New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[lifemadesimple]

 

This is a REALLY GOOD computer simulation of a human life form that would like to play a consumer friendly and decent Console at a very reasonable price of 300 USD.

 

 

Dang, caught already! Back to the Atari software dump to keep Alone in the Dark: Illumination company. I'll keep yous posted when Roller Coaster Tycoon World gets here.

[RainbowCemetery]

for that price i expect at least 2 speakerhats worth of tech in that box

[Flojomojo]

Amazon has a new thing, "Amazon Key," that can let strangers into your house. It's ALL over every form of media. Everyone is talking about it, in part because it's such a dumb idea.

 

https://sixcolors.com/post/2017/10/amazon-key-wants-to-let-people-into-your-house/

 

It doesn't matter whether or not anyone buys it, because like the delivery drone stories from a while back, it gets people talking about Amazon, remembering the name and driving their many core businesses (online store, cloud computing, digital publishing, devices, etc).

 

Publicity stunts are great if you have a company that can (pun intended) deliver, and is strong enough on its own terms not to become a punchline forever because of a dumb idea.

 

AtariBox and SpeakerHat don't have any of that.

[Zonie]

Amazon Key would be good if you had a closet accessible from outside, or a mudroom that could be locked off from the rest of the house. Otherwise, umm... no.

[zzip]

Publicity stunts are great if you have a company that can (pun intended) deliver, and is strong enough on its own terms not to become a punchline forever because of a dumb idea.

 

AtariBox and SpeakerHat don't have any of that.

I have seen more write ups on Atari in the mainstream gaming press since they announced Ataribox than I have seen in a long time. If nothing else, their marketing strategy has had that effect.

[Bill Loguidice]

I have seen more write ups on Atari in the mainstream gaming press since they announced Ataribox than I have seen in a long time. If nothing else, their marketing strategy has had that effect.

 

There's no doubt that (and I don't think any reasonable argument against) the marketing strategy has been effective. I think the point remains that while that's a key early step, it's still only an early step, and so much more has to fall into place that will make having an effective marketing strategy seem like child's play in comparison.

[godslabrat]

Double post.

Edited October 26, 2017 by godslabrat

[godslabrat]

Amazon Key would be good if you had a closet accessible from outside, or a mudroom that could be locked off from the rest of the house. Otherwise, umm... no.

 

If you had either of those, you would do just as well to leave the exterior rooms themselves unlocked, with a note for the delivery

 

 

 

 

There's no doubt that (and I don't think any reasonable argument against) the marketing strategy has been effective. I think the point remains that while that's a key early step, it's still only an early step, and so much more has to fall into place that will make having an effective marketing strategy seem like child's play in comparison.

 

 

This is probably a stupid rhetorical question, but how many times can the hobby (or market segment) withstand a product that's well-marketed but ultimately fails to deliver? At some point, a turkey gets to be so well-known that even the casual shopper stays away from anything resembling it. Ataribox is playing with that kind of fire.

[Keatah]

 

There's no doubt that (and I don't think any reasonable argument against) the marketing strategy has been effective. I think the point remains that while that's a key early step, it's still only an early step, and so much more has to fall into place that will make having an effective marketing strategy seem like child's play in comparison.

 

The might be good at marketing, and nothing else..

[zzip]

There's no doubt that (and I don't think any reasonable argument against) the marketing strategy has been effective. I think the point remains that while that's a key early step, it's still only an early step, and so much more has to fall into place that will make having an effective marketing strategy seem like child's play in comparison.

Agreed, but a lot of people are getting mad at the marketing strategy, but it's just how things are done in 2017. Release a little info now, a little later, a little after that.. keeps people thinking and talking about you.

[Bill Loguidice]

Agreed, but a lot of people are getting mad at the marketing strategy, but it's just how things are done in 2017. Release a little info now, a little later, a little after that.. keeps people thinking and talking about you.

