Atari Box?

Atari Box Teaser Site

What?! What the heck am I seeing here? What is this? WHAT IS THIS?

Atari has managed to get my attention, by teasing a completely unknown product, with very little in the way of details. Just about all I'm sure of is that the Atari logo is featured prominently. Apparently some manner of Atari hardware platform is going to be released. What type of platform? Don't know. What software will it support? Don't know. Is it even going to be a home console of some sort? No idea.

This is an incredibly vague reveal. They are implying a fair amount, but have overtly stated just about nothing. It's maddening, and my curiosity is driving me crazy.

 

Market test I guess. Although in this case more of a test to see who gives a damn at all what they have made or are thinking of making considering we don't know. At least that is what I get from it. Super simple landing page designed to create curiosity and collect leads.
.

 

It's already released.

 

On the contrary the announcement suggests that it is an actual modern game console.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/06/16/atari-ceo-confirms-the-company-is-working-on-a-new-game-console/

 

I've honestly lost track of the number of times Atari was sold off, went bankrupt, bought for their name, etc.

The Atari that some of us grew up with just doesn't exist anymore.

 

It hasn't existed for, what, 25 years now?

 

Personally, I think "Atari" ceased to exist when Warner sold the division to Jack Tramiel. That was 33 years ago.

 

Says it is PC-based... maybe with some luck we can get a batch of cool games like these... basically the same resolution but allow more colors and of course much more storage space and much faster CPU and graphics.

Such an excellent variety of games and ideas back then. And when I spent time in the archives of those old games I find that I am increasingly appreciative of all of the "little Indies" (the solos and 2 people teams). Because I couldn't help but think of my Steam library that contains many games that look not too different from these.

I've been waiting for this Indie game for a long time and release is very soon! Dude's been working on it for over 5 years.

Ah well Atari probably won't make a console for all of the developers and gamers who create and play games like Rush to Adventure but it'd kind of be cool if they did.

Of course... there was the Retro VGS and we know how that went but then again there is the one that plays PICO-8 games and seems like a good number of people have bought that one.

 

I'm guessing that it will be some gimmicky paraconsole like Ouya or just some trendy retro nonsense like NES mini.

It would be quite the spectacle to see them flounder with trying to make a successful modern console. They've made five consoles now and exactly one of them was a success. Then they immediately tanked the video game industry.

And yes, I know that Atari is like ten times removed from 2600 era Atari. But still.

Still, I bet I could run a successful console brand if I had $1 billion to work with.

 

I'm holding my breath for a new console from Sega.

 

No. The Venture Beat article says it is based off PC hardware, we could have a new Xbox/PS contender.

Surely it must be VR focused?

Will it be PC Game or Steam box compatible?

 

Given the nostalgia factor alone, as long as it is a modern console, I think I'd be just as excited to have Atari back in my living room as I was when I got the 2600 at 5 years old. Old Fogies like me love things that make us feel like our youth isn't so far away after all. Now if I could just walk into a Best or a Montgomery Ward to buy it. ;-)

 

Are they trying to make a quick buck off nostalgia?

Otherwise I see no reason to buy up the brand associated with the biggest market failure in video game history.

 

Well, nostalgia has some value. I still have fond memories of my old Atari 2600. I don't think that would be enough to justify Atari entering the market to compete directly with Microsoft and Sony, but maybe Atari has something else in mind.

Also, I am assuming this announcement is about a modern console and not another iteration of the Atari Flashback.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Flashback

 

Please don't - I'm saddened by people dieing for silly reasons.

Why bother with a console at all? Atari's complete library (if not already) could be provided to the entire world through a Atari online portal. I don't get it, although if an Atari portal was announced - I'd be interested for the same reasons others have mentioned.

 

My guess is that the thing is just going to be the equivalent of a low-end Steam Box. It won't run many games aside from low-spec indie stuff and it will utterly bankrupt Atari again until some company buys the name to put out another half-baked idea or series of half-baked ideas.

And I do mean half-baked. Anyone alive today who even recognises the Atari name knows that it's hardly synonymous with quality at best, and "didn't these guys almost destroy videogames as a whole?" at worst. I'm surprised anyone even tries to do anything with the name at all.

 

For a company that is attempting to make yet another return from bankruptcy? Focusing their console on virtual reality would be far too risky. It's simply too much of a fad at this point in time and the required hardware is too costly for their console. Best case scenario their console would end up costing the same as a PlayStation or Xbox.

Choosing between an effectively no name console brand and a well established brand that your friends are likely to have too is a no brainer if the consoles are very similarly priced. Atari will have to be far cheaper than their competitors and have good exclusives to have any hope of success.

 

atari is cool. I have a 2600 and 7800 in my bedroom. I'm sad, yes.

 

Unity supports toasters. So if this thing actually gets made, they will support it.

 

Yes, but Unity chooses successful toasters.

 

It is a box. It is adorned with wood-grain and an atari logo. It is nostalgia-bait of the highest quality. It was commissioned by Urist McBushnell.


