FB3...

[nathanallan]

Will there be a keyboard coming out later as an add-on or do I get to hook up a plain-vanilla PS/2 keyboard? I'm already sold on the FB3. Though I'd like to get a keyboard for it, too (for the computer part).

[Forrest]

What I'd really like to see is a portable Flashback 3 with a 5 or 7 inch backlit LCD, keyboard, gamepad, joystick port, Atari 8-bit cartridge slot and a SIO port. A portable Atari 8-bit - this is something that I'm sure a lot of users have waited for a long time.

[Zonie]

Yeah, this is unfortunate. You'd think, with all of Atari's current financial troubles, that they would be jumping at ANYTHING that has proven to make a profit, even if it's a relatively small one.

 

I hope this FB3 materializes someday. I would have bought one in a heartbeat.

 

You have to understand the operations of a large company like Infogrames. Often times it is better to be losing money, or, at least, to show a loss, in one business unit to minimize the tax burden of a prior gain or that of another business unit. I'm not saying this is what is happening here, but it could be.

 

An example: In the 1990's A local company here was going gangbusters. the principal shareholders were getting rich. They had to show a loss somewhere, to minimize tax liability. They purchased a small company in another state in the same industry as theirs. They systematically destroyed the new acquisition and used the "loss" to reduce the tax burden. What was really sad was that the company they sacked was a very well run, growing company with a bright future. Many good people lost their jobs when the "division" failed. The few principals of both companies got even richer. Ten years later, there are some of those employees who have never recovered to the level that they were at before.

 

It happens every day. Atari is merely a brand. Nothing more. Nothing less. Kudos to Curt to get what products he could out the door before infogrames hit rough water.

 

Someday we may see "Atari" change hands yet again. Unfortunately, the brand is losing value. It isn't Sony, MSFT, or Nintendo. It is a has-been. It is forever associated with retro-nostalgia. We retrogamers are just a very small market. Wall street only cares about money, not nostalgia. One only has to look at the crap in todays gaming market to see that. You can mark-up hype, not nostalgia.

 

I'm not intending to start a flame-war here. I love what was the Atari of my youth, warts and all. The FB2 is an excellent item. I was looking forward to the FB3. Maybe somedaym but for now, my Atari 400 and 5200 will do.

[Math You]

I hope it has a keyboard and maybe a built in screen so it could be used as a complete computer system. Hey, why not give it a modem and internet browser too

[raskar42]

any idea on a game list?

[beyondoasis]

has the FB3 project been official cancelled?

[nathanallan]

According to recent posts, no, just on the back burner so we can get a Flashback2 Portable. The FB3 will come out later. According to recent posts.

 

Nathan

[raskar42]

they mostly come out at night

mostly

[Math You]

800 computer in a 5200 case

function keys/buttons along under the silver strip for pause, select, keypad, etc...

FB2 joystick usage

Front SD card slot acting as D1:

edge connector inside on board to solder an 800 cart connector to for legacy cartridge usage.

Built in SIO2PC connection port for transferring to/from console

footprint for SIO connector to be added

footprint for ps/2 keyboard connector

footprint for vga out

Composite out

 

Games included would've come on an SDcard

An 800 in a 5200 case would be great, though I think it needs a keyboard aswell.

Edited May 8, 2007 by MRB

[Gorf]

Here are

 

 

An FPGA of today would EASILY and very inexpensively handle all of that silicon.

 

An FB3 with all of that functionality would not at all be impossible. A Xilinx Virtex

would beable to do all of that with onboard memory to boot.

[jbanes]

A Xilinx Virtex

would beable to do all of that with onboard memory to boot.

Do you have any idea how much a Virtex costs? A Spartan 3 we could talk about, but a Virtex?

 

In any case, my understanding is that Curt has been doing ASIC runs for the Flashback units. Which makes a lot of sense given the volume of Flashback 2 consoles that have moved.

[Math You]

I found this picture of a keyboard attachment for the 2600. The FB3 would look great with something like this.

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Atari-2600-Spectravi...1QQcmdZViewItem

[+pboland]

I posted in another FB3 topic almost the same reply, but I thought I would put it here to see what other people might think about this idea. It's not a new idea, and I am not the first to suggest this, but the more time passes on the FB3 the more I think that going to the kids computer idea is the best way to go. Vtech has a product called "Nitro Vision TV Learning Station". I think this would be a good way to go for atari. Look at it this way, they already have the learning software in the form of those "AtariLab" programs. I don't think any other kids computer on the market today has anything like the AtariLab stuff. Also, look at the price of the Vtech learning Station. ($60.00) I think that a lot of people would be willing to pay that for a good atari kids computer system. Especially if it has all the functionally of a full blow atari 8-bit (maybe even 16-bit) computer.