 

Sure, although I think a portion of that negativity about the marketing is attributed to the crowdfunding thing as well. We may very well reach a point with crowdfunding sooner rather than later where the vitriol against the very idea is so great that few products of this type can realistically go that route anymore. Too many late/failed/disappointing deliveries will do that.

 

As stated before, it's a proven fact that some enthusiasts are pains in the asses with just about any new thing that's announced. Having deep, intimate knowledge of a particular topic can bring that out in someone. I think a key here is that they can in fact be won over even if the product isn't the unrealistically perfect vision they have in their heads. If this turns out decent, then I think a lot of what is perceived as negativity will at worst become more of a "it's not for me, but I see why someone might like it" type of scenario. Part of marketing is in fact helping to manage those parts of the community.

[alexkeaton]

I do not work for Atari. I live in Europe and english is not my native tongue.

With the news of the new Ataribox i was very excited and therefore i came to this forum. I didnt expect that my post would have a little bit of impact.

But It looks like you formed to a group where everybody has to have the same opinion and People with other opinions and in this case with an exact opposite opinion are not welcome.

 

Usually i apologize because this is my mentality but i cant apologize in this situation because i didnt do anything wrong and only have another opinion than the group.

it is rather very sad to see that people get stubborn or rude when a single person comes with another opinion than the majority.

I think i will not post anymore and step away from this Forum.

Edited October 26, 2017 by alexkeaton

[lifemadesimple]

It's okay to have different opinions, I'm probably more optimistic than most of the people here. I think your posts were just written in such a way that made people suspicious, especially since Atari's business practices as of late have left a lot of us uneasy.

 

Re: your English. It's good enough that I thought you were just a lazy native speaker, so don't feel bad about that. I'm sorry that I was a bit rude talking about your English, now that I know you're not a native speaker I feel pretty bad about mentioning it. It really does just read like a younger native speaker would type on a more laid back site like Facebook. Really, it's a hell of a lot better than my Spanish.

 

And if it makes you feel any better, I don't seriously think you're a plant. But I don't want you to get burned on the Ataribox, I don't want anyone to get burned. I don't know if Atari has the resources to make it everything that you hope it will be in your posts and I don't like seeing people get their hopes so high for something like this. It's okay to be a little optimistic, but hopefully some of the reasons people have talked about here gives you cause to be a little bit cautious about the project.

 

Even if you don't post again for a while, I hope you see through some of the harsher cynicism and lurk in the conversation. Things are a bit tense now, but you can bet your boots this will be the best place for tech discussion when we get details.

Edited October 26, 2017 by lifemadesimple

[Bill Loguidice]

I do not work for Atari. I live in Europe and english is not my native tongue.

With the news of the new Ataribox i was very excited and therefore i came to this forum. I didnt expect that my post would have a little bit of impact.

But It looks like you formed to a group where everybody has to have the same opinion and People with other opinions and in this case with an exact opposite opinion are not welcome.

 

Usually i apologize because this is my mentality but i cant apologize in this situation because i didnt do anything wrong and only have another opinion than the group.

it is rather very sad to see that people get stubborn or rude when a single person comes with another opinion than the majority.

I think i will not post anymore and step away from this Forum.

 

I appreciate your challenges with English and still find it impressive; you have an ability that I'll never have. With that said, you have to admit it's a bit suspicious that you had (up until this last post) less than a dozen posts, and they were all cheerleading for a product that doesn't exist. That's fine, but you really do have to understand that we have critical discussions around here where someone can make a point or statement and then someone else can come in and express a differing point or opinion. Other than questioning your legitimacy, I don't think anyone has done anything against you other than providing counter arguments or explanations for why they don't agree. If you find that a problem, then perhaps stepping away and not posting anymore is the best idea, since that's the very heart of these type of places. With that said, I think I speak for most others when I say that I'd prefer it if you'd stay and continue to contribute.

[MrBeefy]

What makes you think you need Atari to make this? A potato computer can run retro games. You can get a budget laptop NOW for the asking price of the Ataribox "sometime in 2018," and it will be able to do more.

