The Atari 2600+ is live for preorders!

[leech]

3 hours ago, zzip said:

Then on the other hand you have project management that tries to plan out how the development will go so that the release date can be met,  but in development not everything goes according to plan,  sometimes you encounter worse bugs and other issues than you planned for and that causes work to slip.

Ha, this is assuming the project management existing in the first place.  I too work in the software field, though not as a developer myself.  Some things simply just don't go according to plan, obviously.  It's not always the fault of the dev, and in most cases I think developers are all far more happy with 'release when it's ready'.  Cyberpunk 2077 is kind of the perfect storm of how that played out where Publishers promised it earlier than the Developers were ready for.

[Spriggy]

11 hours ago, Nall3k said:

I did not mean to give off a scolding vibe, and my apologizes if it came off so. I just feel people are blowing things out of proportion. At the end of the day, it's a product and no one has to buy anything. 

Don't be sorry.  I've got big shoulders.  I can be quite blunt at times.  25 years in law enforcement does that to you. 

[famicommander]

11 hours ago, r_chase said:

I still hope that the 2600+ will be better than the earlier RetroN 77 and stuff.

It will have the same 2600 cartridge compatibility as the Retron 77, except since it has no SD slot it won't be able to play the missing chunk of the 2600 library like the Retron can. And it will cost much more money despite releasing six years later.

 

The only difference that isn't worse in that it plays (some) 7800 carts. 

[+swlovinist]

5 minutes ago, famicommander said:

It will have the same 2600 cartridge compatibility as the Retron 77, except since it has no SD slot it won't be able to play the missing chunk of the 2600 library like the Retron can. And it will cost much more money despite releasing six years later.

 

The only difference that isn't worse in that it plays (some) 7800 carts. 

Again, the 2600 + is not released yet, and the cart dumper is rumored to be able to be updated(which the Retron 77 is not).   Also it might be able to add a USB hub which would be able to add roms.   A true comparison to the Retron 77 would be community build vs community build of the 2600+.    Then again, unit it is in the hands of people who can do a review, we have to wait for an objective comparison.  Until then its speculation.  

[famicommander]

10 minutes ago, swlovinist said:

Again, not released yet, and the cart dumper is rumored to be able to be updated.   Also it might be able to add a USB hub which would be able to add roms.   A true comparison to the Retron 77 would be community build vs community build of the 2600+.    Then again, unit it is in the hands of people who can do a review, we have to wait for an objective comparison.  

"here's a bunch of possibilities I just made up off the top of my head that might make this device up to par with a much cheaper device from 6 years ago, just wait an undetermined amount of time for hypothetical things to happen"

 

We already know you're going to rubber stamp this thing because have no standards, so please don't act like you're waiting for all the data to make an objective review. You've already decided to defend this thing regardless. Your entire channel is full of videos making apologies for every horrible emulation device AtGames ever vomited up in an acid-induced fever dream.

 

The people who actually work at this version of Atari are on these forums claiming to care about enthusiasts and telling us they can handle criticism. Well, this is what it looks like. Enthusiasts have the pesky habit of doing basic research and making comparisons to already existing devices. So maybe you should just let people air their criticisms so that Atari can actually learn and improve, otherwise we're just going to get more Hyperkin/AtGames/MyArcade level crap that the last caretakers of the Atari brand crapped out for ages. If you just uncritically consume everything they put out there's no reason for them to pay any attention to quality, and there's no reason for them to improve if you're making excuses for why they can't do what much smaller operations like Blaze or Hyperkin can do.

Edited September 8, 2023 by famicommander

[+swlovinist]

24 minutes ago, famicommander said:

"here's a bunch of possibilities I just made up off the top of my head that might make this device up to par with a much cheaper device from 6 years ago, just wait an undetermined amount of time for hypothetical things to happen"

 

We already know you're going to rubber stamp this thing because have no standards, so please don't act like you're waiting for all the data to make an objective review. You've already decided to defend this thing regardless. Your entire channel is full of videos making apologies for every horrible emulation device AtGames ever vomited up in an acid-induced fever dream.

 

The people who actually work at this version of Atari are on these forums claiming to care about enthusiasts and telling us they can handle criticism. Well, this is what it looks like. Enthusiasts have the pesky habit of doing basic research and making comparisons to already existing devices. So maybe you should just let people air their criticisms so that Atari can actually learn and improve, otherwise we're just going to get more Hyperkin/AtGames/MyArcade level crap that the last caretakers of the Atari brand crapped out for ages. If you just uncritically consume everything they put out there's no reason for them to pay any attention to quality, and there's no reason for them to improve if you're making excuses for why they can't do what much smaller operations like Blaze or Hyperkin can do.