 

 

By the way, I know this is pie in the sky type stuff, but it is good to ponder sometimes.

[Math You]

the more time passes on the FB3 the more I think that going to the kids computer idea is the best way to go. Vtech has a product called "Nitro Vision TV Learning Station". I think this would be a good way to go for atari. Look at it this way, they already have the learning software in the form of those "AtariLab" programs. I don't think any other kids computer on the market today has anything like the AtariLab stuff. Also, look at the price of the Vtech learning Station. ($60.00) I think that a lot of people would be willing to pay that for a good atari kids computer system. Especially if it has all the functionally of a full blow atari 8-bit (maybe even 16-bit) computer.

A kids computer could be just the start of a whole range of computers. The Atari lab accessories could be part of a science computer package aimed at teenagers and schools. There could also be a music version with a musical keyboard along the bottom of the regular keyboard (I think Vtech make something similar). Another idea was to make an email phone based on Atari 800 hardware

Edited May 7, 2007 by MRB

[Math You]

All this talk of an FB3 computer might not please console fans. How about an 800/5200 in a 5200 Trak Ball case with an alpha numeric keypad in the top left and right corners?

 

Edited May 7, 2007 by MRB

[AussieAtari]

That I like!

[Fort Apocalypse]

This thread should liven up in place of the flashback 2 portable thread. No more portable in the works according to Curt's latest post and it looks like the Flashback 3 (or something very similar) will be released in 2008 instead.

[werejag]

im not holding my breath seems all this has been smoke and mirrors

[Math You]

What I can't understand is why Atari have been so slow with the developement of the FB portable. You'd think the success of the first Flashbacks would have motivated them to move things up a gear.

[+Random Terrain]

A new 5200 with better controllers might be nice to have since I never got to play most of the games on it, but I really hoped for a new Atari 2600 that would allow me to play my favorite games and any games I might make with batari Basic.

 

I'm starting to lose interest, though. I don't feel like wishing and wondering anymore. Wake me up if the next product ever comes out and I might buy it.

[Fort Apocalypse]

im not holding my breath seems all this has been smoke and mirrors

 

I doubt that Atari would dump FB2 portable for FB3 and then state that FB3 was coming out in Spring '08 unless it wasn't smoke and mirrors. There's no way that they could put a product together without some prototype and have it manufacturing for a Spring '08 release unless a lot of the work was already done. Especially since Atari's workforce was cut a few months ago- there's no way Curt would make a statement like that unless they had something fairly far along I'd hope.

 

What I can't understand is why Atari have been so slow with the developement of the FB portable. You'd think the success of the first Flashbacks would have motivated them to move things up a gear.

 

Curt said in other posts that other stuff was on Atari's radar. During FB2 portable development I didn't see a lot of promises on timeframes. Now that Atari is lean and hungry AND Curt has given a timeline on this which is availability in early '08- this baby is as real as it is going to get . It may be the last retro product while Atari is under Infogrames at the rate they are going now. But Curt is going to give it everything he's got I'm sure!

 

What I'd be more worried about than smoke and mirrors is that the Atari 800 didn't sell nearly as well as the 2600 in the 80's. For that reason I think heavy marketing saying it is an Atari 800 or even 5200 would be a really bad idea for the general market.

 

However, I think as long as the pricepoint is low (hoping $29.99 again) and the games they pick for the carts include some major ones that were available on more than just just Atari 800s back in the day (which account for a great number of them) then I think they can pick up on the markets of those that had Apple ][s, PCs, Amigas, etc. and want to share those games with their kids. But, those games (like Castle Wolfenstein) will have to work with just a standard FB2 joystick somehow because the keyboard was last mentioned that it would have to be hacked on... so that is where I think they are going to have trouble personally. If they figure that out, though- all will be good and there will be sales.

Edited July 29, 2007 by Fort Apocalypse

[werejag]

at this point if there isn't a holiday release of something aka fb2 portable or fb3 then they can just count on no sells from anyone i know. if it ever does get released.

 

fb2 portable is the make or bust moment for atari imho

[Fort Apocalypse]

at this point if there isn't a holiday release of something aka fb2 portable or fb3 then they can just count on no sells from anyone i know. if it ever does get released.

