New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[BiffsGamingVideos]

A pretty interesting document has been posted on the official Atari Corporate site last Friday. It's their yearly annual report and it's about 130 (!) pages long. It's certainly an advantage to understand French; on the other hand, Google Translate does a relatively good job nowadays.

 

Check it out yourself (see link below).

 

Remember when I mentioned that videogame-industry analysts are talking about 'Pay per play'? There's a hint about such a concept in that document.

 

Oh, and the following is certainly interesting to get translated into English (this section talks about contracts that current Atari SA is holding):

 

CONTRATS AVEC LES FABRICANTS DE CONSOLES

Des contrats entre la Société et/ou ses filiales et les fabricants de consoles (Sony Computer

Entertainment et Microsoft) régissent le fonctionnement de la relation entre les parties. Ces

contrats autorisent la Société à utiliser la technologie de ces fabricants de consoles aux fins de

développer et d'exploiter des produits compatibles avec leurs consoles respectives. Ces contrats

couvrent notamment, de façon détaillée, l'utilisation des kits de développement, le processus

d'autorisation d'éditer, les redevances de l'éditeur au fabricant, la durée de la relation, les

territoires concernés, les coûts de fabrication ainsi que la logistique afférente, les conditions de

paiement et les obligations de confidentialité auxquelles sont tenues les parties.

 

Here's the link; get hold of your French dictionaries : http://www.atari-investisseurs.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ATARI-DDR-2017-VDEF-2017-08-03.pdf

 

CONTRACTS WITH CONSOLES MANUFACTURERS Contracts between the Company and / or its subsidiaries and the manufacturers of consoles (Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft) govern the functioning of the relationship between the parties. These Permit the Corporation to use the technology of these console manufacturers for the purpose of Develop and operate products compatible with their respective consoles. These contracts Include, in particular, the use of development kits, the Authorization to publish, royalties from the publisher to the manufacturer, the duration of the relationship, The cost of manufacture and the related logistics, the conditions of Payment obligations and the confidentiality obligations of the parties.

 

 

​Sothis just sounds like Atari becoming a developer for Sony and Microsoft. So maybe Atari wants to release games on those systems kind of like the old Atarisoft.

Edited August 7, 2017 by BiffsGamingVideos

[Flojomojo]

This sounds EXACTLY as they said it was: a PC based system. If a game is designed in Unity3d, then it can be exported to sony, miscrosoft and Nintendo systems. So yeah, it sounds like a PC based system. Makes sense as the SDK would be easy to make and incorporate. This was every developer can export their games to Ataribox. They'd have tons of games.

Yes, you can export a Unity game to just about any hardware target. Seems to me that's argument /against/ making proprietary Atari-branded hardware, since you could play the software on anything else.

[Bill Loguidice]

I don't know, that reads to me like they're continuing to publish games for PS4 and Xbox One. No surprise there. Switch is on the table too. I really think the Ataribox initiative is its own thing.

[MrMaddog]

My only question is as follows: If the Ataribox is released, will it get it's own tab on Atari Age next to the Jaguar?

 

 

My response is as follows: Of course not. It's just an emulator.

 

That didn't stop Atari Flashbacks from being put in the Dedicated Systems section along with the Pong consoles...

 

Honestly, I still don't know how to classify Ataribox...it's either a microconsole or a gaming PC for causal players?

[Swami]

Some kind of Steam-type box, except with PS, XBox and Nintendo channels? Maybe playing phone apps on the TV? Plus the BluRay? An entertainment focused computer. A gaming computer that only does entertainment and maybe streaming. No Word or Excel or Firefox. Maybe just an entertainment app store PC with some exclusive contracts, which will vaporize after a few years. Something inexpensive with an OS optimized to keep background program interference to a minimum.

.

.

.Either that or a SuperVectrex, like the old asteroids and Gravitar games. May also be SkyNet.

[PlaysWithWolves]

Dadgum, I've been watching the wrong Ataribox thread.

 

I don't know, that reads to me like they're continuing to publish games for PS4 and Xbox One. No surprise there. Switch is on the table too. I really think the Ataribox initiative is its own thing.

Today's Tempest announcement seems to fit in there nicely--along with other software titles, I'm sure.

Old Atari would have made it exclusive to sell more consoles. Different times ...

 

 

 

One of my sister's friends was really into it, though. Showing off his cool games and set-ups. They viewed this guy as a 'nerd', saying once that he was "kind of weird....Star Trek stuff in the basement....pots and pans covered in aluminum foil....etc..", heh.
Apparently this guy went on to a passion-based career and is doing well for himself, always great to hear.....