I see that you wanted to personally attack me versus keep to the debate about the retron 77 vs 2600+.   

[famicommander]

25 minutes ago, swlovinist said:

I see that you wanted to personally attack me versus keep to the debate about the retron 77 vs 2600+.   

You take this facade of objectivity and yet you made it your mission to white knight on the behalf of a group of people who came here of their own free will and openly solicited criticism. They're asking us to help them improve and you're literally standing in the way of that progress.

 

You call what I said about you an attack. I call it a description of your actions. LeBron James plays basketball. To describe him as a basketball player is not an attack. It's simply observing his behavior and putting a descriptor on it.

Edited September 8, 2023 by famicommander

[+jgkspsx]

It's pretty clearly a personal attack on a person who is a respected contributor to this forum and has been here for a long long time. I would edit that crap out if I were you.

[famicommander]

25 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

It's pretty clearly a personal attack on a person who is a respected contributor to this forum and has been here for a long long time. I would edit that crap out if I were you.

No, that wasn't an attack and it certainly wasn't personal. I didn't mention anything about his personal life. I described a pattern created by his public actions both here and elsewhere over a long period of time. He has his agenda and that's okay with me, I'm not trying to silence him or stop him from shilling. All I ask is that in the course of his shilling he doesn't try to stop other people from pointing out basic criticisms that were, in fact, asked for by the people who are releasing the product in question. 

 

We can see very clearly that this isn't about objectivity, it's about blind positivity. You don't see him going around to all the people who are excited about the device and telling them to wait and see. He's picking out responses from the people who are pointing out very reasonable criticisms and trying to handwave them. And again, I don't have a problem with his doing that. I just won't sit and listen to this false indignation when someone points it out. 

 

As for what constitutes respect or a contribution, suffice it to say we're going to have vastly different perspectives on that. But this idea that his having joined this site three years before I did affords him some special treatment is pretty sad. It shouldn't matter who you're talking to. It should only matter what you're saying.

Edited September 8, 2023 by famicommander

[Nall3k]

1 hour ago, swlovinist said:

I see that you wanted to personally attack me versus keep to the debate about the retron 77 vs 2600+.   

I like your YouTube content. Everyone has a hater.

[+Stephen]

28 minutes ago, famicommander said:

No, that wasn't an attack and it certainly wasn't personal. I didn't mention anything about his personal life. I described a pattern created by his public actions both here and elsewhere over a long period of time. He has his agenda and that's okay with me, I'm not trying to silence him or stop him from shilling. All I ask is that in the course of his shilling he doesn't try to stop other people from pointing out basic criticisms that were, in fact, asked for by the people who are releasing the product in question. 

 

We can see very clearly that this isn't about objectivity, it's about blind positivity. You don't see him going around to all the people who are excited about the device and telling them to wait and see. He's picking out responses from the people who are pointing out very reasonable criticisms and trying to handwave them. And again, I don't have a problem with his doing that. I just won't sit and listen to this false indignation when someone points it out. 

 

As for what constitutes respect or a contribution, suffice it to say we're going to have vastly different perspectives on that. But this idea that his having joined this site three years before I did affords him some special treatment is pretty sad. It shouldn't matter who you're talking to. It should only matter what you're saying.

This is how it starts.  Now that the floodgate has been opened for new members via this announcement, just wait until all the safe space needing all inclusive folks join.  No more feelings will be able to get hurt.  No more criticism will be able to be leveled.  Mark my words, this is where it really starts.  It's all downhill from here.

[+jgkspsx]

1 minute ago, Stephen said:

This is how it starts.  Now that the floodgate has been opened for new members via this announcement, just wait until all the safe space needing all inclusive folks join.  No more feelings will be able to get hurt.  No more criticism will be able to be leveled.  Mark my words, this is where it really starts.  It's all downhill from here.

You’re saying people might asked to be nice to each other???? The horror… the horror…

[+Stephen]

2 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

You’re saying people might asked to be nice to each other???? The horror… the horror…

No - not at all.  Don't twist my words.  I am saying this is where the snowflake, safe space, no criticism influx is going to start.  Anyone that diverges will be called an old school hater.  Dissension will be shut down.  You will get in line and only be positive, or you will be silenced.