 

fb2 portable is the make or bust moment for atari imho

 

Curt basically said the FB2 portable project was replaced by the FB3 (or something like it), which is coming out in early '08. There will be no FB2 portable as Curt stated except for maybe a prototype on eBay. But, the FB line is not the make or break deal for Atari in general. If it is for you and your friends, so be it. They are a business and they have to make good business decisions. The FB2 portable IMO was probably just going to be too expensive and too hard to support for the general consumer. They could sell it on thinkgeek, etc. in much lower numbers with an even higher pricetag, but would enough people really pay much more than $39.95 for it? Sounds like a good poll...

 

That said, I agree that 2600 was more popular back in the day. A 2600 based system would probably sell more than a 5200/800 based console, and as Curt said sales of the FB2 were good. However the FB2 has already provided people with that fix.

 

I think the only way the FB3 will get anywhere close to as similar sales as the FB2 would be to include a good subsection of games that had big sales cross-platform in the 80s that everyone has fond memories of.

Edited July 29, 2007 by Fort Apocalypse

[+pboland]

im not holding my breath seems all this has been smoke and mirrors

 

I doubt that Atari would dump FB2 portable for FB3 and then state that FB3 was coming out in Spring '08 unless it wasn't smoke and mirrors. There's no way that they could put a product together without some prototype and have it manufacturing for a Spring '08 release unless a lot of the work was already done. Especially since Atari's workforce was cut a few months ago- there's no way Curt would make a statement like that unless they had something fairly far along I'd hope.

 

What I can't understand is why Atari have been so slow with the developement of the FB portable. You'd think the success of the first Flashbacks would have motivated them to move things up a gear.

 

What I'd be more worried about than smoke and mirrors is that the Atari 800 didn't sell nearly as well as the 2600 in the 80's. For that reason I think heavy marketing saying it is an Atari 800 or even 5200 would be a really bad idea for the general market.

 

 

I actually addressed this back in January. Here's what I wrote:

 

I originally wanted the FB3 to be a laptop type computer or look like a 5200, but I think you are right. Must people recognize the 2600 (even though they don't know it was called a 2600, they just recognize the shape). When you ask people (outside of AtariAge) what video game system they first had, they will say "an Atari". To most people Atari is the VCS or 2600, but they don't know the systems name they just know it was an Atari. A lot of these people don't even know there was a system after the 2600. That got me thinking, I think the new FB3 should still be based on an 800XL but put in a 2600 vader like unit (see pic). You might think this is odd, but think about it for a minute:

 

1) The average consumer would recognize the 2600 shape (more sales!)

2) Atari would save mass amounts money getting it made (re-use the molds, retail box with new art & box inserts!)

3) We the atari fans would have a FB that we could mod into a full atari computer!

4) It would be way cool to have chrome buttons (OK that is a stretch, but still)

 

I think this might work, but then again maybe I'm thinking alittle too much about it.

 

Edited July 29, 2007 by pboland

[TwinChargers]

That pic of your proposed FB3 looks really cool and its a nice idea. I for one just hope that something will come out again, even though its not until next year possibly. Atari sounds like its in a pretty sad state, they need something like this to help boost there profits. If it is successful, they need to quickly put something else out there while Atari will still be fresh on peoples minds. I really liked the portability idea, maybe that could be brought back up if the FB3 does well. The question I have, is could Atari maybe take its old games, refresh them and make them look better, and sell them on SD cards (or whatever format) for the new FB? I think that still would have the retro appeal, since the gameplay is why we fell for the Atari anyways, but it would be fun to play the games with somewhat updated graphics. Maybe thats a long shot, or would leave a pretty sour taste in traditionalist mouths. I certainly think that the new system should have some type of cartridge capability. May it be SD card or memory stick, or maybe a new age smaller cartridge, and they should sell games seperately. The all in one thing is great, but limited. If you could sell a cartridge with say, 20 games, and sold it for $10-15, and one could try to collect the Atari library that way, that would be cool. I'm sure there are many loop-holes I'm not seeing, like cost and licensing, but its just an idea. I'm just thinking that Atari could maybe make some extra money off of a new console if you could get more games for it. Perhaps get a few designers together and make some new games too. I'm sure there are some homebrewers that would love to have there games licensed by Atari. I was a big fan of the 7800 growing up, and would recommend having this new system, if at all possible, try to cover the ground of the 2600, 5200, 7800. I never had a 5200, but always wanted to play one. That may get too expensive though, I don't know.

 

Sorry for all the rambling, I'm just posting on here for once cause I don't do it much, but I read here everyday for any type of updates. Atari was a big part of my life as a child, I want my kids to enjoy Atari too (my daughter loves Maze Craze!) Curt, keep up the good work, I think I can speak from most of us that your living our dream. Keep these projects going!! Atari shall live on!!!