Atari flashback system horror show

[Curt Vendel]

I don't see people bitching over the Coleco mini arcades, the gamewatch lcd gaming devices and the pocket keychain games that they are so horrible

 

Well, this is 2004, the games are from a console which debuted in the 1970s, and the product was produced by what is officially regarded as "Atari." It's only natural for the unit to be vigorously derided on a hobbyist's forum, as we would have appreciated a good product more than any other section of the market

 

Fair point....

 

Well lets face it, if they came out with a console that was perfect, the hobby community would still find fault anyway :-)

 

 

Curt

[MegaManFan]

True. I don't think anything will ever be as good as the original VCS/2600 to this crowd, but then again that's no excuse for a badly executed product which had the POTENTIAL to be so much more. Like many others have said, I'll probably buy one eventually, but wait until after Xmas when the price drops.

[sidcrowe]

Well lets face it, if they came out with a console that was perfect, the hobby community would still find fault anyway

 

You're totally right :wink:

 

I'd like nothing less than the 2600 re-released along with only the mods of proper a/v out ports and an internet link for us all to download and share homebrews and hacks with...all made possible by an included CD of easy 2600 gamemaking software for PC and Mac...

 

So, outside of that pure 2600 heaven, everything displeases me

[Godzilla]

man, talk about a tough crowd!

[sku_u]

For those waiting for the price drop after the holidays, don't count on it. All the stores that carry it around here have not only sold out, but have the Flashback on backorder. The casual customer waxing nostalgic has found this to be a great gift apparently.

[Beer Monkey]

I have heard that the Flashback is selling extremely well around here with many stores sold out.

 

I think that Infogrames did the right thing in getting the system out this season, even if the games aren't authentic. They have found their target market, and it's not us (for now, at least). If they were still around, Warner Atari, Tramiel Atari, and JTS Atari would have done the same thing, or kicked themselves for missing the opportunity. Flashback is great for the shareholders.

[Stingray]

**shrug** if the price doesn't drop, I won't buy one. Makes no difference to me one way or the other. I just wanna take something apart. Wonder if my wife will miss her blender?

 

-S

[Shaggy the Atarian]

I have heard that the Flashback is selling extremely well around here with many stores sold out.

 

I think that Infogrames did the right thing in getting the system out this season, even if the games aren't authentic.  They have found their target market, and it's not us (for now, at least).  If they were still around, Warner Atari, Tramiel Atari, and JTS Atari would have done the same thing, or kicked themselves for missing the opportunity.  Flashback is great for the shareholders.

 

And I still can't find one around here. It's kind of strange. I haven't even seen it advertised among other similar units like Jakks.

 

But I see this as good news since as Curt mentioned in another thread, if the Flashback does well, and it seems to be doing just that, there will be bigger, better, more enhanced things coming in the future. It will be good to see that as long as they learn from mistakes made this time around and move on.

[Danno]

That's funny, I went to both Best Buy and Circuit City this past weekend, looking for other things, and they had Piles and Piles of Flashback units. Best Buy probably had 300 on the Floor, and who knows how many in the back.

 

My wife even asked me if I wanted one. I told her it was a piece of crap, and it's not the real thing, and that the emulators I play on the computer were 1000% more accurate that this thing...Three other customers turned and looked at me and said "Really?"

 

I said - "yep, it's not a realy Atari, it's a copycat toy company who bought the use of the name, and stuck it on a piece of crap toy for Christmas. The games don't look, sound or play anything like the originals. That's why they have piles of them, and can't sell 'em. The word is out."

 

The salesperson at Best Buy didn't like that too much. I asked him how much commision he made on returns, because he's going to see a lot of them. He asked me to browse for something else. and to stop "bothering" the customers. I promptly put down the $200 woth of merchandise I was going to buy, and told him, it's obvious Circuit City would rather have my money. I then asked him if his manager would like to know how well his sales pitch worked.

 

Needless to say he quickly turned and walked away, no doubt hoping I didn't read the name on his nametag.

 

I figure his worrying about it is more painful than actually telling his boss anything....

[Goochman]

They were $10 off at a Best Buy near me - plenty piled on the floor.

 

As for the unit itself - Sounds like an authentic Jack T Atari unit - Lots of flash - but rushed out the door, crappy games, flimsy hardware

 

Classic Tramiel Atari

[sidcrowe]

I figure his worrying about it is more painful than actually telling his boss anything....

 

Dayum!

 

We are a tough fuckin' crowd

[Robert M]

I have heard that the Flashback is selling extremely well around here with many stores sold out.

 

I think that Infogrames did the right thing in getting the system out this season, even if the games aren't authentic.  They have found their target market, and it's not us (for now, at least).  If they were still around, Warner Atari, Tramiel Atari, and JTS Atari would have done the same thing, or kicked themselves for missing the opportunity.  Flashback is great for the shareholders.

 

Successfuls of the Flashback console could be bad for the community. If the gameplay is radically different/inferior to the original it could breed a lot of misinformation among non-hobbyists. Particularly if the games are not very fun or have severe bugs, it could put people off from classic games when a better emulation/reproduction might draw them into the hobby. Just a thought.

[Robert M]

Crap, that last post should start: Successful sale of the flashback console ...

[Danno]

I wouldn't worry about the flashback ruining the "hobby" as it were....

 

The "hobby" of classic gaming and emulation as you refer to it isn't in any danger for those in the know and for those that don't, we can only try to educate them. If they don't want to listen, so be it. There's nothing worse than 100s of uninvited, loud, obnoxious, Johnny-Come-Lately party crashers killing and otherwise good healthy buzz anyhow.

 

If they want to learn, or truly rediscover classic games, they'll find us, just as we found our ways here. and if they're just following the stupid "retro-junk" trend like Atarigrames, Jaxx, and other exploiters of people's revisionist history and semi-forgotten nostalgia, then eventually their fire will die out in this universe.

 

Atari 2004 = George Lucas & the "Special Editions".

[Flojomojo]

They were $10 off at a Best Buy near me - plenty piled on the floor.

 

As for the unit itself - Sounds like an authentic Jack T Atari  unit - Lots of flash - but rushed out the door, crappy games, flimsy hardware

 

Classic Tramiel Atari

:lolblue: :lolblue: :lolblue: This is what I thought as well -- all the party faithful here bitching about how Infogrames isn't upholding the Atari ideal make me laugh.

 

Shaggy -- try Best Buy or Target. According to the BB site, it's pretty much everywhere in the USA now. Not that you should buy one IMHO.

 

In the clueless consumers' defense: it DOES look like a nice gift. It's well-packaged, has 2 joysticks, and doesn't take batteries. It looks more serious than the Jakks sticks but doesn't break the bank. I want it to be better.