulously crafted mini arcade games that captivate both young gamers
and nostalgic collectors. With a commitment to authenticity, each Arcade Classics toy features the original graphics, sounds, and gameplay that defined the arcade era. These mini arcade games are designed to evoke fun childhood memories while introducing a new generation to the timeless excitement of retro gaming.”
Meticulously crafted mini arcade games? Hold your thoughts on that quote, we’ll get back to that.
This tidbit of information can be gleaned from Atari’s Half-Year 2024/2025 financial results: ATARI: HALF-YEAR 2024/2025 RESULTS (emphasis by PGM):
“Licensing: Licensing revenues for the period increased more than two fold, from €0.4M to €1.0M, as Atari continues to build partnerships with highly recognized brands and additional sales opportunities for its licensed products through atari.com. Notably in the course of the half-year, Atari launched the Limited Edition and Standard Edition Super Pocket with partner Blaze Entertainment and signed an agreement with Basic Fun for home arcade cabinets (with expected launch in 2025).”
We’ve covered how Atari has been all over the place in their licensing ventures here before: OPINION: What’s Wrong and Right with Atari VCS but their focus on game companies acquisitions seems to be their biggest splash. These toy arcades seem more like a branding play than anything, pure conjecture here, but looking at them, they aren’t Replicades, which in this author’s opinion would be a better way to do smaller scale, more authentic arcade cabs.
In fact, pictured above, Atari already licensed Crystal Castles Replicade from New Wave Toys for $199.95 (https://newwavetoys.com/products/crystal-castles-x-replicade). Now these are meticulously crafted.
The Basic Math cheap toy home arcade cabinets do not even remotely compare to Replicade. Yes, they are considerably less expensive. Again, this appears to be more of a branding play, get Atari arcade games on these toys in front of really young gamers. Most older gamers will take a hard pass.
That said, it is positive to see Atari is selling more games. At the end of the day, despite nearly doubling the income, they still lost money. More than a year ago. Shouldn’t Atari want to start turning some kind of profit from their efforts? At least on paper, it doesn’t seem like that’s happening … yet.