New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[Flojomojo]

Actually, there is one- but you need 12,000 'Likes' to access it. So close, and yet so far away...

 

Ha! At last, I have earned the key to the Atari Age Executive Washroom. So long, Stinktown!!

 

"You waste so much time talking about this stupid non-existent console," they said.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping, or exercising?" they said.

"It's an obvious fraud, you know," they said.

"Posting stock charts is dumb," they said.

"Please close this discussion of taco!" they said.

 

WELL WHO'S LAUGHING NOW, BITCHES

 

[Flojomojo]

I do think this has done much better than expected.

 

Done what? Take people's money?

[Nebulon]

After reading through this, I have to say... it actually looks like this could be pretty darned good:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atari-vcs-game-stream-connect-like-never-before-computers-pc#/

 

The industry's in a bit of a rut right now, so maybe this will inject some life into it and further push the indie game market.

[+frankodragon]

Let's figure if the AtacoboxVCS costs the same as it does to make a Nintendo Switch, which is around $260, and according to one post, 8940 backers, that's around $2,324,400 just to make the consoles. So if they're pushing 3 million, they're going to need much, much more with the marketing, advertising, electricity, alcohol, artists, more alcohol, maybe tacos, and PR consultants. And still that's just the tip of the iceberg.

[Flojomojo]

After reading through this, I have to say... it actually looks like this could be pretty darned good:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atari-vcs-game-stream-connect-like-never-before-computers-pc#/

 

The industry's in a bit of a rut right now, so maybe this will inject some life into it and further push the indie game market.

You're a reasonable, intelligent person so I have to ask: are you high? Joking? Would you like to go back and read their pitch again? You know you posted the link to the Ataribox Indiegogo campaign, right?

 

What exactly did you read in there that makes you think it will inject anything into anything else? It brings zero innovation (seriously! It's a Linux computer) zero software (other than Atari Vault, which we already have, and Tempest 4000, which drops in less than two weeks), zero value (wait a year for a headless laptop with last year's SOC?) and zero motivation for anyone to develop for it (it's "big success" day sold 7000 units for $2M, which is a a third of what Clash of Clans takes in a single day of revenue in virtual goods).

 

Not trying to pick a fight with you, but it doesn't seem like you've thought this through.

[Flojomojo]

Let's figure if the AtacoboxVCS costs the same as it does to make a Nintendo Switch, which is around $260, and according to one post, 8940 backers, that's around $2,324,400 just to make the consoles. So if they're pushing 3 million, they're going to need much, much more with the marketing, advertising, electricity, alcohol, artists, more alcohol, maybe tacos, and PR consultants. And still that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I don't think this will be nearly as costly as the Switch, which includes controllers full of sensors, a thin touchscreen tablet, miniaturized everything, a dock, extra bits ....

 

Ataribox as shown doesn't even ship standard with a controller.

 

Depending on how costly their oh-so-attractive case turns out to be in real life, I would guess the guts of the A-Box would be like this kind of motherboard/processor combo in the neighborhood of $70-100, especially if they work a quantity deal with their manufacturers. Specs are going to matter on this, and the first thing everyone's going to do is run benchmarks and high-spec games on it. This thing is such a generic crapbox it really needs to be an awesome value to get anyone other than the brand whores.

 

Switch was different because we wanted Mario and Zelda (and to a lesser extent, Doom and Bayonetta and Streetfighter, etc) ... specs didn't matter because you couldn't get the software anywhere else. Oh, and you didn't have to "pre-order" it a year in advance as if it were a Tesla.

[Nebulon]

I hope this exceeding expectations crowfunding will make Atari to reconsider (provided they have enough capital) the console's specs hardware-wise and deliver a more powerful product, but most importantly, provide a decent game library with titles from the past but also new exclusives. Well done Atari

Even if they don't beef up the specs, I don't think it'll be a problem in the context of this system. It's more about gameplay and the philosophy of what Atari means to people than it is about being the top polygon-pusher out there. Again, consider what Nintendo's done with relatively low-powered consoles and handhelds.

 

Personally, my intent on eventually getting one of these machines won't be to play the next Call of Duty on it. It'll be games like Tempest 4000, and simple indie titles that'll keep me interested.

[Flojomojo]

Again, consider what Nintendo's done with relatively low-powered consoles and handhelds.