I think I may have been on the dwarf fortress reddit too long.

 

What if it has an AMD Threadripper CPU (32 cores/64 threads) and Vega GPU with shared 32 Gb of HBM2 memory cache and 64 Gb of DDR5 ram?

The games should of course come on micro SD cartridges and the system comes with a SD card matrix so you can have all your favourite games plugged in and ready to go...

 

Only a one line description? Must just be a basic box then.

Going to assume this is a sarcasm indicator. Because Atari has been a failure too often to do more than joke about them.

Joking aside though if they seriously had those specs I bet both of us would buy a box and hack a general OS onto it.

 

I had an Atari STFM for years, great machine and definitely major player in 16 bit history.

 

No way the Amiga was the 16 bit machine to have!

 

I'm firmly in the Amiga camp for the 16 bit era although I always wanted an ST as well but never did get one.

 

It was quite a war at the time. Both great machines though. Atari camp for me XD

 

The rights to games like Pac-Man were temporary and now Namco handles their releases directly, iirc. Almost ALL rights like that tend to have limited life-spans. There's no "secret goldmine" of Atari games.

 

Even I was surprised to find out, that Atari was making a new console.
I wonder if Atari, will make their own first party games, for their new shiny console?

 

Those contracts were probably burned or shredded - common corporate practice during those times.

But -
"Hey guys come check this out! We still have ET rights! Wohoo! Someone start coding right away! Were releasing in 2 weeks!"

 

No, it's pretty clear they don't have the rights to these things because if they did they'd have tried to capitalise on them for the past 30 years of bankruptcies.

 

I'm sure you will be able to put a new hot potato inside of the case for better upgraded graphics and maybe it will come with a special atari brand wood varnish that smells like its from the 80's

 

I swear I must be the only TG16 (PC Engine) fan on the planet. Absolutely LOVED that thing!

I honestly can't tell if you're being genuine.

At any rate, the thing is DEFINITELY not a "console" console like PS or Xbox. Just for the fact that you don't announce one through a website. You do it on a center stage in the middle of E3, TGS, CES, or at the very least PACS with pyrotechnics, dancers, and some guy in a blazer with no tie talking it up like it's the cure for cancer.

 

Nah I wanted one of those as well for the near arcade perfect ports but they were pretty unobtainable here at the time.

 

You could have your entire game collection fitting in a matchbox!

Mind you they could be easy to lose, or break, eat (pets).

 

@Not_Sure The first 16-bit (well 8-bit with 16-bit graphics in this case) console I got was the TurboGrafx-16. I think it came with Keith Courage Alpha Zones (or something like that) but I bought Legendary Axe for it. I only kept it for a weekend to try it out then returned it and got a Genesis to try out.

Ended up keeping the Genesis. Not that the TG16 was bad I just liked the SEGA lineup better. A friend had the TG16 though and he had some cool games for it. I also played/play the games online in recent years.

 

Does anyone remember what cables the original Atari console had going into the TV?
Was it RCA? I can't remember that far back lol.

 

It was RF. It was only RF. It is quite an old console. Not the oldest console, but definitely one of the older ones.

 

I had one of these thingies. I can only remember putting those thin metal U shaped things under a couple screws on the tv.

 

You know AtariMcAtariFace would win that competition. Letting the internet name things is a risky proposition.

 

I want a meme machine.
If they want my money...

 

I think the biggest selling point for me was that the console was less than $100 when I got it. And the games were like $5 to $10 a pop.

Anyone else got a pain in their thumbs looking at this and remembering how painful it was (literally painful) to get this in place?

Oh, and of course that metallic smell.

 

Oh... hell yes! Sigh... I actually kinda miss the smell old electronics made.

 

Get into welding, soldering, zyncing and forced oxidizing .

 

Growing up, we didn't have have a lot of money, we didn't get an Atari until much later than my friends did, and even then, it wasn't an "Atari" it was the sears knock off.

 

You guys brought back a forgotten memory with mention of the smell.
Poor side of the tracks here as well.
I believe I got mine second hand from a yard sale. My Mom bought the system which I spent the entire summer and nearly all fall working off - and I was able to buy 2-3 second hand games. Choplifter was one of them, and I remember Elevator Action as well. I can't remember the other, maybe Tanks?

Edit: Not Choplifter - Skydiver. Stupid failing long term memory banks!

 

1. Check how much that is in today's dollar.
2. Weep.
3.

Spoiler: ???? (Don't touch this if you want to keep a clean conscience.)

Vote for more debt.

4. Lack of profit.

 

I think the word you're looking for is "inflation". And inflation is actually a good thing when left at reasonable levels (about 2% per year). Inflation discourages economic stagnation and helps churn wealth and prevents an over abundance of "old money". That and the estate tax.

And the inflation caused by the bailout is way less damaging than a frozen market. Everyone likes to criticize the bailout, but no one has a solution. Just complaints.