And now for even less news (Atari VCS)

Seems like these guys have perfected the art of selling vaporware. Thoughts?

https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/19/atari-unveils-atari-vcs-its-first-home-game-console-in-9-years/

 

I'll buy one. It'll go great next to my Phantom.

 

My thoughts immediately went to the Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs) of the past. If Atari's goal is to make you remember that time period they've done an excellent job choosing both the letters and their style.

 

After months of missed release dates and virtually zero information, they show up at GDC to announce a name change? Pure gold.

 

I have mixed feelings about this console. I've been under the assumption that "retrobox" sales are driven by nostalgia for the old games, specifically games you already are familiar with. I'm not convinced that the market is big enough to sustain sales of a console designed to play new games made in the style of old games.

 

Old games were cool because we didn't know any better.

Every time I try to relive a classic, it's a pretty big disappointment.

Only "old thing" anybody could bring back that I think I'd enjoy would be dinosaur hunting. Not talking about video games.

 

You can pre-order the new Atari console at the same time you buy some Atari Coins. Yeah, Atari is a completely "serious" company these days.

 

I assumed you were kidding, but I still had to check and see, because it actually sounds like something they would do. While not finding coins, I did find this which is pretty funny:
https://www.atari.com/news/rollerco...owdfunding-campaign-bring-new-entry-acclaimed
"Investment based crowdfunding?" For reals? Wow.

Dinosaur hunting isn't that old, by "definition" only around a couple of hundred years (194 years). And it never went away, depending on where you live, or are willing to travel to, there are many happening every year.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...game-maker-atari-is-now-a-cryptocurrency-play

 

Meh, reporting these days:

Except those were by Namco and Taito, respectively. So Atari is not known for those at all, aside from having ports of those games on their consoles I suppose, but that's not very meaningful since they were ported to many systems.

--Eric

 

Oh... well, I guess they are officially now a joke. Hopefully the next company that buys the IP will do something with it.

 

I like the new logo, but that's about it. Where's the relevant information? If they are seriously trying to pitch this thing at GDC, they need to be dropping some details related to ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT. The exterior case can be very stylish, but that won't make anyone outside of a very small number of collectors want this thing. In order to have any level of lasting appeal, a system needs games, good games. That's what keeps these platforms viable.

The lack of pertinent information, especially when showcasing this thing at GDC, is one of the most worrying aspects for me.

 

Yes, this is what I was referring to. Atari is jumping on the cryptocoin buzz.

 

You're a miserable lot really ain't ya? I shall join you by making complimentary grunts of disapproval.

 

In other threads, I've attempted to be positive about this sort of thing, and speculated on the possibilities that it might lead to. But they're giving us nothing to work with here. A couple concept renderings do not a viable system make. We need specs. We need software compatibility. We need actual demos. Will modern engines work with this thing? What's the software storefront going to look like. What is going to be the profit split for developers on digital sales? There are a bunch of details that could affect the viability of such a system. And we have none of them.

The longer they hold off on providing any of that information, the less confident I become in the long-term prospects of such a venture.

We are no longer working in a vacuum where this manner of venture is concerned. We now have numerous attempts of such a nature that we can look to as examples. And even most of those gave us more to work with than Atari has currently provided. You can't promote a platform like this in secret.

 

Had they come out with "does raytracing at 1080p with Unity licensing deal" I might panic and wonder where it is I go to purchase one. But, no.

 

Imagine being Atari and going "you know what's a good idea? This thing we've made that costs more than a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X on Amazon!"

Not only that, but Microsoft has already announced their next console, and Sony will likely be doing the same soon. Congratulations, shambling horror that is Infogrames wearing Atari's skin as a suit, you've made the Wii U 2.0.

 

What is exactly the logic behind launching two versions at once?

 

If people are making $1 an hour, our they aren't going to be spending $250 a console. The PS4Pro is an update to an existing platform years later. Offer 2 levels of consoles is something anyone has done (apart from branded versions and bundles. etc). If it was $100 vs $400... maybe, or if were completely cosmetic and the expensive version a collectable gold version (or whatever). It doesn't make sense, the market for the whole platform isn't proven yet, let alone multiple versions of it.

