Lunar Lander Beyond (by Atari) - (in VCS Store)

[zzip]

2 minutes ago, Atari_JaguarVCS said:

I may be wrong but i thought the technical issue with Atari 50 was due to the file size limitation only? i honestly cant see this game being the same file size as the Atari 50 collection. I wouldn't be surprised if the file size is slightly larger than the recharged games but again i could be wrong but that's what i take away from the trailer, without seeing anything in game, i still don't think its going to be packing BPM Boy visuals or anything to resource intense that would prevent it from being on the VCS.

It wasn't just file size, it took longer for the VCS version to even get released because of some unspecified issues.

 

[+SabertoothRetro]

On the Atari Podcast yesterday via YouTube, they didn't answer direct questions in the chat related to Lunar Lander Beyond. They did say an as yet unannounced game will be launching first on the VCS as a timed exclusive. So, a bit of a mixed bag.

[Atari_JaguarVCS]

39 minutes ago, zzip said:

It wasn't just file size, it took longer for the VCS version to even get released because of some unspecified issues.

 

Interesting, i thought it was just a simple file size limitation issue within the actual Atari OS that was preventing the game from being able to be fully downloaded, some people where playing it on Steam in PC mode on VCS without any issue. Id love to know what the other issue was, probably something else within the Atari OS. 

[zzip]

21 minutes ago, Atari_JaguarVCS said:

Interesting, i thought it was just a simple file size limitation issue within the actual Atari OS that was preventing the game from being able to be fully downloaded, some people where playing it on Steam in PC mode on VCS without any issue. Id love to know what the other issue was, probably something else within the Atari OS. 

Yeah it wasn't a hardware issue, probably an issue related to creating a Linux-native version I'd guess.

 

Could come down to the development tools used for a game, some development environments make doing a Linux port super-easy, others can present challenges.

Edited July 21, 2023 by zzip

[E. King]

[bluenomadgaming]

I just purchased a VCS so I hope they are not shying away from developing for it.  It would be awesome if Atari dropped their games on VCS two weeks sooner than other platforms just as a “thank you” to us.   

 

Everyone knows it is a niche system but these are your most loyal peeps.  Keep them happy and in your ecosphere.  

[E. King]

1 hour ago, bluenomadgaming said:

I just purchased a VCS so I hope they are not shying away from developing for it.  It would be awesome if Atari dropped their games on VCS two weeks sooner than other platforms just as a “thank you” to us.   

 

Everyone knows it is a niche system but these are your most loyal peeps.  Keep them happy and in your ecosphere.  

Atari treats the VCS more like a burden/company liability than the company asset that it could have been if properly handled from the beginning.  They repeatedly ignore the VCS and tend to act like they do not even have a game platform.  It is very clear that the current Atari does not really want to be in the hardware business nor are they even currently capable of it.  They seem to only put Atari games on the VCS out of a thread of obligation which could end at any time.  The good thing is that there are quite a few solid Independent Developer games still planned to come to the VCS and a fairly decent game library already exists on the VCS.

 

I think Atari is content to just barely drag the VCS along until they do eventually pull the plug on their support.

[Atari_JaguarVCS]

I think Atari will push games on to the VCS for the rest of this year and probably next but i think ultimately it'll be those 3rd party games and homebrew releases that keeps the Atari VCS 800 alive well into the future. I'm just glad its a pretty capable mini PC so with PC mode i can run what i want and have an awesome collection available to me that way but i have certainly warmed up to the Atari OS and i think the community will keep that side of it alive well after Atari is finished with the VCS. I kinda think the way Atari treats the VCS it wasn't even supposed to last this long, i feel it was supposed to be put to rest last year but with indie developers getting on board and more people buying the VCS when it goes on sale its kept the system a float, which is a shame in a way as its a brilliant capable retro and indie console and the spin feature on the classic joystick sets it apart from other systems in a good way and it should be utilised more for sure. If Atari had ever been serious about the VCS it would be sold world wide and all these new recent payment issues with the store would have be sorted weeks ago to. I don't think Atari could handle the VCS being a success which it could be if it was sold world wide, there just a small company now and don't have the funds or staff to keep it running outside the US to a wider audience. I think that's why they try to market it as a mini ryzen PC with the Atari OS being a extra feature. 

[E. King]

It is cool that Atari is committing to Lunar Lander Beyond on the VCS along with Mr. Run & Jump, Quantum Recharged, Days of Doom, Haunted House and at least a few others I can not mention yet.  It looks like Lunar Lander Beyond is only the first installment of the upcoming Beyond Series planned for the VCS.

[MrBeefy]

9 hours ago, E. King said:

Atari treats the VCS more like a burden/company liability than the company asset that it could have been if properly handled from the beginning. 

I mean it is isn't it? They lost money on it and to keep it running they have to spend money on people to work on it.

