Would the 7800 have been released if the nintendo/atari tie went ahead

[carmel_andrews]

After all, the 7800 would have been a direct competitor to the NES (or NAVS, Nintendo Advanced video system to give it it's original US name) and since Atari earnt a percentage of each NAVS/NES sold...would the 7800 have been a viable product to bring to market

 

Another option would have been to create a 7800 and 2600 mode in the NAVS/NES system and Atari to manufacture their own version (probably unless the 7800 moniker) and later release a 7800 without the NES/NAVS option...but there again, would nintendo have been happy with that move

 

Allow nintendo to release their system first in Japan/Asia and Atari in the Non Asian Markets

 

Mind you, that probably would have bumped up the base/RRP proce for the 7800, to about $180-190 making it the US's most expensive gaming system and probably would have bumped up the base/RRP price of the Atari version of the NAVS/NES

 

(RRP- Reccommended Retail Price)

Edited October 25, 2007 by carmel_andrews

[DracIsBack]

Who knows?

 

In the Atari 7800 panel that Curt held, the original 7800 development team suggested that Atari planned to hold up the NES in red tape and release the 7800 anyway.

 

Check out this site for the reunion:

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/cons...7800/7800-20th/

 

Definitely listen to this MP3 for all sorts of great 7800 history:

 

http://www.applefritter.com/mp3/vcf2004/atari.mp3

[Curt Vendel]

Based on the internal memo's and emails and the side by side spec's of the machines, the 7800 was a far more graphically capable system so it really looked like no matter what the 7800 would've been Atari's choice even if the Kassar lapse and lose of the NES deal hadn't of happened.

 

If it had been released in 1984 with all of the peripherals and the lineup of games, many of which were finally refreshing new games and not the same long in the tooth ports as Atari was getting lax in doing, the 7800 would've been the system to beat and may have staved off the NES introduction into the US and perhaps even the SMS as well.

 

The MARIA was a formidable processor and with an "enhanced audio" module (ala - a Pokey in a cart) to give the 7800 the much needed audio it lacked with just the TIA doing noise loops, the 7800 is a far better system then the NES both technically and IMHO.

 

 

Curt

[mos6507]

The 7800 was made to look a lot worse because the Tramiels chintzed out on it in every way. The NES was made to look better because they started using really HUGE roms and other special hardware in the carts.

[Bakasama]

I was wondering, what kind of peripherals did Atari plan of the 7800? I know there was keyboard, hi-score cart, and a trackball.

[8th lutz]

I was wondering, what kind of peripherals did Atari plan of the 7800? I know there was keyboard, hi-score cart, and a trackball.

Laser disc add-on was mentioned as a peripheral.

[DracIsBack]

The 7800 was made to look a lot worse because the Tramiels chintzed out on it in every way.

 

No kidding. They chinced everywhere ... especially in the beginning.

 

• No ads
  
• Black and white labels on many games
  
• 2-color manuals, almost never with screen shots
  
• Hardly any review copies sent out
  
• Tiny little games on tiny little cartridges
  
• Low-rent dev houses in many cases
  
• Hardly any additions to the cartridge - ie. almost no sound chips, arguing over ROM and RAM, no batteries
  
• Reused licenses over and over
  

[Curt Vendel]

This'll give you a good run down on what was planned for the 7800:

 

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/cons.../7800/7800menu/

 

Computer add-on

modem cart

16k memory expander

Laserdisc interface on the original 7800's

High Score module

7800 AtariLab

 

Also, the 7800 brought to the home several never before seen games:

 

Pole Position II and Galaga to name a two...

 

 

Desert Falcon was an entirely new game

 

Also the 7800 versions of Asteroids and Centipede introduced head to head competition gameplay into those games, expanding their interaction with gamers which is important to note.

 

When you look at the initial 10 games and the pure quality of the titles and think - wow if that had continued and we saw Rescue on Fractalus, Millipede, Crystal Castles, Tempest and others brought to the 7800, man we are talking about one very serious line up of superior games for a truly superior console.

 

The 7800 was short changed and this is why I'm thankful to coders like Pacmanplus who've take sources I've supplied to them and have been developing games like Pac Man, Asteroids Deluxe and Space Duel. Ken Siders with his Q*Bert game is just amazing.

 

I'm looking for someone to step up to the plate and take the Centipede sources I have to make Millipede. The 7800 system can do some incredible games, if people would be willing to branch out and move outside of the key focus of all of the 2600 coding going on and put a little more bandwidth into the 7800 platform as well.

 

 

 

Curt

 

 

 

 

I was wondering, what kind of peripherals did Atari plan of the 7800? I know there was keyboard, hi-score cart, and a trackball.

[Bakasama]

Computer add-on

modem cart

16k memory expander

Laserdisc interface on the original 7800's

High Score module

7800 AtariLab

 

Interesting, tho I think stuff like the Laserdisc interface will never get made because it was part of the laserdisc fad back in the 80's. 16k memory expander sounds nice but there isn't a game large enough to need it. What is 7800 AtariLab?

 

When you look at the initial 10 games and the pure quality of the titles and think - wow if that had continued and we saw Rescue on Fractalus, Millipede, Crystal Castles, Tempest and others brought to the 7800, man we are talking about one very serious line up of superior games for a truly superior console.

 

The 7800 was short changed and this is why I'm thankful to coders like Pacmanplus who've take sources I've supplied to them and have been developing games like Pac Man, Asteroids Deluxe and Space Duel. Ken Siders with his Q*Bert game is just amazing.

 

Yeah I do notice that the earlier 7800 games seem be more "polished" to the later games like, Karateka. I do think it could do a great version for Gremlins or Frenzy.

 

I know this may sound rather odd but is it possible to make a 7800 game that uses paddles?

Edited October 30, 2007 by Bakasama

[nathanallan]

I know this may sound rather odd but is it possible to make a 7800 game that uses paddles?

That occurred to me the other day, too. In my mind it was more like a dual control, a joystick for movement and paddles for aiming along an axis. Thinking side scrolling space shooter where the stick controls the ship and the paddle controls the aiming of the laser canons (or phasers, or blasters, or ion canons if you like). I've been playing Moon Patrol, I guess that had something to do with it. I thought, it would be neat if there was one rotating cannon, and a turbo "go" button, or to make the buggy jump.

 

I wish I was more of a coder So far all I have are concepts.