[roots.genoa]

4 hours ago, Spriggy said:

Don't be sorry.  I've got big shoulders.  I can be quite blunt at times.  25 years in law enforcement does that to you. 

But as soon as Nall3k goes back home tonight:

[Spriggy]

45 minutes ago, roots.genoa said:

But as soon as Nall3k goes back home tonight:

[KainXavier]

1 hour ago, Stephen said:

No - not at all.  Don't twist my words.  I am saying this is where the snowflake, safe space, no criticism influx is going to start.  Anyone that diverges will be called an old school hater.  Dissension will be shut down.  You will get in line and only be positive, or you will be silenced.

I mean... if you keep offending people, that doesn't make them snowflakes.  That just makes you a jerk.  That said, I will begin to worry if Atari announces some kind of official Discord.

@famicommander

I haven't watched all of John's videos, but I'm not really getting the sense that he's being blindly positive about the 2600+.  He even put out a new video where he revisits the RetroN 77 and talks about how the RetroN with the community update might be a better solution for 2600 fans.

Also, while I'm under no illusion that I'll be able to play Juno First or Baby Pac-Man on the 2600+ come November, there still have been some exciting developments.  We've learned that the new Berzerk release is a 32K game which means the 2600+'s cartridge dumper is more sophisticated than the RetroN's.  We've also learned that the device is running Stella 6.7 and firmware updates via the USB-c port are a possibility.  When you combine that with the ability to play (at least some) 7800 games and the fact that Atari is putting out new games and hardware again, it's hard not to get excited.  (For me, anyway.  Probably for John too.)

I went ahead and pre-ordered the device as well.  I did this for several reasons.

1. I love video games, and I own and play a lot of them.
2. My 2600 will die soon, and I want a replacement that supports HDMI.
3. I don't own a 7800, and this device is cheaper and addresses my 2nd concern (at least in part).
4. I want to be able to play and dump my own cartridges.
5. This is the only device, outside of an actual 7800, that plays 7800 cartridges.
6. No perfect solution exists, FPGA devices included.

[Albert]

Atari does already have a Discord. Not sure how long it's been around. We also have our own Discord. 
 

Juno First does work on the 2600+, that's one homebrew game I've already tested.  I haven't tried Baby Pac-Man. 
 

  ..Al

[KainXavier]

18 minutes ago, Albert said:

Juno First does work on the 2600+, that's one homebrew game I've already tested.  I haven't tried Baby Pac-Man.

Wow, that's awesome news, Al!  Thank you very much for sharing!

 

Also, regarding Discord, I was speaking more to the trend of game companies shutting down their existing forums and replacing them with a Discord server.  To me, Discord is not a suitable replacement for support requests nor is it a particularly effective repository of information.  (It's kind of an IRC replacement, I guess?)  That said, I have no doubt in my mind that you would ever willingly close the AtariAge forums.

[CPUWIZ]

Discord is not safe either.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

10 minutes ago, KainXavier said:

To me, Discord is not a suitable replacement for support requests nor is it a particularly effective repository of information. 

/signed

 

For me Discord is an absolutely confusing mess.  

[Crimson Cross]

My families first system was the Atari 2600 back in the 80's and so I've went in on the 2600 + and the homebrew scene here with AtariAge has my interest, so the games I hope will work are...

 

A Roach in Space

Backfire

Climber 5

Drive

Gyvolver

[Thomas Jentzsch]

10 minutes ago, Crimson Cross said:

My families first system was the Atari 2600 back in the 80's and so I've went in on the 2600 + and the homebrew scene here with AtariAge has my interest, so the games I hope will work are...

 

A Roach in Space

Backfire

Climber 5

Drive

Gyvolver

Try the ROMs you are interested in in Stella and enable the info overlay (Alt+L). 2K, 4K, F8 and F6 are confirmed to work, others may follow. But e.g. DPC(+) and CDF(J) will most likely never work.

[Albert]

Three of the games are 4K, one is 8K, and one is 32K. 
 

  ..Al

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I wonder if and when the all new, all good Atari will (unlike Retron) give credit(s) to the emulator they are basing their product on.

 

After all, Stella is DonationWare. Its Credits List is quite long, and the Stella team is very thankful to everybody who helped keeping Stella alive and kicking for so long. But as of now, Atari's name is missing.

[Cyprian]

2 hours ago, Albert said:

Three of the games are 4K, one is 8K, and one is 32K. 
 

  ..Al

 ok, that's a pity because my TV is only 4K