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Six years ago, Atari announced ambitious plans to build a gamer-themed hotel in Las Vegas, featuring an e-sports studio and a movie theater. The legacy video game companys management at the time saw hotels as a way to revitalize the brand’s name, which was largely a nostalgia play. “I love the idea. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” said then-CEO Fred Chesnais. “I always wanted to make an amusement park, and hotels could be the first step.” But now the company tells the Las Vegas Sun that the project has been shelved after “the deal didn’t come to fruition.” It’s the latest in a series of disappointments for Ataris lodging ambitions. Only one of what the company had hoped would be at least eight hotels across the U.S. is still in any stage of development. And construction has yet to begin on that project. Chesnais bought Atari in 2013 for just 400 euros following the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing (inheriting with it a debt load of 34 million euros). But he was replaced as CEO in 2021 and formalized his exit from the company in 2022. Despite his departure, the hotel plans pushed forward. Atari continued to look for potential land partners through 2024planning to make announcements in the first half of that yearbut was unable to secure a deal. Other planned hotels in Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle also are no longer being discussed publicly and have shown no progress since the company first revealed those locations. That leaves Phoenix, where Atari Hotels (now being run by Intersection Development) is still hoping to salvage at least part of the project. Originally expected to open in 2022, that location is now slated for a late-2028 grand opening, although even that date is hardly set in stone. The developer is appealing to Atari fans to help pay for the project. A fundraising page for the Phoenix hotel says the facility has raised $14 million and secured land (for a project with a total development budget of $124 million). Participants can make a minimum investment of $500, for which they will be part of the hotel’s loyalty program. Those who cough up $50,000 will receive a physical brick in the gaming-area walkway of the hotel, the builders say. (A “digital brick” runs $25,000.) Intersection aims to raise between $35 million and $40 million from investors as part of its next phase. Atari never positioned the hotels, even the Las Vegas one, as casinos, though the investment deck does mention a “state-of-the-art sports betting arena with immersive screens and premium gaming experiences. Instead, it hoped to blend video games, music, and entertainment in an immersive, tech-heavy facility, with a rooftop pool and “sci-fi inspired rooms” being promised for the Phoenix location. In recent years, hotels were just one of the ways Atari considered in its effort to revitalize the brand. In 2018, the company announced plans to launch its own cryptocurrencies: the Atari Token and the Pong Token. The company acquired a minority stake in Infinity Networks, which was developing a decentralized blockchain for digital entertainment platforms, and recruited Anthony Di Iorio, who cofounded Ethereum and Jaxx, to assist with the launch. The Atari Token peaked in 2021 at around 78 cents. Today, it trades for $0.0001935. Founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in 1972, Atari has been bought and sold numerous times through the years, often balancing on the precipice of becoming nothing more than nostalgia. In its fiscal 2025 earnings report released in July, the company reported a 14 million euro loss. Half-year results for fiscal 2026, released in December of last year, showed a net loss of 6.4 million euros.
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E-Commerce
A few years ago, I discovered a tomato sauce recipe that was surprisingly simple: just canned tomatoes, butter, salt, and an onion. It inspired me to experiment, adding this and that each time to see how the flavor changed. Today, Id call myself an amateur sauce expert. I know exactly how long it needs to simmer, what shade of red signals its ready, and how to improvise with whatevers in the fridge. As my kitchen exploits remind me, experimentation is part of learning. It wouldnt be the same if Id just asked ChatGPT how to make sauce each time. Id be outsourcing my culinary creativity and losing the teachable moments that come from trial and error. As New Yorker writer Joshua Rothman observed, [I]ts becoming clear that artificial intelligence can relieve us of the burden of trying and trying again. A.I. systems make it trivially easy to take an existing thing and ask for a new iteration. AI can boost creative thinkingor eliminate it entirely. As the CEO of a company built on automation, Ive found that the key is to treat AI as a creative collaborator, not a replacement. Here are a few rules of thumb for striking the right balance. 1. Use AI for idea generationnot final decisions When generative AI became widely available, a lot of hype swirled around its implications. Professionals, from knowledge workers to authors and beyond, feared that AI would take their jobs. AI seemed destined to keep improving, outpacing the skills and intelligence of its human counterparts. More recently, the technologys limits have become more apparent. While AI tools remain powerful workplace tools, their progress is unlikely to be endlessly exponential. As Cal Newport notes, critics argue that the technology is important but not poised to radically transform our lives; it may not get dramatically better than it is today. AI wont write the next great novel or compose symphonies to rival Bach. But it is an excellent brainstorming partner. Wharton professor Christian Terwiesch, who tested ChatGPTs idea generation against college students, explained: Its cheap. Its fast. Its good. Whats not to be liked? Worst case is you reject all of the ideas and run with your own. But our research speaks strongly to the fact that your idea pool will get better. Let AI tools like ChatGPT help you generate more, better ideas. Start with your own thoughts, and use AI to generate alternatives. Then, apply your own human judgment to refine and select the best path forward. Treat prompts like a conversation, not a command One