Atari 50th: Wider World of Atari DLC (Review)

[+DrVenkman]

I don't even see an announcement about this on Steam. Is it not coming to PC? The original release a couple years ago is one of my favorite of the (too many!) classic compilations and reissues I've purchased over the decades, going back to Microsoft Arcade for Win3.1.

 

EDIT: Nevermind, found it. It's not linked from the main Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration listing, which seems like a major oversight. I was able to find it by navigating to Atari's site, finding the listing for the new game, and following the Steam link from there.

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2775650/Atari_50_The_Wider_World_of_Atari/

 

EDIT AGAIN: Something is weird with this Steam listing. I used the link above to add it to my Wishlist but in the Steam app, or when I just open a new Steampowered web session, it does not show on my Wishlist. There's also no price listed. It all seems quite odd for a title expected to release in a day or two. 

[TopDrawer]

Great vid as usual!

Looking forward for the two DLCs. 

As a graphic designer, really looking forward to Evelyn Seto's interview. I love Atari's iconic sci-fi brand image.

It would be really cool if Atari and Digital Eclipse kept supporting and releasing more content to the collection as the years go by.

I hope they get a Steve Wozniak interview in the future to talk about the development of Breakout, that'd be really cool.

As others have also said in this thread, a Battlezone DLC is a must too. They really need to get that IP back.

Edited Wednesday at 10:02 PM by TopDrawer

[+sramirez2008]

13 minutes ago, TopDrawer said:

As others have also said in this thread, a Battlezone DLC is a must too. They really need to get that IP back.

Maybe this will work. Battlezone, Battlezone, Battlezone!

[Bixler]

2 hours ago, moycon said:

Day one purchase!!

Same. I bought the collection very recently for sale on PSN and it has blown me away. The best retro collection I've ever encountered, for my money.

[Bixler]

2 hours ago, moycon said:

Day one purchase!!

Same. I bought the collection very recently for sale on PSN and it has blown me away. The best retro collection I've ever encountered, for my money.

[Giles N]

7 minutes ago, sramirez2008 said:

Maybe this will work. Battlezone, Battlezone, Battlezone!

Crowdfund with torches and pitchforks…

[+bent_pin]

@Metal Jesus Great video, solid coverage. Thanks for the info. I notice that Atari emailed out a link to your video. Very cool!

 

I haven't been able to figure out how to buy this on steam yet. Guess it will be a bit longer.

[TopDrawer]

12 minutes ago, sramirez2008 said:

Maybe this will work. Battlezone, Battlezone, Battlezone!

[Giles N]

23 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

I haven't been able to figure out how to buy this on steam yet. Guess it will be a bit longer.

For my timezone it says available in 16 hours.

 

50 minutes ago, TopDrawer said:

It would be really cool if Atari and Digital Eclipse kept supporting and releasing more content to the collection as the years go by.

Yes, they can begin to slow down DLC by 2070…

 

———

 

Actually, I feel there are tons of things they can tap into. It would, however become a project of prioritizing this over that, if they begin to re-gather classic Atari Arcade IP… 
I believe where Atari is at now, they need to use the console-era and their aftermarket eras for as much as these segments in history are worth. Guess 50th does that as ‘overview’ and the Plus consoles and the 400Mini does that in special hardware formats.

If Atari have no plans ( - or even if they have plans) for more +consoles, - 8-Bit, Lynx, Jaguar -, one of the easiest ways to get the crowds’ attention for the quality legacy games for these systems that exist, is to get those IPs (or longstanding license-deal) and make it DLC.

 

I think they could have traded in some of 2600 titles for a new Lynx or Jaguar game. I miss Atari 5200 homebrews, even more stuff for the 7800. Are they holding back, wanting to use these for upcoming Plus consoles? I hope that is the reason.

 

I’ll undoubtly buy this patch asap. Its in the area of heavy legacy Atari-games, where they’re really nailing it now, even though there are promosing things happening to their modern games too (but somewhat uneven in content sometimes, and no unifying meta-game platform for the Recharged series, I mean a metaplatforn that serves as a game initself, or possibly a chatroom or the like), leaving Atari 50th to be almost the spine of things on software releaes for modern systems and their retro-consoles to hopefully both please the existing retrogamers out there and getting other potentislly interested to have a look (and perhaps get hooked).

