The Atari Flashback 3 Petition

[mos6507]

You know, given Nintendo's strategy with Wii, I think maybe the best thing that could happwn is for Nintendo to snatch up Atari. I hate saying this because I am not a big Nintendo fan, but they do appear to be more retro-friendly than any of the big players.

[foxglove9]

If anyone was going to do it I guess it would be Nintendo since they have the money, but they seem to pride themselves in promoting only their main characters and would probably shelve most of Atari's gems in a vault somewhere. Nintendo really has been anti-retro for the longest time. It's really shocking that they are embracing emulation and classic gaming on the Wii, but it's a smart move that can make them extra money and gives them the ability to say "over 1000 games available at launch".

 

 

You know, given Nintendo's strategy with Wii, I think maybe the best thing that could happwn is for Nintendo to snatch up Atari. I hate saying this because I am not a big Nintendo fan, but they do appear to be more retro-friendly than any of the big players.

[Retro Rogue]

You know, given Nintendo's strategy with Wii, I think maybe the best thing that could happwn is for Nintendo to snatch up Atari. I hate saying this because I am not a big Nintendo fan, but they do appear to be more retro-friendly than any of the big players.

 

 

Wouldn't do any good, Atari Inc. doesn't own any of the retro properties. Those are still wholly and seperately owned by Infogrames Entertainment under their Atari Interactive holdings. Atari Inc. (formerly GT Interactive) just has access to them and the name. Anyone buying Atari Inc. would only gain access to the modern (non-retro orientated) products.

[Curt Vendel]

Yup,

 

That is correct. Buying the US Atari, Inc. would not buy them Atari, in fact they wouldn't even get the Atari, Inc name either, all classic Atari IP bought from Hasbro from JTS all belongs to Infogrames.

 

 

 

 

Curt

 

quote name='wgungfu' date='Tue Jul 11, 2006 12:30 AM' post='1099527']

You know, given Nintendo's strategy with Wii, I think maybe the best thing that could happwn is for Nintendo to snatch up Atari. I hate saying this because I am not a big Nintendo fan, but they do appear to be more retro-friendly than any of the big players.

 

 

Wouldn't do any good, Atari Inc. doesn't own any of the retro properties. Those are still wholly and seperately owned by Infogrames Entertainment under their Atari Interactive holdings. Atari Inc. (formerly GT Interactive) just has access to them and the name. Anyone buying Atari Inc. would only gain access to the modern (non-retro orientated) products.

[8bitclassics]

Yup,

 

That is correct. Buying the US Atari, Inc. would not buy them Atari, in fact they wouldn't even get the Atari, Inc name either, all classic Atari IP bought from Hasbro from JTS all belongs to Infogrames.

But if any sale was to happen for it to be worthwhile, I am sure whoever bought it would want the IP's or at least some of them? Atari's name is known, but it is the patents and everything that still makes them some money under the table?

[Retro Rogue]

Yup,

 

That is correct. Buying the US Atari, Inc. would not buy them Atari, in fact they wouldn't even get the Atari, Inc name either, all classic Atari IP bought from Hasbro from JTS all belongs to Infogrames.

But if any sale was to happen for it to be worthwhile, I am sure whoever bought it would want the IP's or at least some of them? Atari's name is known, but it is the patents and everything that still makes them some money under the table?

 

 

Well, a lot of patents (by patents I'm assuming you mean hardware) are long expired or the propietary info are in the public domain now. They also own none of the arcade games (hardware and or roms) from 1972 to present. Where the money is in are in the game code (and roms) for consoles and computers, trademarks, copyrights (for those that haven't expired) and licensing for the games and characters, product names, etc.

 

So for example I can go and I can completely reproduce a 5200, I just can't use the name "Atari" or the "5200" in the title without licensing both from them (I'm assuming I could use "Compatible with the Atari 5200!" without licensing). Likewise, I'd need to license any games I'd want to include from them.

 

 

My guess is right now, Bruno for sure would not sell the name. So if someone bought Atari Inc., they'd have to call it something else. And just like with the name, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't sell the properties for cheap either (since what good is a name without access to the properties that made the name). But if that happened we'd have a 3 way split of everything - 1) The legacy home properties would be owned by a new person. 2) The name by Infogrames. 3) The arcade properties by Midway. I just can't see that happening though and would both Atari Inc. and seperately Infogrames dumping their own more modern properties first (such as when they just sold the Driver franchise).

[8bitclassics]

After the announcement of selling off the Driver series to UbiSoft, I think Atari is more serious in keeping it's name and older franchises. Never liked the Driver series itself as not as playable as GTA, so $24 million I don't think was that bad of a deal. Made the stock go up 13% in one day.

 

Maybe they will use that money for Flashback 3.

 

BTW, Wal-Mart has FB2's as 19.72 now (at least mine).

 

Corey

[Retro Rogue]

After the announcement of selling off the Driver series to UbiSoft, I think Atari is more serious in keeping it's name and older franchises. Never liked the Driver series itself as not as playable as GTA, so $24 million I don't think was that bad of a deal. Made the stock go up 13% in one day.

 

Maybe they will use that money for Flashback 3.

 

BTW, Wal-Mart has FB2's as 19.72 now (at least mine).

 

Corey

 

 

Yah, see the Rev C thread of mine. I picked up 2 for that price that were just stocked this past week. Busy doing comparisons to make sure its the Rev C.

[gamer1682]

THE PRODUCTION WINDOW IS CLOSING FOR THE FB3 IN ONE WEEK. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO SIGN THIS PETITION IN TO SHOW ATARI HOW MUCH WE CARE FOR THEM RELEASING THE FB3. I do not know how many people need to sign this, all I know is we need as many people as possible to show that they want this console. or the flashback team can't say...

