The Atari 2600+ is live for preorders!

[John Stamos Mullet]

The reality is, it’s really hard to make a retro product like this that both:

 

1. costs low enough that casuals and impulse buyers jump on it.

 

2. satisfies the wants/expectations of the hardcore collectors/armchair critics without completely blowing that budget. 
 

While nobody likes to hear it, the casuals are a market where a healthy profit can be made. The Hardcores are not. While the hardcores may be more likely to buy it because they buy everything just because (and then complain about it after) they aren’t a big enough number to cater to, if it’s going to balloon the price past the point of profitability and driving the casuals away.

[donjn]

2 hours ago, M-S said:

I think that if the 2600+ doesn't sell as well as Atari expects the impressions executives and investors will have is more likely to be "we should stop investing in legacy hardware" rather than "we should improve the technology", they could even stop the new cartridges and accessories thing. But I think casuals are going to buy enough of it.

Yes and thats the rub. Ive seen it happen before.

Make a crappy product, it doesnt sell, then stop making product instead of making it better. It really sucks.

 

[Dr Karnov]

Between Amazon UK and US, it has at least 2600 preorders (2000+ in USA, 600+ in the UK)

 

That's got to be a good sign, right?

[JPF997]

25 minutes ago, Dr Karnov said:

Between Amazon UK and US, it has at least 2600 preorders (2000+ in USA, 600+ in the UK)

 

That's got to be a good sign, right?

That's a great sign, so many pre orders from Amazon alone and from just two countries show's how much interest this system has amongst the gaming public, no doubt this is gonna be a hit.

[tmop69]

2 hours ago, JPF997 said:

That's a great sign, so many pre orders from Amazon alone and from just two countries show's how much interest this system has amongst the gaming public, no doubt this is gonna be a hit.

 

900+ in Germany, 100+ in Italy and 200+ in France. 🙂 

[Dr Karnov]

They seem like really good numbers to me.

 

Especially since it's not out for another 2 months

[Dionoid]

30 minutes ago, tmop69 said:

 

900+ in Germany, 100+ in Italy and 200+ in France. 🙂 

These are pretty good numbers. The Benelux (via bol.com) probably shows a lower amount of pre-orders, as on bol.com the Atari 2600+ is only discoverable through a direct link from Atari.com. If you search on bol.com for “Atari 2600” or “Atari 2600+”, you will only see “Bezerk enhanced” (yes, with spelling error), “Mr. Run and Jump” and the Paddle controllers box, but not the actual Atari 2600+.

[Blinky]

7 hours ago, Dionoid said:

on bol.com the Atari 2600+ is only discoverable through a direct link from Atari.com

I noticed that too. I also noticed there isn't a CX40+ Joystick available.

[DEANJIMMY]

While I keep the Jr for 2600 games, I still hope the 2600+ can take the role of my modded 7800.

 

After I saw the 4:3 / 16:9  switch on a photo, I am quite sure it won't have any crt filters and stuff. To change those settings it would need to boot in a config menu if no cart inserted, like the real PAL 7800 starts Asteroids.

 

Question to Al:

Does the untested Commando cart work in 7800 mode with 2 button Joystick/Pad?

As paddles work,  this should be the case.

 

I recently found that the unijoysticle2 C64 works on the 7800 with external power supply.

I could explain how it works but that is another topic.

 

Long story short: I found a better way to connect wireless Bluetooth Arcade sticks or Pads suporting A/B buttons to the 7800 and played Commando with my 8bitdo Arcade stick (I know the other way with

7800mega + 8bitdo genesis receiver...)🤙

 

Now I want a 7800 Robotron NTSC cart and for that I need the 2600+ as my 7800 is PAL.

 

The unijoysticle2 can map both joystick ports to one controller and I already played Robotron twin stick with a dualsense on my C64.

To do the same on a 7800 / 2600+ would be a dream.

 

So, does the untested 7800 carts like Commando work on the 2600+ with A/B buttons?

 

Al, please say yes 😊

[Giles N]

If the 2600+, - ad it is now -, won’t play any other 7800-titles than those already listed (no homebrews, none of the ‘missing’ (=Untested) carts, 

what are the best options to find out where the problems are, what are the best way to improve the emulation-software (I can play, I think any 7800-title on certain emulators), what would be the best way to improve the cart-dumper (make 2600+ 2.0, or produce as converter-piece)?

