AtariAge + Atari Q&A

[Albert]

2 minutes ago, D Train said:

Moonsweeper.  Then (I think) dragonstomper.

Yes,

 

Combat Commando

Space Invader

Star Raider

Chopper Commander

Moonsweeper

Dragonstomper

Stargunner

River Patroller

Quadrunner

 

 ..Al

[+D Train]

5 hours ago, TrogdarRobusto said:

If your mission is a good one, a mission that has a strong community, sense of purpose, makes sense in the marketplace ... one would imagine that it would also be profitable. that is what I am rooting for ... 

Absolutely.  It was clear that the previous regime thought, "we have this video game related IP...how can we make money?" while the current regime (appears) to think "we have this video game related IP...how can we best develop new video game products to make money?"

 

Those are two *very* different approaches.  One is solely focused on profit, which can lead to some weird outcomes (a video game company entering the hospitality market, a steel company becoming an investment holding company, etc).  The other is more focused on developing products that satisfy a particular market niche, and growing the market by cultivating it.

 

I think that the second approach makes a lot of sense if you have time on your side and realistic revenue goals.  If there's no need to strike it rich immediately (because of, for example, self-funding, or other adequate capitalization), it's possible to create reliable income levels, and build on that base.  Further, putting in the time to develop product and deepen relationships with the market, can make it easier for the company to branch out into unusual or unexpected directions.

 

Time will tell how this all works out! 

[Tavi]

4 hours ago, TrogdarRobusto said:

What rank comes after chopper commander? I like that title, I might have to stop posting when I get close to the threshold to the next level.

Are there still ranks? For the last few weeks I only see posters listed either as 'Members' or 'Subscriber', I do not see any of the old titles anymore and thought they were removed for some reason.

[+D Train]

Just now, Tavi said:

Are there still ranks? For the last few weeks I only see posters listed either as 'Members' or 'Subscriber', I do not see any of the old titles anymore and thought they were removed for some reason.

I am using a laptop and if i roll over the joysticks, I see the rank.

 

[Tavi]

Just now, D Train said:

I am using a laptop and if i roll over the joysticks, I see the rank.

 

Oh, interesting! Thanks for the information.

[Wildstar]

4 minutes ago, Tavi said:

Oh, interesting! Thanks for the information.

Currently, I'm a moonsweeper. Yay!!! Took me all of how many years since 2006. How long before I am Crazy Comets!!!  It's a classic in my faves for the C64. I know it's inspired clone of Mad Planets

 

 

[Wildstar]

I am so fucking making a clone of it for the hell of it supporting T5 with an additional RR material for backdrop!!!! Whether that be commercially released depends.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Wildstar

[+Defender_2600]

7 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Success is usually measured in terms of number of units sold.  How many units were sold via Amazon Germany?

 

Answer: it doesn't matter, because it's way too early to tell.  Calling it a success or failure at this point would be pointless as it's neither.

 

On Amazon in two weeks, around 1000+ units sold in Germany and 2000+ units sold in the USA, it's a good success for now. It's still a pre-order but, just to get an idea, you can compare it with the sales of other consoles on Amazon com. I took a look a few days ago, but consider that the current month is ending and the counts on Amazon have recently reset. It's not an exact science but the current result seems more than positive.

 

 

[roots.genoa]

8 hours ago, PowerDubs said:

have never sold a single share

Why would you anyway? It's not like it got high enough...

[+x=usr(1536)]

6 hours ago, Defender_2600 said:

On Amazon in two weeks, around 1000+ units sold in Germany and 2000+ units sold in the USA, it's a good success for now.

That's not an unreasonable start, particularly for a console with niche appeal.  It'll be interesting to see how it does in the longer-term, but that's a little better than I was estimating (±2500 units).

[+jeremiahjt]

10 hours ago, TrogdarRobusto said:

Yes. 

I think we all know what this means. Atari 50 DLC unlockable game.

[+Defender_2600]

1 hour ago, x=usr(1536) said:

That's not an unreasonable start, particularly for a console with niche appeal.  It'll be interesting to see how it does in the longer-term, but that's a little better than I was estimating (±2500 units).

3000+ units sold in two weeks only on Amazon com and Amazon de. We then need to add units sold by all other international retailers, including units sold in the Atari store. When I took that look, Amazon uk had sold 700+ units.

 

[PowerDubs]

7 hours ago, Defender_2600 said:

 

On Amazon in two weeks, around 1000+ units sold in Germany and 2000+ units sold in the USA, it's a good success for now. It's still a pre-order but, just to get an idea, you can compare it with the sales of other consoles on Amazon com. I took a look a few days ago, but consider that the current month is ending and the counts on Amazon have recently reset. It's not an exact science but the current result seems more than positive.

 

 

 

 

On Sept 24th I took a look around and at that time- Atari 2600+ sales shown on Amazon websites 'in past month' - U.S. 2k+ | CA 600+ | UK 700+ | DE 1k+ | FR 200+

[PowerDubs]

59 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

That's not an unreasonable start, particularly for a console with niche appeal.  It'll be interesting to see how it does in the longer-term, but that's a little better than I was estimating (±2500 units).

 

I think it's safe to say at least 5k are sold on Amazon globally so far.

 

I'd also think it's safe to say that just as many have been sold on Atari's own website.

 

So yea... I'm thinking 10k+ already.

[+Sauron]

2 minutes ago, PowerDubs said:

 

I think it's safe to say at least 5k are sold on Amazon globally so far.

 

I'd also think it's safe to say that just as many have been sold on Atari's own website.

 

So yea... I'm thinking 10k+ already.