 

Absolutely no one making $1/hr or similarly low income will be spending it on a game console, and if for some reason they do decide to spend it on a console they won't be spending it on the latest generation. A previously owned PS3 with the controller can be bought for a fraction of the cost of the Atari VCS on eBay.

 

https://www.ebay.com/b/OUYA-Video-Game-Consoles/139971/bn_16492277

 

Unity, Atari VCS platform target when?

 

Your best bet would be to email them directly, the developer section of their site is high-tech mailto link. Everything is super vague (not worked out?). If it does happen, it may be like other platforms where it is under NDA/private. They said some sort of twaddle about having a sandbox mode that can install "any OS". (Ha!). So maybe that is their plan. Make a steam or PC game and just have users in stall windows (or any OS!). Or maybe they are banking on stadia.

In case anyone was wondering....

 

They're planning their own Linux-based OS but we've literally never seen it running anything.

 

View attachment 466382

Though it isn't super clear, but on their site thier "custom linux OS" seems to be the game front/game launcher for the classic games.

 

Sadly, no.

https://medium.com/@atarivcs/the-birth-of-the-atari-vcs-operating-system-part-1-d8f43bfa0290

This is the OS that's designed around powering the whole dang device and we haven't seen anything aside from a spinning box.

 

Interesting. (...though interesting may not be the right word).
It seems like they are doing everything without having a clue or doing any market testing/research.

 

I no longer have any faith that the Atari VCS is going to be able to make any waves. Focused mini-consoles like the Nintendo classics can sell based on nostalgia. I don't feel that the VCS is going to be able to replicate that. The Sony Playstation Classic is proof that you need more than just nostalgia alone. The execution also needs to be there. Just doing it is not enough, you have to do it well.

I'm far more interested in the Amico. Intellivision seems like they have an actual vision for their platform, and they are at least attempting something different.

 

What is sad is that if someone could actually innovate and do something new and exciting with consoles, it would awesome to leverage the brand Atari for it. Instead, the current owners of the brand are intent on making as big a joke as possible.

 

That's why I'm excited to see what Intellivision can do. They don't have as strong a brand as Atari, it's true. But the touch-screen controller concept they're playing around with is one that I've been toying with for some time for creating unique local multiplayer experiences. I think they're onto something that could work out really well. And from what they've said about their system, I'm pretty sure their heads are in the same place as mine.

As near as I can tell with the VCS, it's just a souped-up computer-on-a-chip with nothing else to really differentiate it. I'd rather just build my own mini box if that's the case. I already own a copy of the Atari collection for the Switch. 150 games. Why would I need a separate box?

 

I don't think the Atari brand has anything going for it anymore. There have been far too many missteps over the years, and you have to be around 40+ to even have any fond childhood memories of an Atari brand console. Would you buy a new Commodore computer?

 

Yes.

https://www.iwantoneofthose.com/games/the-c64-console/12219533.html

 

Now you're making me feel old! But it's very true. The only real Atari platform after the mid-80s was the Jaguar. And just about no one has fond memories of that. I have a Jaguar in my collection, but it hardly EVER gets pulled out for play time. Far more of a curiosity than an actual platform.

I think the majority of Atari nostalgia these days comes more from their classic arcade output. Several of those games are timeless classics. But once again, you do have to be quite old to remember those games.

 

I would love to see someone do something with these mini retro consoles like dreamcast did for regular consoles:

Throw regular design out the window and try something innovative. I mean sure, dreamcast was weird AF, but in a strange way thats why a lot of people used to (and still are) be fond of it.

Normal consoles dont have the wiggle room to truly innovate on design, only being able to jump in small steps so they dont alienate previous playerbase from previous iterations.

But these "new" old consoles, could get away with so much in terms of design, and it would actually add to the retro quirky feel.

EDIT: im talking this sort of craziness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMU