New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[PlaysWithWolves]

What AA really needed was a fourth (fifth?) Ataribox thread.

 

But really, I still think if the Atariboxvcs campaign fails it'll be Atari's fault--not ours. Too pricey or specs too weak or that projected Spring 2019 release date.

[racerx]

I think it's great that the True Believers have their own thread.

 

As an arcade guy, the whole thing reminds me of the Heighway Pinball and other recent boutique pinball debacles. As a car guy it reminds me of the ongoing Elio foolishness.

 

In both cases, naysayers are always shouted down or ignored by the True Believers. "Don't be so negative." "You're just a hater." "Just wait and see, but get in on the preorder while you can!" They don't want to hear reason, they don't want to see red flags. They also won't tolerate "I told you so's" after the inevitable happens.

 

Best to let them have their own blind cheerleading thread. I'll be content to chuckle from over here.

[BiffsGamingVideos]

 

Glad I read your posts first... Because I usually feel like being a smartass!

 

that's social media disease. A lot of people have that.

[BiffsGamingVideos]

Shouldn't the word order be "The feeling you get when you've spent $200 on an invisible box and could've blown it on tacos"?

 

Sign "Not a native speaker of English"

 

Nobody likes the grammar or spelling police.

[PlaysWithWolves]

I think it's funny that Elio Motors is also creating its own crypto currency.

[racerx]

I think it's funny that Elio Motors is also creating its own crypto currency.

Seriously... head to the Elio FB page and read the comments of a random post. The similarities to the VCS are uncanny.

 

"Yes, it's been 5 years since I put my $1000 deposit down and you're still spinning your wheels but ignore the haters! I still believe!"

[toiletunes]

I'm glad the atariboxvcs people have a place to talk without cluttering up the shataco thread.

[godslabrat]

I think it's great that the True Believers have their own thread.

 

As an arcade guy, the whole thing reminds me of the Heighway Pinball and other recent boutique pinball debacles. As a car guy it reminds me of the ongoing Elio foolishness.

 

In both cases, naysayers are always shouted down or ignored by the True Believers. "Don't be so negative." "You're just a hater." "Just wait and see, but get in on the preorder while you can!" They don't want to hear reason, they don't want to see red flags. They also won't tolerate "I told you so's" after the inevitable happens.

 

Best to let them have their own blind cheerleading thread. I'll be content to chuckle from over here.

I seem to remember a guy who said all of a console's critics were "haters", and then later when everything crashed and burned, thanked those same haters for "opening his eyes".

 

Can't remember his name....

[Flojomojo]

Sounds like Gamester81 ... not sure if his eyes were truly opened, or maybe his YouTube viewership declined.

[Mockduck]

My intention isn't to provide a thread for just positivity, but rather to be a more informational thread instead of a backseat opinion thread. This thread more than adequately gives people a place to rant and insult; but hasn't been very good at providing an informational discussion. If no one wants to participate, it'll just fade away along with other threads that don't get participation.

 

Looks like I've got a couple of Internet enemies here. I like Flojomojo's Flashback Portable thread, and get a lot of use out of it.

[JBerel]

But really, I still think if the Atariboxvcs campaign fails it'll be Atari's fault--not ours. Too pricey or specs too weak or that projected Spring 2019 release date.

 

No, haven't you heard....It's always the fault of the crowd watching rather than the fool who walks (ever so slowly and avoidably) over the cliff.

Edited May 16, 2018 by JBerel

[bojay1997]

My intention isn't to provide a thread for just positivity, but rather to be a more informational thread instead of a backseat opinion thread. This thread more than adequately gives people a place to rant and insult; but hasn't been very good at providing an informational discussion. If no one wants to participate, it'll just fade away along with other threads that don't get participation.

 

Looks like I've got a couple of Internet enemies here. I like Flojomojo's Flashback Portable thread, and get a lot of use out of it.

I would argue that being open and honest about the very real and disturbing red flags associated with this project is informational and could very well prevent people from being scammed. All you appear to be doing is posting the same information that anyone can find doing a quick Google search without any sort of effort to provide context for that information. After the whole Coleco Chameleon debacle, I find it shocking that anyone would argue that we should keep an open mind to a project that has even less credibility IMHO, but I guess the rest of us can only do so much to help the few who are too naive and lack the critical thinking skills to understand what is about to happen.

[JBerel]

I think it's great that the True Believers have their own thread.

 

As an arcade guy, the whole thing reminds me of the Heighway Pinball and other recent boutique pinball debacles. As a car guy it reminds me of the ongoing Elio foolishness.

 

In both cases, naysayers are always shouted down or ignored by the True Believers. "Don't be so negative." "You're just a hater." "Just wait and see, but get in on the preorder while you can!" They don't want to hear reason, they don't want to see red flags. They also won't tolerate "I told you so's" after the inevitable happens.

 

Best to let them have their own blind cheerleading thread. I'll be content to chuckle from over here.

 

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

 

 

 

I am guessing those are NOSTALGIA GOGGLES he is wearing !

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16, 2018 by OldSchoolRetroGamer

[alexkeaton]

I think it's great that the True Believers have their own thread.

...naysayers are always shouted down or ignored by the True Believers. "Don't be so negative." "You're just a hater." "Just wait and see, but get in on the preorder while you can!" They don't want to hear reason, they don't want to see red flags. They also won't tolerate "I told you so's" after the inevitable happens.

 

Best to let them have their own blind cheerleading thread. I'll be content to chuckle from over here.

 

If human mankind only consisted of naysayers we would still live in caves with no clothes on and would die of simple flu's.

 

America was founded on adventurers Europeans who took their chances and against all odds they risked everything to start a new life. They were the people who were positive thinkers and true believers although the odds were against them.

[JBerel]

Or, a more rational explanation would be...America was founded by aggressive mutts from Europe who were kicked out or escaped their oppression to build their own societies free of the systems and cultures they lost confidence in. They were realists with sufficient thinking skills to survive the harsh conditions and hazards of invading a foreign land at the expense of the native inhabitants they were displacing.The blind optimists who settled the new world often disappeared completely, were swallowed by the forest, or set about burning or eating each other. It was the naysayer that wouldn't settle for the status quo that brought you the knife, ax, wheel and vaccinations. The optimist snowflakes would believe the cave was the best place ever and that germs are all natural and it was just the will of God that people died from the plague. You see, knowledge is a powerful thing when wielded properly.

[Flojomojo]

NOTMYVCS the Anti-FAQ and Alternative Information

 

A little while ago, I was interviewed by an imaginary friend who was interested in my thoughts about the “Atari VCS,” a potential future product from a limited liability holding company that uses the same name as the brand custodian that has the rights to the old Atari name from the 1970s. My friend was struck by the strong feelings, both positive and negative, that this idea was provoking in the middle-aged nerd community. We sat down at my favorite taquiera and drank a few cold Coronas. The following is a verbatim transcript of our conversation.

 

What’s the deal with this thing? It’s just another entertainment box. These things come and go (mostly go) all the time. Why waste time with it?

 

That’s exactly the point. If this item didn’t have the name that it has, if it were just “Shenzhou Android Box #5282,” it wouldn’t be garnering any attention at all. From the few details they’ve shared, it’s literally a low-to-medium spec PC in a box, except with a name attached to it that people used to like. They haven’t able to articulate why this would be of interest to anyone except to imply, “because Atari.” They talk about their rich heritage but literally none of the same people are still with the company.

So what? Lots of companies are like that. How many original Apple engineers are still with the company, for example?

That’s just it, the people with the rights to use that name have no standing – there isn’t a software, design, or engineering person on their miniscule (I mean, single digits) full time staff. This information is readily available on the internet, it’s a required disclosure since Atari SA is a publicly traded company.

There’s nothing wrong with being a small company, an upstart, an underdog, even coming back from multiple bankruptcies and sell-offs. But this isn’t Apple, this isn’t a place that is creating products or even executing on a coherent business plan. Their press releases are an ever-increasing parade of stunts, from partnering with a fitness company to make Atari Fit (now shuttered), to trying to pivot into a different kind of market with a Pride Parade game (now sold off), their Speaker Hat (a $99 trucker hat with Bluetooth speakers and an embroidered Atari logo) vague rumors about partnership with an Internet of Things company, and some truly incomprehensible stuff about blockchain and crypto currency. I get the sense they’re desperate to get some attention, maybe drive up their share price so they could be more attractive as an acquisition.

Sounds like you really hate this company.

 

No, not at all! Well, maybe the current incarnation of the company, because they do so many stupid things. Back in the early 1980s, they used to talk about “Atari politicians,” to signify a younger, more tech-savvy kind of policymaker. It used to be a cool place to work, to innovate, to create. That all ended in the very early 1980s, but there’s a whole generation of people like me who paid no attention to the politics and business of the day. We saw the silver labels with arcade ports, red labels while the thing was winding down, the computers and the Lynx. The Jaguar was a punchline to a cruel joke, but lots of us had fun with that, too. We want to like this company, and we wish they could bring us something relevant and interesting to us.

So why don’t you give them a chance? Wait and see? Give them a chance to wow us?

Are you serious? After all the cockups and own-goals “Atari” has demonstrated? They can’t commit to whether or not they’re crowdfunding, they won’t answer any questions, and they keep moving the goalposts. Their communications seem more geared around collecting email addresses than distributing information. Every time they say they’re going to say more, there’s been a delay. My favorite part was when they said “wait until April for the announcement for when we will open pre-orders” Then on April 30^th, just when we thought maybe they had put a fork in it, they announced that pre-orders would start a month later, on May 30^th. All they did in the meantime was show an old “lab video” of someone playing Atari 2600 Centipede on a big wide screen with what seemed like a wireless joystick. We can do that today, with a $50 AtGames Flashback!

I think anyone giving “equal time” to Atari, as if they’re a real player in the electronics space, hasn’t been paying attention. Furthermore, they’re giving this company a whole lot more credit than they’ve earned.

What’s the harm in that? It’s a free market, and people can vote with their wallets.

Sure, but have you taken a look at the Facebook pages and Twitter feeds for this product? There are people out there who sincerely wish the new “Atari” machine will play cartridges (it will almost certainly not), or Atari Jaguar games (if there were a good community emulator, sure, but there isn’t and it’s not coming from inside Atari SA). The project is going to ask for pre-payments of $200 and up on IndieGoGo, the sleaziest of the crowdfunding platforms, from people who think this is somehow a unique product because it features “Open Linux.”

Hey, maybe people will get a unique collectible out of this.

Ha, yeah, I suspect that’s a part of the calculation for some people. Also the “Tubers” – the cottage industry of ranting in front of a shelf full of games for the camera – have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this, especially if there’s some drama and feelings of betrayal. I’d really rather that didn’t happen. A few misguided people are making their own “informational” FAQs, Discord channels, subReddits, and so on. I think there’s a danger that some people will get the wrong idea about this project. It’s easy to write up all the “information” provided about this product so far, it’s laughably scant! I hope that no one will confuse Atari SA and its holding companies with companies that have the resources and talent to make a real game.

Why don’t you trust people to make their own decisions?

 

Have you seen the EuroGamer interview, “Everyone has a lot of questions for us” or The Register’s coverage of this thing, when they were shown an empty box as if they should have been impressed? If those news articles aren’t enough to convince people that “Atari” isn’t all there, I don’t know what it will take. Maybe those who lose money, $199 at a time not including controllers, will think differently after this episode is over.

Those who did not learn from the Coleco Chameleon are doomed to repeat it.

 

[godslabrat]

 

If human mankind only consisted of naysayers we would still live in caves with no clothes on and would die of simple flu's.

 

America was founded on adventurers Europeans who took their chances and against all odds they risked everything to start a new life. They were the people who were positive thinkers and true believers although the odds were against them.

Using the Tacobox analogy, it'd be like the people who settled America... but only after they had the English crowdfund it first. Also, they let other people build the roads and cities, but they totally want to run the place and collect the taxes when they're done.

 

Okay, that last part is kinda true...

[+x=usr(1536)]

There is a problem with the term 'hater': it's a blanket generalization, and it's one that makes it so very simple to overlook the nuances of why someone may not care for (or about) a particular <insert noun here>.

 

I'll openly admit that I don't hate the reanimated marketing exercise of a corpse that is Atari SA. But I certainly do have utter contempt for them, and that contempt is rooted in their actions. There is no hatred; to hate them would be pointless.

 

'Hater' is a term that only works for people who view others in and as stereotypes. Stereotype someone, and it's a lot easier to reject them, their values, and points of view out of hand. No reasoned argument or consideration of their perspective is necessary, because you just can't talk to 'their kind'.

Edited May 16, 2018 by x=usr(1536)

[RushJet1]

The Ataribox/VCS is pretty interesting. I'd love to see it succeed and have a legit "modern Atari console" actually competing with the PS4/Xbone/Switch but I doubt that's going to happen, given the reveal of some of the specs lately.

 

I have 2 major problems with this:

 

1) Why call it the Atari VCS? This is just confusing for people who are familiar with the old systems, and everyone else only knows the old system as the "2600" so the "VCS" label is lost on them....

 

2) I guess they got a really good deal on the AMD Bristol Ridge-based APUs since AMD probably wants to clear those out... but seriously, it would have been way better power-wise to go with one of the new Ryzen 2200/2400g chips. I mean they're targeting 300 dollars with this machine, so might as well go for performance that at least is in the same ballpark as the other systems. The Bristol Ridge chip will probably look weak compared to the Switch unless they seriously run it at high clocks....

[toiletunes]

Fool me once, RVGS.

Fool me twice, Ataribox.

[PlaysWithWolves]

The Ataribox/VCS is pretty interesting. I'd love to see it succeed and have a legit "modern Atari console" actually competing with the PS4/Xbone/Switch but I doubt that's going to happen, given the reveal of some of the specs lately.

 

I have 2 major problems with this:

 

1) Why call it the Atari VCS? This is just confusing for people who are familiar with the old systems, and everyone else only knows the old system as the "2600" so the "VCS" label is lost on them....

 

2) I guess they got a really good deal on the AMD Bristol Ridge-based APUs since AMD probably wants to clear those out... but seriously, it would have been way better power-wise to go with one of the new Ryzen 2200/2400g chips. I mean they're targeting 300 dollars with this machine, so might as well go for performance that at least is in the same ballpark as the other systems. The Bristol Ridge chip will probably look weak compared to the Switch unless they seriously run it at high clocks....

 

1) I believe they used some car analogy, like a Mustang. But they forget the year almost always precedes the make/model. They could've at least called it "Atari VCSII" or something.

2) They said they considered waiting to upgrade, though I'm not sure that's true anymore. I guess that could explain the Spring 2019 estimated shipping date, but it seems like wishful thinking.

[+frankodragon]

As far I know, there hardly hasn't been any information on the VCSBOX. No specs, no pictures of the inside of the console and a steep price for something nobody knows about. Plus we're back to the term "crowdfunding" which is such a dangerous word for any sort of system that a company, albeit a small one, that wants those to cough up 2/3 of its original price. It's the same "can't wait to play" on Twitter over and over again.

 

It's on the same track as the doomed Chameleon. I'm sorry to use such large, bold text for words but to get through to some people, that's the only way.

 

That's why we're negative on something that we're kept in the dark about.

 

For those who want to be positive about the whole thing, I'd suggest you stay in that other thread, and don't ever post again in this thread-EVER.

[+Nathan Strum]

1) I believe they used some car analogy, like a Mustang. But they forget the year almost always precedes the make/model. They could've at least called it "Atari VCSII" or something.

 

Except Ford has been making Mustangs in one form or another for 50+ years.

 

It's more like if Ford had stopped making Mustangs 30 years ago, then went out of business, then some con-artist bought the rights to the name Ford, then announced that this was going to be the next Mustang:

 

[racerx]

The Dale!

 

We're back to Elio Motors again.