Atari Gaming is changing its business model in a move that will see focus shifted away from free-to-play and mobile games.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Atari previously announced a restructure that saw the creation of two divisions, Atari Blockchain and Atari Gaming, with the latter focusing on mobile gaming.

However, the latest change will instead see attention directed towards creating premium titles for consoles and PCs. Atari’s goal is "to build a strong pipeline of premium games on all platforms" with expectations for new titles to be released by March 2022.

Current free-to-play games that have retained a large player base and remained successful will continue to operate. However, less successful free-to-play titles, such as Roller Coaster tycoon, Castles and Catapults and Ninja Golf, will either be sold off or shut down entirely.

"Core of Atari"

"Our intent with any gaming experience is to provide accessible and joyful moments of meaningful play," stated Atari CEO Wade J. Rosen.

"That's the core of Atari and what binds our history with our future. To that end, we feel that premium gaming is a better representative of this type of gaming experience and the Atari DNA."

Following a successful Indiegogo campaign, Atari has recently released a new PC-based system, the Atari VCS. Upcoming titles are expected to be tailored towards the new system, explaining the change.

While Atari might be leaving the free-to-play genre, the market is still booming. So much so, that Netherlands-based tech firm Azerion acquired free-to-play social casino developer Whow Games last month.