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The webseries Star Trek: New Voyages as Kirk. Awesome set. Even got former ST:TOS alum like Koenig, Takai, and Grace Lee Whitney (Ensign Rand). D.C. Fontana and a couple of other Star Trek writers each penned an episode. It's all hit-or-miss, as I recall, but the passion shown through.

 

 

This brings a solitary tear to my eye. *sniff*

Or as Puddles Pity Party would say: #onions

[Zonie]

Probably a $50 Sony Blueray-netflix-amazon-youtube player with a game channel or two and the same shitty software for $400.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Zonie

[Lord Thag]

Well, if it's basically a Roku or FireTV that plays custom Jeff Minter games instead of crappy phone ports of android games...and it's reasonably priced... I'll buy it.

[Flojomojo]

Reminder: we don't know ANYTHING of substance about this thing, and they're crowdfunding it, so there's a chance it won't even happen.

[TheVgaTv]

Reminder: we don't know ANYTHING of substance about this thing, and they're crowdfunding it, so there's a chance it won't even happen.

 

 

At this point I'm starting to think the website was just a way to collect email addresses

[+GoldLeader]

It is fun to speculate,

 

But yeah, being an unknown and crowdfunded at that...

 

It's like a big question mark wrapped in negativity for the moment...

 

I hope something good, and fun, and interesting comes from all of this...

[+davidcalgary29]

Atari has already achieved its goal with the Ataribox, as the announcement has generated millions in viral, free advertising with internet buzz and excited word-of-mouth that the company could have never afforded to buy on its own. This thread alone is over 40 pages long! It's genius marketing, and an interesting change of strategy from Atari Corp., which offered great tech...that no one knew about because of dismal marketing. It's a win-win for a company seeking to stake its fortune in branding irrespective of its ability to actually deliver a competitive product. Atari's been pretty clear that Ataribox--whatever it is --is just a piece in its overall plan to sell itself as Nostalgia, Inc.

[leech]

I just find it funny that there are a bunch of "AtariBox will FAIL" and "AtariBox will SUCCEED!" all over youtube. Though I can't stress this enough, when people title their videos 'OFFICIAL!' and it's just some random dude spouting off crap, it makes me want to slay them. Shouldn't there be some sort of 'this is not official, you are a jerk and you should be sued' clause? Or even better, some sort of youtube filter that will look for OFFICIAL in the title, and it it doesn't have the company's name somewhere in the user string, then make ti so I don't see it...

[+davidcalgary29]

I'm sure Atari loves it all.

[+GoldLeader]

I just find it funny that there are a bunch of "AtariBox will FAIL" and "AtariBox will SUCCEED!" all over youtube. Though I can't stress this enough, when people title their videos 'OFFICIAL!' and it's just some random dude spouting off crap, it makes me want to slay them. Shouldn't there be some sort of 'this is not official, you are a jerk and you should be sued' clause? Or even better, some sort of youtube filter that will look for OFFICIAL in the title, and it it doesn't have the company's name somewhere in the user string, then make ti so I don't see it...

 

I like the way you think to be sure,...But isn't YouTube still kind of the Wild West? I don't think they're there yet...And of course they may never be.

 

My Official opinion is that it will succeed, or fail, or maybe fall somewhere in between.

 

I'm sure Atari loves it all.

 

Maybe. But that assumes they love the old mantra "Any Press is Good Press". These days I'm not so sure. Ask O.J. Simpson, Tiger Woods, and Mel Gibson if they still believe that. I think if they release a crap system it will all be for nought...All smoke and no fury...But, for the record I hope they succeed!

[TheVgaTv]

Atari has already achieved its goal with the Ataribox, as the announcement has generated millions in viral, free advertising with internet buzz and excited word-of-mouth that the company could have never afforded to buy on its own. This thread alone is over 40 pages long! It's genius marketing, and an interesting change of strategy from Atari Corp., which offered great tech...that no one knew about because of dismal marketing. It's a win-win for a company seeking to stake its fortune in branding irrespective of its ability to actually deliver a competitive product. Atari's been pretty clear that Ataribox--whatever it is --is just a piece in its overall plan to sell itself as Nostalgia, Inc.

 

 

The problem is that for a significant portion of the target audience the AtariBox has become a joke. It's been what, 2 months since they launched the webpage? If they had launched the page and then released more info within 2-3 weeks, this would have been a great move. Right now though, at best they look like they jumped the gun, and at worst they look incompetent.