 

They handled it poorly for sure, but I'm not sure how "handling it differently" would have led to a different outcome. It was always an over priced underpowered PC (Yes yes for some this was a cheaper option than a PC, but that's an exception).

 

Doing hardware makes no sense for them. They don't have the library of games to draw people in for their hardware, nor the ability to do things like GamePass.

 

You could make every Recharge, Beyond, Vault, or Atari 50 game exclusive for the Ataribox and it wouldn't move the needle that much for hardware.

 

I'm not just picking on Atarinfor this. I feel the same way about Sega and I think they have better IPs to draw people in.

[zzip]

On 7/23/2023 at 8:37 AM, bluenomadgaming said:

I just purchased a VCS so I hope they are not shying away from developing for it.  It would be awesome if Atari dropped their games on VCS two weeks sooner than other platforms just as a “thank you” to us.   

 

Everyone knows it is a niche system but these are your most loyal peeps.  Keep them happy and in your ecosphere.  

It feels like they've been on a tear lately announcing new VCS games.   The Lunar Lander Beyond game is the only game recently that might not come to VCS.

 

So there's a bunch of releases coming for the foreseeable future.   There's also rumors of Atari adding some kind of homebrew scheme to allow users to bring their own content to Atari OS (for those who don't want to venture into PC mode).   If that happens I think the community will greatly expand what's available in Atari OS.

Edited July 24, 2023 by zzip

[bluenomadgaming]

9 hours ago, zzip said:

It feels like they've been on a tear lately announcing new VCS games.   The Lunar Lander Beyond game is the only game recently that might not come to VCS.

 

So there's a bunch of releases coming for the foreseeable future.   There's also rumors of Atari adding some kind of homebrew scheme to allow users to bring their own content to Atari OS (for those who don't want to venture into PC mode).   If that happens I think the community will greatly expand what's available in Atari OS.

This does feel like the exception, not the rule.  I just don’t want to set a dangerous precedent where they think of us last. 
 

I understand the business aspect but dropping it will hurt them more in the long run.  

[MrBeefy]

DANGEROUS PRECIDENTS!

Which one of you are hoping to start a boycott? 🤣

 

To be real for a second VCS owners should be grateful they support it at all still. Stop buying their games will cause them to have less revenue. Less revenue to pay people. Which will lead to people getting cut. What will they cut first? Developing games? Or supporting an expensive console that is never going to pay itself off?

 

All VCS owners could boycott and they'd still most likely make more money on the game on other platforms.

[zzip]

16 hours ago, bluenomadgaming said:

This does feel like the exception, not the rule.  I just don’t want to set a dangerous precedent where they think of us last. 
 

I understand the business aspect but dropping it will hurt them more in the long run.  

They designed the VCS in such a way that porting to it is fairly straightforward and inexpensive in many cases, especially if they used multiplatform development tools like Unity.   So at this point if they skip a release, to me it seems like it's probably due to technical issues.   If it becomes a habit, they it would be a sign that Atari is abandoning it.    

[tripled79]

10 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

DANGEROUS PRECIDENTS!

Which one of you are hoping to start a boycott? 🤣

 

To be real for a second VCS owners should be grateful they support it at all still. Stop buying their games will cause them to have less revenue. Less revenue to pay people. Which will lead to people getting cut. What will they cut first? Developing games? Or supporting an expensive console that is never going to pay itself off?

 

All VCS owners could boycott and they'd still most likely make more money on the game on other platforms.

[davpa]

Just to let people know, I have been in contact with the Developers on Lunar Lander Beyond (LLB), and I got them all the documentation regarding developing on the VCS.  The VCS is a new system for them, as it is for many Developers, so they need some time to go over the material.  They work in Unity and I have full confidence that they find it very easy to port to the VCS as part of the development process.  Since the Developers have started to look into the VCS development process, the idea that LLB is not coming to the VCS is far from being written in stone.  I feel confident that LLB is coming to the VCS and we'll see full VCS support.  If not, I'll eat my speaker hat that is sealed in a box.

 

Also, LLB is not coming for many months, so we don't need to spend a ton of energy on this.  So man games are coming to the VCS before we even get a trailer with actual game footage. Mr. Run and Jump just launched.  Days of Doom, Quantum: Recharged, and Haunted House are just a few titles that'll hit the VCS.  We have a yet-to-be-announced Atari title that'll come to the VCS as a timed exclusive. It could be exclusive as much as a year, mind you.  Then there are a lot of 3rd party developers that are working on VCS ports and new game development.  We have a growing number of AtariAge Homebrews working at putting their games on the VCS.  We have a bunch of games that I think will be very welcomed by the VCS community.  So for the time being, let me deal with getting LLB worked on and you guys can focus on the games you can actually play and what is going to launch very soon.

