Do you think anyone will bootleg the Flashback 2's "2600OAC" architecture?

[XCALBR8]

Hello everyone,

I'm pretty new here so I thought I'd introduce myself. I've browsed the site for years, but just never joined the forums until recently. Seems like a great forum so far, and I'll admit my love for the 2600, 5200, 7800, and Flashback 2 brought me here.

 

So we've all been seeing a big amount of 3rd Party NES/SNES (famiclones) systems come out in the last couple years. Do you think that any 3rd party companies will try to bootleg the "2600 on a Chip" architecture to make their own modern Atari 2600 cartridge compatible clones without any included games? Now I've seen a lot of older foreign 2600 clones, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a few un-official 2600 clones come out in years to come. I know that Atari still holds the renewed patent of the FB2 but that hasn't stopped companies before. I live in the US but I could see something like this especially coming out for PAL format since they never got the Flashback 2. OK, enough rambling.

 

P.S. - I'd never buy an unofficial system, that's why Atari was cool enough to make the Flashback 2 hackable. I just haven't got around to it yet. I also still have a 4-switch wood grain, 4 switch Vader, and a 2600 Jr. that still work great.

[MCHufnagel]

Hello everyone,

I'm pretty new here so I thought I'd introduce myself. I've browsed the site for years, but just never joined the forums until recently. Seems like a great forum so far, and I'll admit my love for the 2600, 5200, 7800, and Flashback 2 brought me here.

 

So we've all been seeing a big amount of 3rd Party NES/SNES (famiclones) systems come out in the last couple years. Do you think that any 3rd party companies will try to bootleg the "2600 on a Chip" architecture to make their own modern Atari 2600 cartridge compatible clones without any included games? Now I've seen a lot of older foreign 2600 clones, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a few un-official 2600 clones come out in years to come. I know that Atari still holds the renewed patent of the FB2 but that hasn't stopped companies before. I live in the US but I could see something like this especially coming out for PAL format since they never got the Flashback 2. OK, enough rambling.

 

P.S. - I'd never buy an unofficial system, that's why Atari was cool enough to make the Flashback 2 hackable. I just haven't got around to it yet. I also still have a 4-switch wood grain, 4 switch Vader, and a 2600 Jr. that still work great.

 

The reason why there are so many NES clones out there is because there is a large demand for them (especially in Asia). I really doubt that there is that big of a demand for 2600 clones.

[mos6507]

They don't have to steal the FB2 implementation. The TIA schematics are openly circulated and there are cores available for such things as the 6502. A company was working on this sort of thing even before the FB2 came out but it ran into some difficulties along the way. So it could be done and for all we know it may still be done one day, although the odds may be diminishing as time goes on.

Edited August 13, 2007 by mos6507

[XCALBR8]

They don't have to steal the FB2 implementation. The TIA schematics are openly circulated and there are cores available for such things as the 6502. A company was working on this sort of thing even before the FB2 came out but it ran into some difficulties along the way. So it could be done and for all we know it may still be done one day, although the odds may be diminishing as time goes on.

Yeah, I was thinking the TIA schematics were open to the public I just didn't know for sure. I was really excited about putting a cart slot on my flashback 2 but I just have so many actual 2600 systems it doesn't seem worth it for me yet. If there ever was a full functioning 2600 clone (with original 6 or 4 switch design) with composite RCA video out I would be tempted to pick one up. It would have to be completely compatible with all the games though.

Edited August 13, 2007 by XCALBR8

[Fort Apocalypse]

They don't have to steal the FB2 implementation. The TIA schematics are openly circulated and there are cores available for such things as the 6502. A company was working on this sort of thing even before the FB2 came out but it ran into some difficulties along the way. So it could be done and for all we know it may still be done one day, although the odds may be diminishing as time goes on.

Yeah, I was thinking the TIA schematics were open to the public I just didn't know for sure. I was really excited about putting a cart slot on my flashback 2 but I just have so many actual 2600 systems it doesn't seem worth it for me yet. If there ever was a full functioning 2600 clone (with original 6 or 4 switch design) with composite RCA video out I would be tempted to pick one up. It would have to be completely compatible with all the games though.

 

Even better than that you can get the real thing. I know Longhorn Engineer sells A/V mods for the original 2600s and revamps them: see this post

[policelimit]

The reason why there are so many NES clones out there is because there is a large demand for them (especially in Asia). I really doubt that there is that big of a demand for 2600 clones.

 

That's what makes the FB2 so cool. The architecture is already open. There's really no need to clone it. Although if someone did clone the FB2 and started selling them that would be pretty cool. Atari sure isn't making any new ones.

[+MattelAquarius]

The reason why there are so many NES clones out there is because there is a large demand for them (especially in Asia). I really doubt that there is that big of a demand for 2600 clones.

 

 

 

Not to mention there are several ubiquitous chains of 2nd hand stores selling thousands of used NES/SNES carts (among other systems).

 

It's like going in to a candy store, over here.