[zzip]

Atari has already achieved its goal with the Ataribox, as the announcement has generated millions in viral, free advertising with internet buzz and excited word-of-mouth that the company could have never afforded to buy on its own. This thread alone is over 40 pages long! It's genius marketing, and an interesting change of strategy from Atari Corp., which offered great tech...that no one knew about because of dismal marketing. It's a win-win for a company seeking to stake its fortune in branding irrespective of its ability to actually deliver a competitive product. Atari's been pretty clear that Ataribox--whatever it is --is just a piece in its overall plan to sell itself as Nostalgia, Inc.

Exactly what I've been saying. Many people here have been annoyed by the marketing strategy, but it worked! Worked better than anything any company named Atari has done for a long time. This is how you market things in 2017

[Flojomojo]

Exactly what I've been saying. Many people here have been annoyed by the marketing strategy, but it worked! Worked better than anything any company named Atari has done for a long time. This is how you market things in 2017

 

Worked better how?

 

Just because people are talking about them -- mostly making fun of how old and irrelevant they are -- doesn't translate into income or good will.

 

See also: The latest train wreck from the trademark troll now known as "Coleco."

 

 

 

"Sorry" doesn't put the thumb back on, Marge.

 

 

[zzip]

Worked better how?

 

Just because people are talking about them -- mostly making fun of how old and irrelevant they are -- doesn't translate into income or good will.

 

See also: The latest train wreck from the trademark troll now known as "Coleco."

Half the battle of marketing is getting into the heads of your target demographic, and getting them interested. Maybe even more than half. This was something the Tramiel Atari sucked at, especially towards the end.

 

Now of course today's Atari need to follow up with a viable product or it's all for nothing. But I can't fault the marketing campaign they've done so far.

[Flojomojo]

Half the battle of marketing is getting into the heads of your target demographic, and getting them interested. Maybe even more than half. This was something the Tramiel Atari sucked at, especially towards the end.

 

Now of course today's Atari need to follow up with a viable product or it's all for nothing. But I can't fault the marketing campaign they've done so far.

 

 

Oh good, that means they're finished!

 

If we learned anything from the Retro VGS/Coleco Chameleon, half the battle is getting the tooling molds to make the case and controller.

 

[Keatah]

Half the battle of marketing is getting into the heads of your target demographic, and getting them interested. Maybe even more than half. This was something the Tramiel Atari sucked at, especially towards the end.

 

Now of course today's Atari need to follow up with a viable product or it's all for nothing. But I can't fault the marketing campaign they've done so far.

 

The original Atari company did that through simple magazine ads and 30-second television commercials. The rest was accomplished by making great games that spread throughout culture by word of mouth.

 

Today most companies advertise by barking on social media. And the public "favs" and "likes" it all. And they make money that way. Till they have to come up with a product, then they fail.

[PlaysWithWolves]

If the idea of the Ataribox is popular, it's not because of "genius marketing" even in the least; it's because of our nostalgia. I think there would be far less opposition/cynicism had they shown up with more than some 3D renders. It's like they saw the Chameleon fiasco and said, "Hey, let's do exactly that, but we'll do it better."

 

Except that they aren't doing it better but rather is exactly the same. Well, except for one part: RVGS/Chameleon actually had real console and cart shells and a prototype controller.

[Flojomojo]

Well, except for one part: RVGS/Chameleon actually had real console and cart shells and a prototype controller.

 

Heh heh

real console and cart shells ...reappropriated from a long-dead joke of a system, and a badly-reviewed controller from a failed modern system

 

[+GoldLeader]

No disrespect to zzip, They did succeed in getting us talking about it...

 

But talk is cheap,...Designing a video game console is not....Even though I get it, It's honestly a bit depressing that the Atari of Nowadays is having to go the crowdfunding route. (Which counts me out until later, though I still wish them the best). What gets me is trying to figure out if they have a plan, or if they're still way back at the start of the planning phase...

 

If they ask for input or still need developers, then it doesn't sound like they are very far along...

 

If Step 1 is to get us talking, then they're right on track! Unfortunately I foresee a whole bunch more steps before I can go into a store, or online and buy one of these **whatchamacallits**...

[Keatah]

They can talk. We can talk. None of it really matters if they don't have a product to sell. And while message boards may be a flurry of activity, review sites ablaze.. There is still no product I can buy at a store. Furthermore, there is no halo effect. I'm not interested in whatever else they are selling.