Working for Atari in Contemporary Culture

[Mr SQL]

Working for Atari in Contemporary Culture

Writing Retro Video Games for the Atari VCS

 

What follows is a story of modern retro detailing the recent work I did for Atari writing retro Video Games for the iconoclastic console of consoles, the Atari VCS, and for the equally iconic Pong Legend Nolan Bushnell himself. And, the fortuitous circumstances by which it came about!

 

This took plenty of time away from lucrative SQL contracts but that didn't matter, it was something I always wanted to do since the 80's and everyone here, will fully understand

 

Enjoy the Tale

 

Download and read this interesting story!

Working for Atari in Contemporary Culture.pdf

 

Let's help Atari

 

Then add your insight, comments and ideas for Atari; there's a blank section we're going to fill out together to help Atari be Atari - strategies of trying to be Zygna or Facebook gaming obviously didn't work for Atari, but Atari fun and moreover Atari Brand Recognition is ingrained throughout modern culture; Atari will always be the King of Retro - let's help them ace the Flashback 5!

[+wongojack]

Downloaded for later.

 

I also work with SQL, so the crossover is interesting to me.

[Keatah]

Help atari be atari? What'cha smoking there boy? Eh?

 

The only way that will happen is if Atari is purchased and owned by a genuine gamer that grew up in that era. But gamers don't have that kind of money. So I don't see it happening.

[+Gemintronic]

This encourages me greatly. My tentative plans for the Ouya is to create games with an authentic Atari 2600 look and feel. This is one data point that says it can work

[Mr SQL]

Help atari be atari? What'cha smoking there boy? Eh?

 

The only way that will happen is if Atari is purchased and owned by a genuine gamer that grew up in that era. But gamers don't have that kind of money. So I don't see it happening.

Keatah,

those are all excellent points! I gave Atari advice along those lines and so did many others; to their credit you'll see they were trying in the story - getting Nolan back and sponsoring retro development was the right move. The trouble was in the implementation and modern software houses (gaming studios or whatever they call themselves) had too much influence, effectively crashed Atari's retro party.

[Mr SQL]

This encourages me greatly. My tentative plans for the Ouya is to create games with an authentic Atari 2600 look and feel. This is one data point that says it can work

That's awesome Loon! Your retro game for the Genie was seriously retro and one of my favourite on the platform (can't wait to see the new build)

 

IMO that's because you understand retro and you're also using the right tools - I think retro developers using BASIC and Assembly have the right kit and tend to have the right mindset too while gaming studios with their time driven profit driven investor collapsing culture are invariably using these lightweight OO scripting languages that are great for getting games out the door but seem to create fake plastic games that lack playability when it comes to retro; it's like there's an impedance mismatch between modern developer mindset and retro, and with modern kit and retro.

 

What kind of kit is out fo Ouya? I'm hoping there's a Tiny BASIC implementation but suspect it's something modern and harder for classic retro.

[Mr SQL]

Here's a summary of the feedback I'm looking for on this thread

 

We're all familiar with how using Nintendo Technology (NOAC) to create replicas of classic Atari games turned out, but more recently Atari's modern gaming studio advisors suggested that Adobe Flash can be used to create exact reproductions of Atari classics and that similar modern game kits should be used to deliver Atari's retro gaming experiences on the phone and modern platforms.

 

It seems to me that games built with Flash and other modern development kit just don't have that classic retro feel and twitch response gameplay you get from Atari 2600 games.

 

I'd like to hear more opinions from players and Video Game authors here at AtariAge!

 

Should Atari continue to listen to these ideas or are they just likely to lead to chapter 11 all over again?

 

And a more specific question for retro gamers playing on the phone: which kind of retro game do you have more fun playing - the retro renditions built with Flash and modern kit, or retro games built for the Atari 2600?