Any update on the Flashback 2.0?

[davidbrit2]

Edge connectors are cheap .. .. but finding the best way to mount it to accept the force of plugging in / removing carts will be the challenge of modifying the unit.  And what about those pins to open up the cart doors?  Just have to wait and see.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

844255[/snapback]

 

I'll probably just cannibalize the whole port assembly out of an old junked 4-switch or something. Or maybe a dead Jr. I think I've got one of those around somewhere...

[River Raider]

It would be great to have a walkthrough posted here at AA (after the FB 2.0 hits the market, of course) on how to install a cartridge port on the Flashback 2.0...for those of us who are not quite as handy with a soldering iron as the Solder Gurus.

 

I will be very curious to see how good the picture is on the FB 2.0 as compared to the original 2600 with old-style video connections. I'm kinda assuming that the picture will be sharper, more vibrant, and have less ghosting effects...Does anyone here know if I am assuming correctly?

[jsoper]

It would be great to have a walkthrough posted here at AA (after the FB 2.0 hits the market, of course) on how to install a cartridge port on the Flashback 2.0...for those of us who are not quite as handy with a soldering iron as the Solder Gurus. 

 

I will be very curious to see how good the picture is on the FB 2.0 as compared to the original 2600 with old-style video connections.  I'm kinda assuming that the picture will be sharper, more vibrant, and have less ghosting effects...Does anyone here know if I am assuming correctly?

862697[/snapback]

Boy we have a lot of threads on the same subject. I'll post a walkthrough on doing the cart install. Don't believe everything you hear about cutting two traces and installing a switch, it will be easier than that.

As to video quality, you're complaining about RF issues. The FB2 should be equivalent to a 2600 with a composite mod. It won't be as sharp as an s-video mod though (unless the luma and chroma signals are brought out separately from the FB chip).

[River Raider]

The FB2 should be equivalent to a 2600 with a composite mod. It won't be as sharp as an s-video mod though (unless the luma and chroma signals are brought out separately from the FB chip).

 

Ok...maybe this is a stupid question...but here goes...Couldn't they have made the FB 2.0 have S-video output? Or would that have been prohibitively expensive?

 

Either way, I'm sure I'll be thrilled with composite video quality.

[sidcrowe]

"Why would Infogrames be interested in supporting old cartridges?"

 

Just put a big notice on the box and a small one in the mould on the bottom: "We accept no responsibility for the use of old cartridges, at your own risk...blah blah"

 

If people phone in, it's like: "Did you read the warning, sir? Sorry, we don't handle old carts. Thank you. Bye bye, go back to playing the already installed games. Adios."

 

How long does that take to say

[jsoper]

"Why would Infogrames be interested in supporting old cartridges?"

 

Just put a big notice on the box and a small one in the mould on the bottom: "We accept no responsibility for the use of old cartridges, at your own risk...blah blah"

 

If people phone in, it's like: "Did you read the warning, sir? Sorry, we don't handle old carts. Thank you. Bye bye, go back to playing the already installed games. Adios."

 

How long does that take to say   

862994[/snapback]

Why would a software company taking a small detour into the hardware world want any kind of hassle at all? And things always wind up being bigger problems than you first think. Remember that story about a guy suing Atari because the 2600 box showed a chess board but there was no chess game?

Curt and the others probably had to go to bat to use an actual 2600 on chip because it was pricier. Would top management want to eat into the margins even more by including a cart connector. How many sales would that have really gained?

This product will succeed or fail because of Joe Blow doing an impulse buy, not Joe Know-it-all on a message board getting his full wish list.

[sidcrowe]

"Remember that story about a guy suing Atari because the 2600 box showed a chess board but there was no chess game?"

 

No, but just because you sue doesn't mean you win. Also, what are the guy's damages? 35 bucks for a game back in the day?

 

"Would top management want to eat into the margins even more by including a cart connector."