Cultivated internal studios who have spent the last 3 decades developing highly polished, accessible games, usually crafted with their in-house hardware in mind, featuring family friendly franchise characters that are better known than Mickey Mouse? Lost their leverage over third parties who would rather do business with the more powerful and popular mainstream hardware platforms?

 

Dude, Nintendo succeeds despite running underpowered toy hardware, not because of it. It's their software that sells them.

 

This Ataribox brings nothing more to the table than my $100 netbook running Linux Mint and a raft of emulators and public domain games (mmm, UQM).

 

I like indie titles too. The Switch is AWEsome for that, like the Vita before it ... just as the PS4 and PC are today. Ataribox is just a PC with a bunch of dumb limitations on it.

[Nebulon]

We keep making the comparison because while it was a less powerful device, the business model was essentially the same. It was a crowdfunded console that used mostly existing components and relied on a proprietary online store as a means of selling software despite the fact that the device could be easily used to play existing content that Ouya did not control and from which Ouya received no revenue share. The fact the Ouya had an instant install base of almost 70K units and another 130K or so after crowdfunding was not enough to keep the company from folding. The Ouya case study is one that the fanboys should keep in mind when they get excited about the dollar tally and the backer numbers.

I think the main problem with the Ouya is that the controls were sloppy and the games (based on what I tried) sucked.

[MrBeefy]

 

Done what? Take people's money?

I know it hasn't followed through but the crowdfunding part has yes been a success.

 

As much as you all don't like the 'troll' many were acting like no one wanted to fund this and honestly it seems like the bar for whether or not its successful keeps changing. Now its oh they take money as opposed to 'no one wanting it'.

 

I am not a huge fan of the project but I would like to see it succeed both funding and production wise. And no I didn't back it nor will I most likely.

[Nebulon]

 

 

 

Where else is it going to be sold? if they only have 10k consoles pre-sold then they are going to have a very difficult time attracting developers to develop games for the system. Without having high end content, there isn't going to be a demand for the system from the average player. If there isn't content and demand, no store is going to offer up limited shelf space. Also they are going to have a next to impossible task of explaining why someone should buy this over an X-Box One S, which has 4k playback and a Blu Ray player built in to go along with a mountain of content from 3 generations of systems, and oh yeah, is cheaper.

 

Long story short, there is no clear path to this console becoming viable and having a thriving marketplace.

Unless this campaign is to prove that there is interest so that they can present that to major retailers...

[+x=usr(1536)]

This last Christmas, my wife's big present was a Nintendo Switch. It was purchased on Amazon, complete and with a couple of nice-but-nonessential bits of hardware tossed in, for $249.

 

That Ataribox is intended to retail for $299 in 2019, almost two years after I bought the Switch. By that time, the Switch will probably be a $179-or-less console.

 

One has the backing of a major game company behind it; the other has a bunch of people trying to cash in on IP that hasn't meant anything to most of the world for nearly a quarter-century.

 

Do we really need to keep demonstrating why That Ataribox is a half-baked joke? Seriously... There's only so many times that Chesnais & Co. can keep the corpse of Atari shambling along, and they exceeded that number a long, long time ago.

[Nebulon]

 

You're a reasonable, intelligent person so I have to ask: are you high? Joking? Would you like to go back and read their pitch again? You know you posted the link to the Ataribox Indiegogo campaign, right?

 

What exactly did you read in there that makes you think it will inject anything into anything else? It brings zero innovation (seriously! It's a Linux computer) zero software (other than Atari Vault, which we already have, and Tempest 2000, which drops in less than two weeks), zero value (wait a year for a headless laptop with last year's SOC?) and zero motivation for anyone to develop for it (it's "big success" day sold 7000 units, which is a a third of what Clash of Clans takes in a single day of revenue).

 

Not trying to pick a fight with you, but it doesn't seem like you've thought this through.

 

Well, there is a chance that I could be a bit delusional.

 

You see, I have this hope that maybe -- just maybe -- the indie games that are developed for this system will take on some of the character of the old-school Atari games that we love so much. I guess it's sort of a platform culture thing. And yes, I realize that Sony and M$ have a pretty strong indie dev presence (especially Sony). However, I feel that a lot of new game development gets too wrapped up in flashy graphics and fail to spend enough time on refining gameplay.

 

I suppose I'm looking for new and emerging developers to take the open sandbox approach really seriously this time and actually crank out a sh*t-ton of good content (including stuff that makes good use of that simple retro-Atari joystick).

 

And I'm also coming at this from the angle that (I hope) their plan is to make effective use of retailers after it launches.

