What are your biggest hopes and fears for the Ataribox?

[BassGuitari]

And now it's shorthand for OLD video games.

 

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Well, if anybody knows "short," it's Cee Lo Green.

 

HEY-YOOOO!

[Flojomojo]

Well, if anybody knows "short," it's Cee Lo Green.

 

HEY-YOOOO!

 

Aww, come on. He's only half an inch shorter than Tom Cruise

[Dr Manhattan]

To be honest, I'd be happy with a box for a Raspberry Pi 3 that has wood grain and an Atari logo.

I just want to use it for emulation and it would be cool if it had Atari on it just for the retro feel.

I really don't care about using it for modern games.

 

I'll admit this idea intrigues me as well. My only problem with the whole Raspberry Pi gaming scene is the problems with input lag. I've read many things you can allegedly do to improve the situation, but nothing that completely resolves it.

 

That's why I'm curious about whether this is the reasoning for the Ataribox being PC based. Have they considered the input lag problems that are present on most Android based gaming boxes? Are they using PC hardware to get increased power? Or could it be that PC hardware makes it easier for them to port their existing catalog, as well as repackage a few PC based emulators to run the old games?

 

With that said, despite any complaints I have about the Pi emulator scene, I still have a Pi box and I think that for the most part, it's amazing.

[Osgeld]

TBH with the pi3 the only time I have noticed lag is using wireless controllers, and they lag on my pc as well

[Dr Manhattan]

TBH with the pi3 the only time I have noticed lag is using wireless controllers, and they lag on my pc as well

 

Wireless controllers do tend to be problematic, unless is that new controller designed for the RetroUSB AVS. That thing is amazing.

 

This brings me back to something I mentioned earlier. What kind of controllers will they use with the Ataribox? The controller could make or break this thing. I also want the option to use corded USB controllers. The renderings of the console that were posted earlier suggest the thing will have USB ports. So I imagine corded controllers aren't entirely out of the question.

[HoshiChiri]

The atari name will never become relevant again. Especially to the general public. Not like it was in the 1970's when everyone knew what game cartridges were.

 

Not really what I was going for- I meant relevant in the way that vinyl's relevant again. Only niche audiophiles & collectors care, but there's enough of them around to justify new vinyl production. As opposed to when I was in middle school and literally had classmates who didn't know what records were.

 

It'd just be nice if this whatsawhosit was enough to make people at cons say 'oh yeah, isn't Atari that company from the 70s that makes that thing now', instead of 'I've seen that square joystick before, no idea what it's from'. Yes, I've heard that before.

Edited August 3, 2017 by HoshiChiri

[Video]

NO WIRELESS CONTROLLER!!!

 

I've yet to see an android device work well with s wireless controller. And what gives? Yes some are cheap, but some are ever bit as expensive as consoles.

 

Give me a USB port and let me use an Xbox, PlayStation, or PC controller with it.

[Eltigro]

Hey, maybe Activision will make games for it and let you send in screenshots to get a patch!

[zzip]

I'll admit this idea intrigues me as well. My only problem with the whole Raspberry Pi gaming scene is the problems with input lag. I've read many things you can allegedly do to improve the situation, but nothing that completely resolves it.

 

That's why I'm curious about whether this is the reasoning for the Ataribox being PC based. Have they considered the input lag problems that are present on most Android based gaming boxes? Are they using PC hardware to get increased power? Or could it be that PC hardware makes it easier for them to port their existing catalog, as well as repackage a few PC based emulators to run the old games?

 

With that said, despite any complaints I have about the Pi emulator scene, I still have a Pi box and I think that for the most part, it's amazing.

The Pi's are also extremely cheap boards. I'm sure if you spent a little more money, you could create a higher-quality board that fixes lag issues

[tschak909]

Is the supposition based on the leak that the AtariBox "might" be using AMD Ryzen hardware?

 

You do realize that AMD has been trying in recent months to get Ryzen into as many "gaming/performance" white box offerings as possible? AMD has been getting dogged by the technical press on the shortfall of price/performance ratio of Ryzen, and they've been trying to combat that, since.

 

-Thom

[Keatah]

Intel is making hex-core mainstream in the next 6-months.

 

Except for a brief shining moment in the Athlon and dot-com days, AMD has always been 2nd rate.

[Osgeld]

I dunno they got a good kick in with the K5, and K6 series and the 486 system I am working on the AMD 5x86 133Mhz is quite a bit faster than a DX4 133 (course it was meant as a half step to pentium)

[Dr Manhattan]

I want to bring up a new fear of mine. Will Atari have enough content to fill the Ataribox? If this thing launches with a handful of games from their mobile library it's a guaranteed failure. We all know it. So how much content will Atari be able to license and provide through this box?

 

Would Atari be able to offer games from their console library, along with mobile content, as well as ports of their PC games? What about licensed titles like their Dragon Ball and Godzilla games? My fear is that this box will be just a handful of mobile and PC titles and that's it.

 

I know when dealing with this company it's best to keep your expectations in check, but Atari has to know that this thing can't succeed without a large and diverse library of games. They really need to exploit their legacy.

 

Another question. Will they go the Ouya route and invite other developers to sell their wares on the Ataribox store? And for a different type of content what about possible media players, Kodi and other apps? I fear that if the Ataribox doesn't embrace a wide variety of content it will not be a success.