Didnt say I needed Atari for that. Why would I need Atari to remake a dead system with a cartridge slot? I am more interested in if it would be a great steam machine. I see no point in buying a shit computer to play steam to have it shit out and not be able to process it in a few years. So cheapest new processor desktop at like BB is 600 and that doesnt include monitor or anything. If I buy a computer its going to function for more than emulation. Thats why i have my raspberry pi 3.

[Hwlngmad]

I do not work for Atari. I live in Europe and english is not my native tongue.

With the news of the new Ataribox i was very excited and therefore i came to this forum. I didnt expect that my post would have a little bit of impact.

But It looks like you formed to a group where everybody has to have the same opinion and People with other opinions and in this case with an exact opposite opinion are not welcome.

 

Usually i apologize because this is my mentality but i cant apologize in this situation because i didnt do anything wrong and only have another opinion than the group.

it is rather very sad to see that people get stubborn or rude when a single person comes with another opinion than the majority.

I think i will not post anymore and step away from this Forum.

 

I can tell you that everyone in this particular forum is not of the same mind and opinion. No one, including yourself, should feel wrong/bad for the opinions and perspectives you have. That being said, walking into a forum with people who have intimate, firsthand knowledge of gaming (regarding business, history, product development, software, hardware, etc) and not expecting to have any significant challenges to your opinions and perspective is a bit shallow thinking in my opinion. All contributions to the narrative regarding this topic are appreciated and help to push and pull things into areas that people may have not thought about. Personally, I hope the Ataribox succeeds. I wish those behind the effort the very best of luck. However, the criticism and skepticism they are facing is deserved and warranted not because of spectacular failures such as the Coleco Chameleon, but also those products that did succeed to get made, but failed to live up to the promises that were foretold it could deliver (ex. Ouya). If you are fan of this product no matter what is, that is fine. However, just don't think (a lot of others in this case) will feel and/or think the same. BTW, I also give you much respect for trying to make your opinions, feelings, and beliefs made in a second language. I know, from personal experience (Spanish being my second language), that it can be far easier said than done. Take care and I look forward to future contributions from you, should you decide to continue posting.

[Keatah]

Agreed, but a lot of people are getting mad at the marketing strategy, but it's just how things are done in 2017. Release a little info now, a little later, a little after that.. keeps people thinking and talking about you.

 

..and talking..and talking.. Meantime nothing is getting made. It's why many things are failng in 2017.

[Keatah]

I do not work for Atari. I live in Europe and english is not my native tongue.

With the news of the new Ataribox i was very excited and therefore i came to this forum. I didnt expect that my post would have a little bit of impact.

But It looks like you formed to a group where everybody has to have the same opinion and People with other opinions and in this case with an exact opposite opinion are not welcome.

 

Usually i apologize because this is my mentality but i cant apologize in this situation because i didnt do anything wrong and only have another opinion than the group.

it is rather very sad to see that people get stubborn or rude when a single person comes with another opinion than the majority.

I think i will not post anymore and step away from this Forum.

 

Fair enough. We're just trying to emphasize that this (currently non-existent) product be watched with skepticism. If atari wants buzz, they're getting it. But to what end? If they don't have a retail product to sell me, then..?? I'm personally not falling for any halo-effect nor am I interested in anything else they may have at this time.

 

Present day atari doesn't have anything. No different than umpteen trillion other kickstarters.

 

In the old days, as kids, we'd read advertisements for new products. Ok. But those products were already in development and very likely in testing stages when we read the ad copy. Ad copy that was already a few months old, but first being published now. And thus timed well. Ad hit the street, product followed right behind.

[MrBeefy]

 

Fair enough. We're just trying to emphasize that this (currently non-existent) product be watched with skepticism. If atari wants buzz, they're getting it. But to what end? If they don't have a retail product to sell me, then..?? I'm personally not falling for any halo-effect nor am I interested in anything else they may have at this time.

 

Present day atari doesn't have anything. No different than umpteen trillion other kickstarters.