 

I'm thinking MAYBE for the next one. Look how much better this is over the FB1

[Jagasian]

I am going to buy a FB2, and if the FB3 improves on the FB2 by including S-video and a cartridge slot... well then, that would just be the ultimate 2600.

[xeex]

From everything I've seen and read so far, I'm going to buy a Flashback 2 as soon as I see one. I really can't believe something like this is being released in 2005. Heck, I even like the orange buttons. They match the trim!

 

Here's the real question: will you be able to "fry" the games? Probably not the built-in games because of the menu (maybe you can "fry" the menu!), but how about cartridges played through an attached connector?

 

OK, I'm asking for too much here.

[Retro Rogue]

"Why would Infogrames be interested in supporting old cartridges?"

 

Just put a big notice on the box and a small one in the mould on the bottom: "We accept no responsibility for the use of old cartridges, at your own risk...blah blah"

 

If people phone in, it's like: "Did you read the warning, sir? Sorry, we don't handle old carts. Thank you. Bye bye, go back to playing the already installed games. Adios."

 

How long does that take to say   

862994[/snapback]

 

It's not how long it would take to say. It's how often it would have to be said, and what you'd all have to pay to have support staff to say it.

[mos6507]

No, but just because you sue doesn't mean you win.

 

Lawyers still cost money.

[AMG]

I'll be buying this console on launch. I'm really looking forward to it.

[ATARIeric]

It would be great to have a walkthrough posted here at AA (after the FB 2.0 hits the market, of course) on how to install a cartridge port on the Flashback 2.0...for those of us who are not quite as handy with a soldering iron as the Solder Gurus.  

 

I will be very curious to see how good the picture is on the FB 2.0 as compared to the original 2600 with old-style video connections.  I'm kinda assuming that the picture will be sharper, more vibrant, and have less ghosting effects...Does anyone here know if I am assuming correctly?

862697[/snapback]

 

 

That is correct! The picture will be nice and crisp using A/V jacks and not the old style RF connector & switchbox

 

 

Im sure all of those that will mod the units will want to show their work amongst everyone here. I will show pics of my mods when done Im gonna need a few FB2's!

 

 

Step 1: Cut traces to disable onboard games

Step 2: solder cartridge connector to PCB

Step 3: modify case for cartridge slot

Step 4: Play your cartridges

 

Optional Step 5: Wire a toggle switch to traces to enable/disable onboard games/cartridge slot

 

Instructions were provided by Curt Vendel

Edited June 10, 2005 by ATARIeric

[juancferrer]

any word on when it's gonna be released? in a few weeks maybe??

[XT]

end of July, early august

 

 

BTW, nice avatar

[AtticGamer]

There's little point in installing a cartridge connector and then trying to pretend it isn't there.  It costs money to install, so if Infogrames doesn't want more than a few hundred people to know about it then they have no reason to spend money on it.

 

Even if they did try this, it wouldn't work.  It wouldn't take much imagination for people to realize what the connector might be for.  Word would get around pretty quickly.

 

However, I think it would be pretty cool if they included the connector and proudly advertised it.  Not being limited to the built-in titles would carry a lot of appeal.  I bet a sizeable number of people have old Atari games they'd like to play again.  They would take interest in a small modern A/V equipped console to play those old cartridges with.  I imagine most people don't feel like messing with their old VCS units, if they still have them, because either they've misplaced some pieces or they can't hook it up.  But their willingness to buy retro units shows they are indeed interested in having a way to play those old games.

842890[/snapback]

I agree that it would be cool, but it's not going to happen. Why would Infogrames be interested in supporting old cartridges? They don't make any money from their sales, and the cartridges' 20+ year age guarantees there would be some reliability issues. The modern Atari would be deluged with tech support calls and product returns through no fault of their own.

 

The closed system model gives them complete control over the software included. That's the way they like it.

842905[/snapback]

 

 

Then again, they could release 10-20 game multicarts every year at christmas time. That's fewer games to support. I could see Atari doing something like that.