 

Have you played atari today?

[8bitclassics]

Saw the other thread on the FB2 pricing. Should check my distributor and see what they are selling at now.

 

Honestly I think the FB3 is going forward. Curt I think would have mentioned if Atari backed away and he was looking at doing it himself. Plus Atari just made $24 million with selling Driver series to UbiSoft, so they have cash to invest. I personally hated the series, so not sad at seeing it go. They are starting to make some smart decisions getting rid of crap and postponing titles that people are wanting to make sure they are not buggy (ok, less buggy).

 

Corey

[Shawn]

I have permission from my non-interneting neighbours to add their intent to buy a FB3. From the 3 households they all intend to buy at a least 1 unit each. FB3 I wish you luck!! I'm not gonna belive it untill I got one in my hands though.

[Biter]

I would buy one for sure and I still have to buy a fb2.

[phil_vr]

This is a far long shot.. but what the hell..

Count me in for a FB3..

[Kokovec]

Count me in.

[Shawn]

Well I belive the time frame is over now, anyone know if Atari gave the go ahead to build or not??

[Josh]

I Want The FB3!

[Flashback]

I want a FB3, too.

[[d2f]Iggy*SJB]

I want to know what we'd be getting(even a general platform base would be good). If it's a 5200/7800 based machine with built in games, plus "carts/keys" that can be added on....I'd definitely be all over that one. If it's an 8-bit computer based unit....I'd have to actually SEE one before deciding. I never really got into the Atari computer line, so it would greatly depend on the games, and their playability.

I'd at the very least be interested.

[sidcrowe]

As I mentioned earlier, I wanted the FB3 to be an FB2 on steroids. All 2600, tons more games, maybe an old cart slot, maybe an included DVD of Atari ads and shit, maybe paddles...

 

...here's a quote for you...

 

I'm such a hardcore Atari fan, I'll buy one even if it's NOT WHAT I WANT!

 

Taaaaa-daaaah!

 

Top THAT

[JamesD]

Well, I was never a fan of the Atari 2600 so the other Flashbacks weren't appealing to me but I always thought the 800 was cool and now have 2 130XEs so I'd be much more interested in a Flashback based on the 800/5200.

 

I have one of the DTVs (C64 in a joystick) and thanks to it's hackability I think it's pretty cool. I'll use the one I have for games and once one of the fixed versions (fixed blitter, reflashable kernel, etc...) starts selling in the US I'll buy one just to build a computer out of.

 

If the Flashback 3 were as hackable I'd certainly buy one just for that if not a 2nd just for the built in games.

[jaybird3rd]

I want to know what we'd be getting(even a general platform base would be good). If it's a 5200/7800 based machine with built in games, plus "carts/keys" that can be added on....I'd definitely be all over that one. If it's an 8-bit computer based unit....I'd have to actually SEE one before deciding. I never really got into the Atari computer line, so it would greatly depend on the games, and their playability.

I'd at the very least be interested.

Uhh ... we learned months ago exactly what the FB3 was/is going to be: a 400/800 clone with built-in games (Curt talked about the specs in the other thread). And saying that "I'd want a 5200 but not an 8-bit computer" makes no sense as the two platforms use the same hardware and play (for the most part) exactly the same games.

 

Hoping for a 5200/7800 combo is useless because, as I pointed out earlier, it's unrealistic to expect anyone to in effect shoehorn three video game systems into one unit; the platforms are totally different.

[JamesD]

Hoping for a 5200/7800 combo is useless because, as I pointed out earlier, it's unrealistic to expect anyone to in effect shoehorn three video game systems into one unit; the platforms are totally different.

I wouldn't say such a beast is impossible.

The Flashback was designed in an FPGA in VHDL or Verilog so that helps a lot.

If they had working 5200 & 7800 designs what would be required is logic to switch around the memory map. That may sound complicated but actually just involves a more complex address decoding from the CPU.

Logic (devices) not used in one system's memory map are just kept from responding while ones that are get accessed.

Any shared devices like sound chips just respond at the required address.

Now, that doesn't mean the entire design would be practical.

If the CPUs don't share the same clock speed you may need multiple clocks or some sort of divider to provide each clock.

Any Digital to Analog stuff may vary significantly from one to the next enough to require different inputs or outputs.

Just designing the thing would require a larger FPGA and the final die would be larger and require more pins on the final part. Larger dies have a lower yield (good to bad ratio) and the cost for the custom chip jumps.

 

 

From a hardware hacker's point of view, some of the appeal of the C64 DTV is the fact that the system adds aditional hardware that never existed on the original system. The addition of a 256 color mode and blitter makes a whole new generation of games possible and you need that hardware to run them. Imagine what you could do just updating old games to have better graphics. Also, if properly designed you could run the system at a much higher clock speed.

[+LS650]

Curt Vendel wrote:

- 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

 

Sounds good. (sniff) I would have bought one (or two) for sure...

[JamesD]

Curt Vendel wrote:

- 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

 

Sounds good. (sniff) I would have bought one (or two) for sure...

The SD interface, SIO2PC, PS/2 keyboard and VGA ports would make it worth it as an Atari 800 clone.

[+pboland]

Curt Vendel wrote:

- 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

 

Sounds good. (sniff) I would have bought one (or two) for sure...

 

Call me an optimist, but I don’t believe the FB3 project is dead. I’ve been looking at a lot of the old postings on this forum, and I noticed that if a project is dropped there is normally a confirmation from somebody close to the project. I have not seen that confirmation yet. (unless I missed something). I know that there was some kind of deadline that had to be met for production, but nobody close to the project has come out and said if it was met or not.

 

So I say “keep hope alive!”