How are you coming to that conclusion? No one here (except for Atari employees who have access to the data) has any idea how many have been preordered directly from Atari. Saying it's "safe to say" doesn't mean anything. I can just as easily claim that Atari has only sold 1k preorders through their website, which could be closer to the truth than the number you stated. At best, both numbers are uneducated guesses.

 

[PowerDubs]

5 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Why would you anyway? It's not like it got high enough...

 

It hit $1.14 or so before Wade dumped the price.

 

But even at the last few weeks... your comment is wrong.  Example- I bought 28k shares a couple weeks ago at .14 and the next day the price went to .17 - a paper gain of $840.

 

Atari is easily worth $X. as opposed to $.X

[PowerDubs]

6 minutes ago, Sauron said:

How are you coming to that conclusion? No one here (except for Atari employees who have access to the data) has any idea how many have been preordered directly from Atari. Saying it's "safe to say" doesn't mean anything. I can just as easily claim that Atari has only sold 1k preorders through their website, which could be closer to the truth than the number you stated. At best, both numbers are uneducated guesses.

 

 

How?  Easy- most of the news articles, TV presentations, youtube videos, social media- all point to Atari's own website.   That DOES mean something.  It's a guess...backed by logic.

[+Sauron]

8 minutes ago, PowerDubs said:

 

How?  Easy- most of the news articles, TV presentations, youtube videos, social media- all point to Atari's own website.   That DOES mean something.  It's a guess...backed by logic.

That doesn't mean much. They can go to Atari's website to find information on it, but they can just as easily order it from Amazon, especially if they're ordering more than one item. Again, your number is nothing more than just a guess, and I'd say probably not an accurate one at that.

 

[TrogdarRobusto]

15 hours ago, PowerDubs said:

 I readily (and often) call Atari out for the dumb things they do.

I can attest to this. Powerdubs is not shy about pointing out things he is not happy with. Especially to me Right Powerdubs? 

How are you doing in this rain by the way? It is nuts up by me. Huge puddles in the backyard, and my wife is trapped in the city because the trains are shut down.

[Mockduck]

2 hours ago, Sauron said:

How are you coming to that conclusion? No one here (except for Atari employees who have access to the data) has any idea how many have been preordered directly from Atari. Saying it's "safe to say" doesn't mean anything. I can just as easily claim that Atari has only sold 1k preorders through their website, which could be closer to the truth than the number you stated. At best, both numbers are uneducated guesses.

 

Someone needs to do the work to determine the number but orders placed through Atari.com are given a sequential order number, so just like on the VCS side we've been able to track game sales in aggregate based on order number. I ordered immediately when available and my 2600+ order was 7925. The 50th XP set I ordered early this year was 4944. If someone places an order from Atari.com today you'll get a number that can be compared. Note that the number will also include things like orders for the Berzerk Enhanced and such, but it gives you a ballpark.

[TrogdarRobusto]

6 minutes ago, Mockduck said:

Someone needs to do the work to determine the number but orders placed through Atari.com are given a sequential order number, so just like on the VCS side we've been able to track game sales in aggregate based on order number. I ordered immediately when available and my 2600+ order was 7925. The 50th XP set I ordered early this year was 4944. If someone places an order from Atari.com today you'll get a number that can be compared. Note that the number will also include things like orders for the Berzerk Enhanced and such, but it gives you a ballpark.

I bet those order numbers are just Shopify sequential orders, not actual 2600+ inventory counts. I mean, you can keep trying ... but I doubt Atari is going to be giving out that information any time soon. Sorry .. 

[JPF997]

9 minutes ago, TrogdarRobusto said:

I bet those order numbers are just Shopify sequential orders, not actual 2600+ inventory counts. I mean, you can keep trying ... but I doubt Atari is going to be giving out that information any time soon. Sorry .. 

Oh Trogdar you have no idea how many conspiracy theories people have come up with as a result of those Shopify sequential order numbers, some people have even come to believe that only 40 thousand pieces of software/games total have been sold on the VCS  digital store just because of those order numbers, this never made sense to me because how on earth could a digital eco system be maintained with such low sales numbers, I  had a gut feeling that those order numbers couldn't possibly be  indicative of the real sale's numbers and I'm glad to be proven right.

[zzip]

18 hours ago, JPF997 said:

It's funny looking back now at when this product was first announced, so many people especially around here were claiming that there was no market for this  (bla bla  it isn't fpga so the hardcore aren't gonna buy it bla bla it only has 10 built-in  games so casuals won't like it either etc ) wonder what the cope is going to be now that it's obvious for anyone to see that this console is going to be a great success for Atari

There was a lot more negativity around the VCS when it was announced,  but now there's an active community of VCS fans here with only occasional grumblings.

 

A lot of the negativity isn't really about the systems themselves, it comes from people either angry about something another Atari iteration has done in the past or something Atari isn't doing now,  or mad about "scam" consoles that never saw the light of day "Coleco Chameleon", "Amico" and claim everything is a scam.

[TrogdarRobusto]

3 minutes ago, zzip said:

There was a lot more negativity around the VCS when it was announced

The number of times it was called vaporware ... the VCS has its weak points, I could point them out all day long. But it has some strengths.

[+jgkspsx]

1 hour ago, Mockduck said:

I ordered immediately when available and my 2600+ order was 7925.

I ordered a paddle set, Berzerk, and Mr Run and Jump on August 22 and it was order 75xx. I ordered a VCS PC Mode USB stick on September 22 and it was order 141xx. So if they are sequential that’s rather a lot of orders (admittedly could be t shirts or whatever).