 

Oh, and I was dazzled by the retro interface for their game-selection screen (M$ could learn a few things from that). Sorry, I'm still pissed about those stupid XB360 bubble-headed avatars. Yes, old grudges die slowly.

 

Anyway, I admit that this whole thing could just end up fizzling out. But I'm actually kind of enjoying the retro wave.

 

Like many of you, I don't need one of these. I've secured pretty much all the retro content I'll ever need and I have many different systems and interfaces to play them on. But the rest of the world (by that I mean the less tech-savvy people out there) are looking for a way in to the 'scene' that we're already steeped in. If they want to throw their money at the new Atari console as a way to get there, then why not let them.

 

In conclusion, I'm not convinced that this will be a success. However, I am hopeful. That and I'm much too lazy to put together my own Linux box.

[Osgeld]

ya see

 

the indy community before it was "indy" has been making remakes of the same old crap for decades now

 

does anyone give a crap about the mac os 6 version of kaboom? why would I care about a 2019 version of it now, 99% of the original vcs library is a (learn to write a game in under 30 min) tutorial for game development nowdays

Edited June 3, 2018 by Osgeld

[+x=usr(1536)]

ya see

 

the indy community before it was "indy" has been making remakes of the same old crap for decades now

 

does anyone give a crap about the mac os 6 version of kaboom? why would I care about a 2019 version of it now, 99% of the original vcs library is a (learn to write a game in under 30 min) tutorial for game development nowdays

 

It's all so much more independent now that Atari SA really, really wants to make hardware!

[Nebulon]

ya see

 

the indy community before it was "indy" has been making remakes of the same old crap for decades now

 

does anyone give a crap about the mac os 6 version of kaboom? why would I care about a 2019 version of it now, 99% of the original vcs library is a (learn to write a game in under 30 min) tutorial for game development nowdays

And that's one thing that actually scares the crap out of me.

 

I'm tired of seeing garbage versions of classic games (whether it be on phones of on modern consoles). Yes I hope these will be better, but so far history has shown that modern programmers don't seem to have the rigor required to play-test the crap out of relatively simple games like they did back in the day.

 

I suppose it depends on how serious the entity that today calls itself 'Atari' is about reviewing and providing feedback to developers.

[AtariNerd]

If they had done their due diligence and shown their commitment to making this work, by showing that they were willing to take on some risk up-front, by investing in and demonstrating that they had a working hardware development kit, with a hands-on at an electronics expo or to an interviewer on a popular podcast, fielding questions , and claiming that they just needed an infusion of cash from folks to ramp up production, I think they might have more of us willing to take them at face-value, even if their place in the market were doubtful. As far as we know, they haven't done very much of the basic work needed, apart from some design-work (and I do like that controller!) and are shifting any and all risk to anyone willing to buy into their promises, while they reap any potential benefit. That's what sours people. If they indeed actually had any sugar-daddy investors, as they claim, willing to front the cash, they might even have had a little something more to show, like a low-budget game in-development, for example or even a confirmable port possible, all for about what their initial asking pledge amount was for on IGG. But what they were asking for on IG wouldn't be enough to do that and produce the actual hardware en-masse, much less hire needed extra developers after-wards. It's all pretty dubious.

 

If they had done that, they might have been up to a few million by now and be building more enthusiasm, with even some of us skeptics more curious / sympathetic about how it might end, even if we know it wouldn't be sustainable. A couple of hardware bumps, like to 8GB of RAM as a "stretch-goal" and they might have kept their momentum towards several million, that while not a sure bet, might have kept them afloat for awhile. As-is, they may reach 3-3.5M and things will eventually peter out within a couple of years, with not a whole lot to show.

Edited June 3, 2018 by Standard User

[RainbowCemetery]

there's lots of great retro styled indie games made by really passionate devs, there just isn't any good way to find them unless they get popular through some fluke. i too dreamed of a console for nerds who like their chunky pixels and chiptune music. with a low enough price maybe the atari name alone would've been what it took to finally have a bit of hardware to rally around, the actual specs would barely matter.

 

but instead they went with. hey lets make something that costs as much as a laptop, is less functional than a laptop, and sell it to people who already have laptops.

[alexkeaton]

By that time, the Switch will probably be a $179-or-less console.

 

After 20 years you still didnt understood the economy politics of Nintendo.

Averybody here is complaining about the high price of the new Atari VCS but Nintendo has a long history of selling their product to very high prices and with no remarkable deduction of prices at all.