 

In the old days, as kids, we'd read advertisements for new products. Ok. But those products were already in development and very likely in testing stages when we read the ad copy. Ad copy that was already a few months old, but first being published now. And thus timed well. Ad hit the street, product followed right behind.

I sometimes get the feeling that a majority want everything Atari to fail unless someone remakes the old system with cartridge slot.

 

Kind of how every time a flashback comes out people are hating on it for not having SD slot or HDMI. Granted this year finally has HDMI but am i the only one who can get my Ataris to play on my big TV with no mods? The Adventurer in Adventure is going to look like a block no mater what definition its in. Maybe we need a 4K Atari next? Lol

[RainbowCemetery]

i'd be surprised if anyone here genuinely wanted this to fail. even the most optimistic person will eventually suffer from retro™ marketing fatigue though

[MrBeefy]

Double post!

[Keatah]

I sometimes get the feeling that a majority want everything Atari to fail unless someone remakes the old system with cartridge slot.

 

That's part of it.

 

---

 

There's a lot of purists here that won't play on anything but a cartridge in a console connected to a tube tv. And that is ok.That is slowly changing as new hobbyists are getting into it. New hobbyists tend to want to play the games without hassle or clutter.

 

I've done it both the "authentic" back-in-the-day-way and the newfangled digital modern recreation/emulation way. And I'm liking digital/emulation more and more as time goes on. Convenience, reliability, and neatness trump all. For me.

 

Having said that, I have a some retro-PC rigs and some Apple II material. And it does require periodic maintenance. Disk Drive head cleaning. Connector and contact cleaning. And the CRTs are overdue for cap kits. Newcomers don't want to fart around with that. They want a display that works and is distortion-free. And they don't want to deal with dirty cartridge connectors or oxide-clogged drive heads.

 

---

 

They want innovative, different, and yet cheap/practical hardware. They want the newness of the art, like we had in the 1970's. The VCS was really cool then - not to say it isn't today either, but it is cool today for different reasons. Back then it was a whole new art form. Playing with shapes on a TV set! Wow!

 

And they want Atari to invent new and different games for that hardware. They want to see the creativity and originality that propelled the early industry of the 1970's.

 

Instead what we have is 73 pages of discussion, speculation, and marketing bullshit. Nothing is getting done.Those early industry pioneers could no way in hell waste time and resources like present-day atari does.

[Keatah]

i'd be surprised if anyone here genuinely wanted this to fail. even the most optimistic person will eventually suffer from retro™ marketing fatigue though

 

That's all that's happening. Marketing, discussion, more marketing. Managed social media posts. Fake renders. Ideas. The brand "atari"? To what end?

 

I liked old Atari best. And this is why.. When I was out riding BMX or shooting off Estes Model Rockets, their engineers, conceptualists, and artists were hard at work making games for me to play in the winter time.

 

And they didn't have to suck me into a rabbit hole or generate buzz in my face. They showed me a commercial, and later on some print ads. And I had total faith that what I was seeing was real. And I had confidence I could go to the store and actually (for real) buy this stuff! The Atari team was that good! They knew what they were doing.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Keatah

[Raticon]

 

As for our support, support is earned, not given. If they give us a reason to support it, you bet we will. Otherwise, there's no blind allegiance there.

This basically sums it up for me when it comes to we being negative around here, and also applies to the "want everything Atari to fail" bit. Not everything they have been doing lately has inspired confidence or support from the Atari fanbase, to say the least.

 

If you ask me i think that the Flashbacks was a great idea and The GameBand was a terrible idea, and the AtariBox at this point in time somewhere between great and stupid depending on what it will be. None of these made by Atari themselves but rather licensed products, if i recall correctly.

[Keatah]

This basically sums it up for me when it comes to we being negative around here, and also applies to the "want everything Atari to fail" bit. Not everything they have been doing lately has inspired confidence or support from the Atari fanbase, to say the least.

 

That's because they do not understand their fanbase. Let alone what built that fanbase.