 

Can any of this be answered given the things we know by now (or can deduce by now), or would one have to know exactly (very detailed) how the hardware is put together and excatly whats in there as emulation-software?

[Video]

Well, look at Nintendo clones. They've existed since the late 90's and the early ones sucked, flat out incompatible with many titles. After 25 odd years, yes they still have issues, mostly color and sound problems, but are also almost 100% compatible. Atari might not be as popular from a console sales point, but was way more popular from an attach rate point. Had they started in the 90's the current ones would be 100% compatible now.

 

Its already not aimed at the casual market, as it uses original games and accessories, unlike flashback which is aimed squarely at casuals being essentially a pnp system. Its why I mentioned retron 77 but not flashback. Like I wouldn't mention Atari collections for the same reason, your locked into a small number of titles (which granted will work) rather than having access to everything, granted with hit and miss compatibility.

 

Atari 2600 is simple enough, given a few generations should be able to achieve near 100% compatibility, perhaps even with this console, since I assume its updatable. Bonus that its being made by, or at least for atari, who should have access to original specs and design notes giving them an advantage starting off.

 

Anyhow, its about goddamn time Atari gets some love, you want casual? Most its games are pick up and play, plentyful, cheap, and most any used game stores (that extend beyond last gen) has a decent selection of titles.

[Tavi]

On 9/16/2023 at 2:56 PM, John Stamos Mullet said:

The reality is, it’s really hard to make a retro product like this that both:

 

1. costs low enough that casuals and impulse buyers jump on it.

 

2. satisfies the wants/expectations of the hardcore collectors/armchair critics without completely blowing that budget. 
 

While nobody likes to hear it, the casuals are a market where a healthy profit can be made. The Hardcores are not. While the hardcores may be more likely to buy it because they buy everything just because (and then complain about it after) they aren’t a big enough number to cater to, if it’s going to balloon the price past the point of profitability and driving the casuals away.

This is where the 2600+ baffles me a bit. You would think the casuals and impulse buyers would rather go for the 50th anniversary Flashback, as it is two-thirds the price of the 2600+ but also comes with two paddles, two joysticks, save/load options and 130 games all in one package.

Then the hardcores are looking at this and see it has no micro-SD and questionable ability to play two button 7800 titles and 2600 modern releases, hacks/homebrews.

I am sure it will still turn a profit (12 versions of Flashbacks have proved that) but I cannot see it having large appeal to either consumer group to be honest.

[desiv]

17 minutes ago, Tavi said:

This is where the 2600+ baffles me a bit. You would think the casuals and impulse buyers would rather go for the 50th anniversary Flashback, as it is two-thirds the price of the 2600+ but also comes with two paddles, two joysticks, save/load options and 130 games all in one package.

But you can't plug in a cartridge there... 

The difference is all about that memory (or someone just wanting the experience) of plugging in a cart...
It feels that much more authentic retro...

[M-S]

2 hours ago, Video said:

Well, look at Nintendo clones. They've existed since the late 90's and the early ones sucked, flat out incompatible with many titles. After 25 odd years, yes they still have issues, mostly color and sound problems, but are also almost 100% compatible. Atari might not be as popular from a console sales point, but was way more popular from an attach rate point. Had they started in the 90's the current ones would be 100% compatible now.

It's slightly more complex than that, NES clones appeared in the 80's, but in the 90s they updated the technology so they could make them cheaper, which created all the incompatibility and lowered the quality.

2 hours ago, Tavi said:

This is where the 2600+ baffles me a bit. You would think the casuals and impulse buyers would rather go for the 50th anniversary Flashback, as it is two-thirds the price of the 2600+ but also comes with two paddles, two joysticks, save/load options and 130 games all in one package.

Now that I think about it, no one has mentioned emulation features like pausing and save states, maybe they could be a thing, Al?

[donjn]

3 hours ago, Tavi said:

This is where the 2600+ baffles me a bit. You would think the casuals and impulse buyers would rather go for the 50th anniversary Flashback, as it is two-thirds the price of the 2600+ but also comes with two paddles, two joysticks, save/load options and 130 games all in one package.

Then the hardcores are looking at this and see it has no micro-SD and questionable ability to play two button 7800 titles and 2600 modern releases, hacks/homebrews.

I am sure it will still turn a profit (12 versions of Flashbacks have proved that) but I cannot see it having large appeal to either consumer group to be honest.

This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Its this weird middle ground.

