Regarding the reinvention of Atari. Let's face it, it wouldn't be the same. If Atari released a modern game system, it would be your typical 3D graphics crunching box with the whole line of fighting games. Truthfully, I loathe modern games. Way too violent, and way to flippin' complex. In the early 80's we were happy with a joystick with 1 or 2 buttons. Now in order to play a game you have to study a schematic of 16 buttons, knobs and switches to find out which combination of buttion pushing gives you secret karma powers.
On that note.. Has anybody stepped into an arcade lately? The ones by me are now dominated by kiddie gambling games (the kind that suck up quarters and spit out tickets providing something along the line of casino type "try your luck" games), the usual arrangement of Virtua Mortal Dawn of the Bass Fishing Kombat video games, and the occasional pinball machine. A lot of the arcade manufacturers are kaput too.
If Atari did re-release some form of the 2600 like has been suggested in other discussions. I think it would be greeted warmly by some, especially collectors. But would probably find it's way to a home on the shelf at Radio Shack next to the RC cars. If Atari were to seriously commit themselves to a 2600 project, they would not only need to release the system, but also rerelease the entire library of cartridges (or at least a decent selection of them). We here at Atariage know where to dig up cartridges out of the woodwork. But for someone new to the "new 2600" they would have to tap into a fresh source of games. Probably from the retail store that they picked up the unit from.
The only thing Atari wouldn't have to do is manufacture more ET carts. There is enough of them out there.
Stepping off soapbox,
Blit