of the strengths of generative AI tools like ChatGPT is their conversational nature. Think of your first prompt as an icebreakerits just there to get the dialogue started. While I recommend being as specific as possible, that is, giving the tool enough context to generate strong, accurate replies, you can always refine as you go. To offer a visual, imagine your dialogue with AI as a funnel: wide at the top and narrowing as you move toward the bottom. You might start by asking ChatGPT to generate ideas for a marketing campaign. Once it produces a list, ask it to refine those ideas for a specific target audiencesay, tech entrepreneurs in their 20s to 40s, or suburban parents. Keep iterating until you land on the output that works best for you. Create space for experimentation Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it certainly wont kill your company. In fact, a healthy sense of curiosity among employees will strengthen it. Research-backed benefits include boosted innovation, reduced group conflict, fewer decision-making errors, and improved communication. While leaders often claim to value curiosity, they tend to stifle it, preferring that employees stay within the lines. Instead, leaders should give employees the freedom to explore. Build enough slack into their schedules so they can test and tinker with AI tools without the pressure to prove immediate ROI. Lead by example: Share your own experimentswhether its trying a new AI feature or recounting an automation gone awry. Getting it wrong can be valuable, too. Ask for employee feedback to uncover what theyre curious about: new systems or tools theyd like to try, or better ways the company could operate. It might feel inefficient, like a misuse of employee time and effort, but in the AI era, staying competitive depends on curiosity and experimentation. Like a chef giving their team full access to the kitchen, leaders must create workplaces where both creativity and experimentation can thrive.
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E-Commerce
As we move into 2026, it’s time to examine the subtle behaviors that undermine our professional impact. As someone who works with mid- to senior-level leaders, I see and hear the ways in which communication behaviors and patterns get in their way. Small changes can create influential outcomes! Here are three critical habits to eliminate if you want to project true confidence and gravitas. Breaking these three habits isn’t about becoming someone you’re notit’s about removing the barriers between your capabilities and how others perceive them. True executive presence combines confident delivery with substantive content, and that starts with eliminating the small behaviors that undermine your authority. 1. Using Passive and Tentative Language The Habit: Softening your statements with phrases like “I think maybe we could consider . . .” or “The report was completed by the team” instead of owning your ideas and actions. Why It Matters: Tentative language signals uncertainty, even when you’re confident in your position. Passive voice distances you from your accomplishments and makes your contributions invisible. Break It: Replace hedging language with direct statements. Say “I recommend this strategy” instead of “I think this could work.” Use active voice: “I led the initiative” rather than “The initiative was led.” This shift isn’t about arroganceit’s about clarity and ownership. 2. Relying on Verbal Fillers and Rushed Responses The Habit: Punctuating your speech with “uh,” “um,” “like,” and “you know,” or immediately jumping to answer questions without pausing to think. Why It Matters: Verbal fillers make you appear unprepared or nervous, undermining your credibility. Rushing to respond can make you seem reactive rather than thoughtful, and it robs you of the power that silence provides. Break It: Practice embracing pauses. When asked a question, take a breath before respondingthis demonstrates that you’re considering the question seriously. During presentations, pause after making an important point. That brief silence creates emphasis and gives your audience time to absorb what you’ve said. The discomfort you feel in silence is temporary; the authority you project is lasting. 3. Neglecting Nonverbal Communication The Habit: Being unaware of how you enter spaces, sit, stand, gesture, or control your facial expressionsessentially letting your body language happen unconsciously. Why It Matters: Your body speaks before you do. How you walk into a room, whether you slouch in your chair, fidget during difficult conversations, or fail to make appropriate eye contact all send powerful messages about your confidence and composure. You can have brilliant ideas, but if your nonverbal cues signal discomfort or uncertainty, your message loses impact. Break It: Become intentional about your physical presence. Notice how you enter meetingswalk with purpose, not hurried but not hesitant. Pay attention to your posture when sitting or standing; it should convey engagement and authority. Use gestures deliberately to reinforce your message rather than as nervous habits. Master your facial expressions so they remain appropriate and controlled even under pressure. Practice using space confidently, whether at a conference table or presenting to a group. The Path Forward Executive presence develops continuously throughout your career. Each email you send, every videoconference you lead, and all the presentations you deliver are opportunities to practice these principles. Focus on crafting messages that are organized, clear, concise, audience-centered, and compelling. Master your vocal deliverytone, volume, pitch, articulation, and pacing all add meaning to your words. Remember: confidence can be quiet. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room, but about projecting self-assurance, composure, and poise. Gravitas comes from conveying dignity and substance, not from dominating every conversation. As you break these three habits in 2026, you’ll find that your voice carries more weight, your ideas gain traction more easily, and your leadership presence strengthens naturally. The goal isn’t perfectionit’s progress toward communicating with the clarity and conviction that marks an effective leader.
Category:
E-Commerce
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