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:52 PM by Giles N

[TopDrawer]

4 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I miss Atari 5200 homebrews, even more stuff for the 7800. Are they holding back, wanting to use these for upcoming Plus consoles? I hope that is the reason.

It would be cool if they eventually release a DLC including most of Bob DeCrescenzo's homebrews that are now getting an official release alongside the 7800+.

Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest, Asteroids Deluxe, the works, all those 7800 ports, the works.

More, rarer Jaguar games that didn't make the cut into the collection.

A Hasbro Interactive section, with all the reimaginings of the Atari classics for the PS1, Glover 1, a finished version of Glover 2. As well as interviews with people like Jayson Hill, explaining Hasbro's original plans with Atari, etc.

[Giles N]

4 minutes ago, TopDrawer said:

It would be cool if they eventually release a DLC including most of Bob DeCrescenzo's homebrews that are now getting an official release alongside the 7800+.

Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest, Asteroids Deluxe, the works, all those 7800 ports, the works.

I think that releases/releasing of most of his games will be attempted.

However, some of his Pac-stuff may get published only under license agreements, which may make them only get 7800+ cartridge runs.

(I’m speculating here, I don’t know).

 
If Atari grows financially they could perhaps secure licensed runs for other topgames for the 7800+, perhaps a few 2600+ games (Mappy Arcade port).

It would - among retro gamers - present something kinda new: a company using their retrogame hardware to pick up again and continue further these consoles on a symbolic level, so as to stimulate, broaden and grow the homebrew communities (situation will then beg for a more highly efficient AA-store or Atari-affiliated 3rd party License-publisher to get games out to peoples mailboxes).

[Sean_1970]

6 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

 

The other ten Stern games are the aforementioned Lost Tomb, Armored Car, Tazz-Mania, Rescue, Dark Planet, Moon War, Great Guns, Maze Blazer, Mine Field, and the lost Atomic Castle.

Interesting, I don’t think I’ve played any of them, but Lost Tomb and I lived in Chicago during the early 80s!

[+DrVenkman]

39 minutes ago, Giles N said:

For my timezone it says available in 16 hours.

That's not the odd part - see my earlier post. This DLC is not linked from the main Atari50 store listing on Steam, nor is it mentioned on that listing's Activity or DLC pages. It also does not have a price listed, which is EXTREMELY unusual for Steam. In fact, I was under the impression that items couldn't be listed without prices. Further, although I can ostensibly Wishlist it from the listing on Steampowered . com, it does NOT show up on my Wishlist from within Steam itself. 

Something is very fubar about the Steam listing right now.

[+jeremiahjt]

1 hour ago, sramirez2008 said:

Maybe this will work. Battlezone, Battlezone, Battlezone!

From your fingertips to the Kingsley's ears. Or maybe eyes.

[Giles N]

37 minutes ago, TopDrawer said:

More, rarer Jaguar games that didn't make the cut into the collection.

I believe Atari now possesses the IP for Iron Soldier, and if (S) = series, franchise with all titles, it would be a wasted opportunity to not get this on a Atari 50th forthcoming DLC, unless they have plans how to reach a significant number with Jag-repros on some Emulation system.

It would be perfect DLC content for an Atari 50th collection, which wsnted to be the multiplatform presentation of important excerpts and highlights from all of Atari retro history.

[Metal Jesus]

2 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

Is it not coming to PC?

I captured all of this footage on PC...so it's definitely coming to that. 👍

[+DrVenkman]

28 minutes ago, Metal Jesus said:

I captured all of this footage on PC...so it's definitely coming to that. 👍

Good to know. 

I just want to know why the Steam listing is so wonky, as detailed in my two earlier posts tonight. Not even a price listed. 

[TopDrawer]

35 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I believe Atari now possesses the IP for Iron Soldier, and if (S) = series, franchise with all titles, it would be a wasted opportunity to not get this on a Atari 50th forthcoming DLC, unless they have plans how to reach a significant number with Jag-repros on some Emulation system.

It would be perfect DLC content for an Atari 50th collection, which wsnted to be the multiplatform presentation of important excerpts and highlights from all of Atari retro history.

I know, I've read the IP List thread.