Their Nintendo DS Consoles have the same price like years and years and years ago.

They sell additional parts to their systems in really high prices for the last 20 years now. They are milking the people with that.

The Switch didnt have a decent controller to play with which they sold seperately and the DS doesnt even have a charger. I am not even talking about the new labo where a few cardboards have prices beyond rationality.

Nintendo products dont go down in prices, not even the Games prices go down.

[alexkeaton]

Ataribox as shown doesn't even ship standard with a controller.

 

This is even a good move by them.

In difference to the Consoles of other companies like Sony or Microsoft, you can play with every controller on the Atari VCS.

You cant do that with the other systems. Try to play with an Xbox Controller on your Playstation or whatever.

 

The new Atari is of course an additional Console to have at home to the existing other major Consoles.

So everybody has already a controller and often several controllers at home.

So when buying the VCS, the customer doesnt have to pay for a controller which they already have but if they want to they can optionally by one.

[Jim Pez]

Even if they don't beef up the specs, I don't think it'll be a problem in the context of this system. It's more about gameplay and the philosophy of what Atari means to people than it is about being the top polygon-pusher out there. Again, consider what Nintendo's done with relatively low-powered consoles and handhelds.

 

Personally, my intent on eventually getting one of these machines won't be to play the next Call of Duty on it. It'll be games like Tempest 4000, and simple indie titles that'll keep me interested.

Tempest 4000 is being released on Xbox one and ps4.

Edited June 3, 2018 by jim1174

[Jim Pez]

This is even a good move by them.

In difference to the Consoles of other companies like Sony or Microsoft, you can play with every controller on the Atari VCS.

You cant do that with the other systems. Try to play with an Xbox Controller on your Playstation or whatever.

 

The new Atari is of course an additional Console to have at home to the existing other major Consoles.

So everybody has already a controller and often several controllers at home.

So when buying the VCS, the customer doesnt have to pay for a controller which they already have but if they want to they can optionally by one.

I thought the vcs has wireless controllers ? Most people have wired controllers.

[AtariNerd]

Reading the discussions on the campaign comment page, I see that a lot of people have a Pollyannish hope and faith in the brand, as they remember the old days. They aren't familiar with, don't remember of choose not to, the chain of ownership, mismanagement, recent fiascos and investment schemes gone sour, all done under that name. Some of these are now parents who want that simple time of their life back in their free-time, outside of their daily racket. I also see comments about an E.T. 2 , but wonder if those are more tongue-in-cheek and a bit of a wink and nudge to history.

 

I just seriously hope "Atari" can just give a taste of that to them, I really do. If not, the brand may never recover, even if it were to transfer to new ownership, with the best intentions, later. Invoking the Atari VCS name, the heart of what made "Atari" , Atari to much of a generation, might work for promotion, but it might be the death-stroke to any remaining good will that remains, if they fail. The IP is so diluted, now , as is...mercy, If it gets sold off again, piece-meal, any assets will be so scattered and squatted on, that it... oh, screw it - sell it to the community and we will release any remaining IP and build a memorial / museum.

 

I gave up believing Atari would make a come-back as it was after the Jaguar collapsed, even though I had some vague inkling/hope, that possibly in the future, the name might be acquired in good faith and revived by some enthusiasts. That unfortunately didn't happen. :/

[PlaysWithWolves]

1690 Woody sets

318 Onyx earlybird

637 Onyx early set

1 Onyx full price [REMOVED?]

1 Onyx full price set [REMOVED?]

91 Onyx all in set

2993 Woody all in set

1409 Special Perk

7138 total console kits (9242 total backers)

 

Backerkit tracking link.
An official explanation on Backerkit's prediction and trending models.

 

 

BTW latest tally of systems only (count the controllers yourself if you care -- click on "back it" to get the current tally)

 

1549 Woody sets

244 Onyx earlybird

566 Onyx early set

1 Onyx full price

1 Onyx full price set

149 Onyx all in set

2594 Woody all in set

5104 total

 

edit: and maybe another 1400 "hidden perks?" Should they be included or counted separately?

[+frankodragon]

You wouldn't buy a used car without checking under the hood, right? So how come Atari SA isn't showing what their motherboard is like? Surely there would be some board inside like this:

 

 

 

If I was one of those "backers" I'd want to see the actual guts that's making it work. But instead, there are no pics of anything like that. Just like a taco. I want to see what ingredients are in it before I eat into it.