[MrBeefy]

13 hours ago, tripled79 said:

[bluenomadgaming]

20 hours ago, davpa said:

Just to let people know, I have been in contact with the Developers on Lunar Lander Beyond (LLB), and I got them all the documentation regarding developing on the VCS.  The VCS is a new system for them, as it is for many Developers, so they need some time to go over the material.  They work in Unity and I have full confidence that they find it very easy to port to the VCS as part of the development process.  Since the Developers have started to look into the VCS development process, the idea that LLB is not coming to the VCS is far from being written in stone.  I feel confident that LLB is coming to the VCS and we'll see full VCS support.  If not, I'll eat my speaker hat that is sealed in a box.

 

Also, LLB is not coming for many months, so we don't need to spend a ton of energy on this.  So man games are coming to the VCS before we even get a trailer with actual game footage. Mr. Run and Jump just launched.  Days of Doom, Quantum: Recharged, and Haunted House are just a few titles that'll hit the VCS.  We have a yet-to-be-announced Atari title that'll come to the VCS as a timed exclusive. It could be exclusive as much as a year, mind you.  Then there are a lot of 3rd party developers that are working on VCS ports and new game development.  We have a growing number of AtariAge Homebrews working at putting their games on the VCS.  We have a bunch of games that I think will be very welcomed by the VCS community.  So for the time being, let me deal with getting LLB worked on and you guys can focus on the games you can actually play and what is going to launch very soon.

Well, I feel better about it after reading this.  I just purchased a VCS and am scared that me jumping on the bandwagons is Atari’s sign to get off.       
 

I will relax and enjoy the moment, good sir.  Thanks for all that you do.  

[roots.genoa]

3 hours ago, bluenomadgaming said:

I just purchased a VCS and am scared that me jumping on the bandwagons is Atari’s sign to get off.  

Thanks for telling him, then. He'll let Atari know they can stop supporting the VCS now. 🙂

[E. King]

On 7/23/2023 at 7:32 PM, MrBeefy said:

I mean it is isn't it? They lost money on it and to keep it running they have to spend money on people to work on it.

 

They handled it poorly for sure, but I'm not sure how "handling it differently" would have led to a different outcome. It was always an over priced underpowered PC (Yes yes for some this was a cheaper option than a PC, but that's an exception).

 

The entire VCS platform could have been a very different thing from the start but no sense going down that conversation path since the past can not be changed.  Obviously if things were done differently in the initial technical design of the VCS then things could have been very different.

[davpa]

13 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Thanks for telling him, then. He'll let Atari know they can stop supporting the VCS now. 🙂

I was just waiting for someone to get real invested and then pull the rug fro underneath! Mission completed…but not as the VCS is not being discontinued. 

[bluenomadgaming]

1 hour ago, davpa said:

I was just waiting for someone to get real invested and then pull the rug fro underneath! Mission completed…but not as the VCS is not being discontinued. 

Every time I join a church…the preacher leaves.  Every time I love a show and get invested…one season.  Every time my wife and I find an awesome new restaurant in our town, doesn’t make it a year.  
 

My purchase the the kiss of death.  I am the Black Note.  

[roots.genoa]

7 hours ago, bluenomadgaming said:

Every time I love a show and get invested…one season.

I kinda envy you on that one because I hate to have many shows to follow at the same time.

[MrBeefy]

20 hours ago, E. King said:

The entire VCS platform could have been a very different thing from the start but no sense going down that conversation path since the past can not be changed.  Obviously if things were done differently in the initial technical design of the VCS then things could have been very different.

You were the one who brought up that it could have not been a liability and was curious as to how. I honestly don't see how it wouldn't have been a liability even if handled differently. I think they could have minimized losses, but they'd still be taking a loss.

 

Hardware is a pointless/risky thing to be in if you don't have the games or innovation. That's why Switch is killing it this gen and why Microsoft isn't.

15 hours ago, bluenomadgaming said:

Every time I join a church…the preacher leaves.  Every time I love a show and get invested…one season.  Every time my wife and I find an awesome new restaurant in our town, doesn’t make it a year.  
 

My purchase the the kiss of death.  I am the Black Note.  

Aw dude are you a Harbinger Customer? https://thehustle.co/the-customers-who-repeatedly-buy-doomed-products/

 

Getting back to LLB. I like how the trailer gives the impression that it may try to expand beyond the old game. Obviously it's hard saying without gameplay footage. However they aren't just on the moon anymore. So that's a start.

 

It would be nice to see it get into Colony Wars or Wing Commander territory with story and such.

[E. King]

On 7/28/2023 at 10:07 AM, MrBeefy said:

You were the one who brought up that it could have not been a liability and was curious as to how. I honestly don't see how it wouldn't have been a liability even if handled differently. I think they could have minimized losses, but they'd still be taking a loss.

 

Hardware is a pointless/risky thing to be in if you don't have the games or innovation. That's why Switch is killing it this gen and why Microsoft isn't.

Again, it is a pointless conversation and me attempting to explain it would be a waste of time.  Can't go back 5 years in time to change the past.

 

The Switch is a crap platform and the current Nintendo company sucks. Microsoft is garbage too. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by E. King