Atom Entertainment Brings 'Newsgames' To Casual Game Portal

Online entertainment firm Atom Entertainment, recently acquired by Viacom division MTV Networks, announced that it has opened up a new 'NewsGames' channel on its casual game site AddictingGames.com. Atom indicated that it will be hosting “dozens of new titles each year” and promote this new breed of serious-style games that mock the popular headlines and cultural topics. Further, the company noted that it is making efforts to encourage developers in the user community to submit their own user-generated games that parody the headlines and happenings of the day. Most of the content at the NewsGames channel will be pulled from these user submissions. In addition, Atom Entertainment also announced a new business relationship with game developer Persuasive Games. Under terms of their agreement, Persuasive will create titles around newsworthy themes and these newsgames will be available exclusively at AddictingGames.com and Shockwave.com. The first game to surface as part of this deal is the recently announced Airport Security, which lets users play the role of an airport security guard and see if they can keep track of rapidly changing baggage prohibitions . “Games are increasingly becoming another form of expression and communication in our daily lives,” said Mika Salmi, CEO of Atom Entertainment, recently acquired by Viacom. “Games that make us laugh at what we see in the newspaper, in the news or online are among the most explosively popular online games.” Salmi added: “We created the NewsGames channel on AddictingGames to create a space for consumers to find an escape that lets them laugh at the events in the news or pop culture.”