 

The multi carts would be cheap to produce and easy to support. If I were running their marketing group, That's what I'd consider. I have come across many people out there that are nostalgic about their atari's. Last month, I ran across a 50-60 yr old woman who just bought a 2600 and muilticart on eBay to satisfy her nostalgic urge. For every one like her there must be hundreds more that would buy one in a store if it were available to them. A multicart would easily fetch $20-30 each at a much lower unit cost than the entire console. The multi's would also fuel console sales, natch.

 

As for the support calls, they could simply supply a placard stating that the vintage carts are not supported. Then on the tech-support line, the menu would have a statement regarding there is no free support for solving vintage cartidge issues. If you want to use em, and have issues with them you have to "pay" for support. That would be more than fair. That may even finance the free support for the rest of the users.

 

If Atari handled this all right, it would lay the ground work for their comeback in the console business as a console maker.

 

Oh, If I were their marketing VP, I also change the Logo back to original. The new one reminds me of bell bottom jeans...cringe!!!!!

 

 

Atari, Are you listening?

842953[/snapback]

I wish they were listening....I would love an Atari Console.

[mars396]

Does anyone else get the feeling that after we spend our $30, Atari will announce the forthcoming Flashback 2.5, with a cartridge slot and paddles, followed by the BIG announcement that Atari will then release cartridges, each with 5-6 "classic" "retro" games on them ?

[BassGuitari]

Does anyone else get the feeling that after we spend our $30, Atari will announce the forthcoming Flashback 2.5, with a cartridge slot and paddles, followed by the BIG announcement that Atari will then release cartridges, each with 5-6 "classic"  "retro" games on them ?

874497[/snapback]

 

I'd like to think so, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[Ferris]

I would. I'd expect the third flashback unit to top all others. Does that mean a cartridge port and multicards? I doubt it. Who knows.

[Curt Vendel]

Does anyone else get the feeling that after we spend our $30, Atari will announce the forthcoming Flashback 2.5, with a cartridge slot and paddles, followed by the BIG announcement that Atari will then release cartridges, each with 5-6 "classic"  "retro" games on them ?

874497[/snapback]

 

 

WOW!!! COOL !!! Damn, I wished I'd gotten the Memo on that, sounds exciting...

 

 

 

 

 

Curt

[jlh2600]

^lol, that was strange... he usually does not use such caustic responses when people guess.

 

It's real simple- if these make tons of money, then of course they will come out with something just enough of a step above the fb2 to justify buying as well.

 

If not, this will be it for a while. But since THIS ONE has to be SOLD FIRST, even the very notion of a product worth waiting for has to be laughed off as an absurdity by the rep[s. (or else most of us would just wait)

 

And actually, since (peculiarly) one came out to refute peoples' "what ifs" of what's to come, I'd say ideas are already in the works. Maybe instead of just peddling new paddles down the road, they will be available only with purchase of a whole new console altogether, programmed with only paddle games.

 

(no memo lol, just what-iffing)

Edited June 15, 2005 by jlh2600

[mars396]

I'm just saying that once we get the 2.0 for a while (and play the HELL out of it), there will be something even better coming out to make the 2.0 obsolete. Just my gut feeling, is all....

 

Hell, I know I would buy the Flashback a THIRD time if such a device were released.

Edited June 15, 2005 by mars396

[keilbaca]

Well, to me it doesn't matter in either case, I'm just getting a few to mod, which it will have a cartridge slot, and I have paddle controllers already, work quite well. I don't see a problem here

[Laner]

I'm just saying that once we get the 2.0 for a while (and play the HELL out of it), there will be something even better coming out to make the 2.0 obsolete.  Just my gut feeling, is all....

874674[/snapback]

 

Even if there is a Flashback 3, it's not like it's a huge investment.

[Lacan]

Hmm for some reason I can't find Atari Flashback 2 even on preorder at Ebgames, Gamestop, etc.