Edited September 18, 2023 by donjn

[donjn]

3 hours ago, desiv said:

But you can't plug in a cartridge there... 

The difference is all about that memory (or someone just wanting the experience) of plugging in a cart...
It feels that much more authentic retro...

But look, a lot of the hardcore audience cant be fooled. Yes I get its a physcial cart but In my mind I know its not FPGA and its a rom dump. A rom dump WITHOUT any possiblity of loading more ROMS! Its the worst of both worlds. So you have to go out and buy old cartiridges so you can dump roms! 

 

 

[desiv]

14 minutes ago, donjn said:

But look, a lot of the hardcore audience cant be fooled. Yes I get its a physcial cart but In my mind I know its not FPGA and its a rom dump.

 

 

Yeah, it's obviously not the end all product for hard cores...

I think this product is aimed at casuals and sorta-casuals who maybe have some carts still in the closet or just want that retro feel.

For hard cores, it would be an alternate console, just to hook to the HDMI system...

 

So they are aiming for good enough for both markets...

 

Based on pre-sales, it is sounding like it might be doing at least part of that...

 

[nopaybob]

Alot of haters and whining here but I'm still pro 2600+ 

For me I don't care if an SD will or won't work. 

I have sd carts for multiple systems but beside playing an unobtainable game when I first got them, I never use them. 

I would rather choose a cartridge out of my stack and play. For me that's where it's at the feel, the artwork, my games that is the nostalgia that's kept me owning a 2600 for 40 some odd years. I'll  take that 2600+

 It doesn't matter what kind of magic makes the cartridge slot work

I think it's a lot cooler looking than a retron or flashback plus it's got new controllers, and will play most cartridges.

I want to know since they didn't include warlords on the paddle gamepack .Are they going to release and upgrade of warlords?

 

 

 

[Giles N]

4 hours ago, Video said:

they still have issues, mostly color and sound problems, but are also almost 100% compatible. Atari might not be as popular from a console sales point,

Well, but clones of consoles - guess they are made as cheap as possible, and from reverse-engineering what see as they open a NES/Famicom.

 

Atari hopefully have some info about how the 2600 and 7800 worked, and they can obtain alot of hands-on enthusiast knowledge if stick around and ask.

 

So, hopefully, they can get the 2600+ to really get a lot closer to 100% compatibility with a little research and friendly interaction like right here with the folks who’ve spent ever-so-much time with these consoles during the past 20+ years.

 

And, I wonder if there are options that Atari could choose, which may make their product not come off as half-iterated/half-hearted, but would , - given they do additional refining - , resolve hardware issues/software-issues while also making the solutions come across as meaningful and fulfilling to retro-gamers; both casual and hardcore.

But it may involve some investments ($), and some tough dealings. 
 

[+Defender_2600]

21 minutes ago, nopaybob said:

.Are they going to release and upgrade of warlords?

https://atari.com/products/warlords

 

[Dr Karnov]

I'm a lifetime gamer and I've only played 2600 and 7800 two different ways:

 

- on my 7800 (which I've not touched for years)

- on cart on the Evercade

 

Although Evercade is emulation, I've never downloaded an emulator or a ROM of an Atari game, and I've never played an Atari game on anything other than my TV or my Evercade EXP.

 

I've preordered the 2600+ and I'm looking forward to getting more familiar with the Atari and it's library.

 

If people want FPGA, MiSTer has working Atari cores. If people want original hardware all the way, they can get a working system and a CRT.

 

I personally think that this caters to a section of the market because it's a section of the market that has me in it!

[+GoldLeader]

(In General),   Just remember,   If they put out crap and you buy it,...Then wonder why they are putting out crap...It's because you bought it.

[+GoldLeader]

On 9/17/2023 at 12:46 AM, Dr Karnov said:

Between Amazon UK and US, it has at least 2600 preorders (2000+ in USA, 600+ in the UK)

 

That's got to be a good sign, right?

 

Ya might say they're gonna sell  2600+ of these  things...

[+GoldLeader]

 

Analogue,  if you're listening Please put out a 2600-like FPGA (With 7800 core compatibility)!

 

Please,  Please, Please,  I'll be good,  for like, at least 2 months...And I'll buy you a Beer!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

On 9/16/2023 at 10:56 PM, John Stamos Mullet said:

While nobody likes to hear it, the casuals are a market where a healthy profit can be made. The Hardcores are not.

I agree. But then, what does that mean for AtariAge? Will it be turned into a forum for casuals?