I hope they can add those to the collection, as well as the other games like I-War, Bubsy Fractured Furry Tales, Attack of the Mutant Penguins, Breakout 2000, Defender 2000, Space War 2000, all the other Atari titles published by Telegames, etc.

Edited Thursday at 12:21 AM by TopDrawer

[Atariboy]

Looks like they're going to provide a discount if you buy these two packs bundled. The Xbox store shows the bundle as $14 where as standalone they're $8 each. For anyone that might be unfamiliar with preordering digital content, you'll of course have to wait until release day in order to access the 2nd DLC pack in the bundle since it doesn't release until November 8th. 

[digdugnate]

I've spent about two hours playing the first 'wave' of DLC this morning.  

 

I love the new videos and stories; while I haven't played through all the games yet, Berzerk Arcade and 2600 Berzerk: Voice Enhanced play really well.  I'm super happy with the DLC.

[+swlovinist]

Here are my thoughts about this DLC content for Atari 50 as well as my small contribution to this awesome project!

Here is my latest video covering the latest from Atari!

[zzip]

19 hours ago, Giles N said:

If I may ask, what is the background story here, and how or why would it impact Ataris chances to get them, or as you say ‘work it out’ (did you think primarily for use in a DLC for the Atari 50th and then, like thats it, or did you think ‘buy the full list of Activision Atari-fame IPs’, and use these IPs in the future)

 

It just seems that whenever the classic IP ends up in the hands of a big company, it just rots in a vault.   Activision stopped producing 2600 collections over a decade ago now,   it's nowhere near as profitable as Call of Duty or Diablo or the Guitar Hero games they were milking for awhile,  and making a deal with a third party like Atari is not worth their time...  or they'll ask too much money for it and not make a deal viable.    So given that, I'm less hopeful now that they are under Microsoft.

 

There's been a little hope around Warner Bros lately because they announced they're considering selling off their gaming stuff to raise some much-needed cash.    But they still might want too much money for the classic stuff for Atari

[MrMaddog]

17 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

I don't even see an announcement about this on Steam. Is it not coming to PC? The original release a couple years ago is one of my favorite of the (too many!) classic compilations and reissues I've purchased over the decades, going back to Microsoft Arcade for Win3.1.

 

EDIT: Nevermind, found it. It's not linked from the main Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration listing, which seems like a major oversight. I was able to find it by navigating to Atari's site, finding the listing for the new game, and following the Steam link from there.

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2775650/Atari_50_The_Wider_World_of_Atari/

 

EDIT AGAIN: Something is weird with this Steam listing. I used the link above to add it to my Wishlist but in the Steam app, or when I just open a new Steampowered web session, it does not show on my Wishlist. There's also no price listed. It all seems quite odd for a title expected to release in a day or two. 

 

I just checked the link and it says, "Will unlock in an hour..." (As of 10:30 AM on 9/26/24)

 

That's dumb considering it's already available on other consoles right now.

 

Edited Thursday at 02:34 PM by MrMaddog
In before the first "Where's Bubsy!?" posting...

[+DrVenkman]

5 minutes ago, zzip said:

It just seems that whenever the classic IP ends up in the hands of a big company, it just rots in a vault.   Activision stopped producing 2600 collections over a decade ago now,   it's nowhere near as profitable as Call of Duty or Diablo or the Guitar Hero games they were milking for awhile,  and making a deal with a third party like Atari is not worth their time...  or they'll ask too much money for it and not make a deal viable.    So given that, I'm less hopeful now that they are under Microsoft.

I really hope you’re wrong but you’re probably not. I had great hopes when the merger went through that someone somewhere would dig up the Lost Treasures of Infocom on iOS along with the Activision Anthology collection and simply recompile them for 64-bit so they will run on modern iOS and iPad OS devices. They were absolutely PERFECT collections, especially the Infocom set. 3D high-res models of the boxes and feelies you could rotate, zoom in and out from all angles, etc, “Invisiclues” you could selectively unhide and then cover up again for later replays … just great stuff all around. And they just need to be recompiled and re-released. They would fit perfectly into a “Wider World” type collection of archived retro games. 

[Flyindrew]

While Im cool with the content with teh DLC, I would have liked to have seen a brand new game included. Something similar to what Atari did with the original Atari 50 with games like Neo Breakout, Haunted House, Vctr Sector and Yars.