Atari Looking To Get Back Into Hardware

[stevenhowlett]

There is an interesting article on Ubergizmo where Atari’s CEO, Frederic Chesnais, expresses interest in returning to the hardware business.

 

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/05/atari-looking-to-get-back-into-hardware/

[bennybingo]

According to him, “I’m not talking about a new console … but, like, a watch. A gamified watch. It’s not what we are going to do, but think about [something like] that. Like a new type of watch is something we ‘could do.’ A watch, branded, where you don’t have an ‘ordinary watch.’”

 

 

...major facepalm!

[Gregory DG]

A watch... Hm, sounds like they are following instead of leading. Apple is supposedly coming out with the iWatch this decade...

 

I'd rather see some new cartridge based system. There's no law saying every system now has to be disc based and have the latest greatest hardware / graphics. Had Atari come out with their own "Retron 5" type thing, they might have caused some waves... 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx, Jaguar & XEGS all in one!

[jaybird3rd]

I've seen a few posts about Frederic Chesnais lately, and it seems as if the new CEO is simply making the media rounds, trying to generate hype by talking up the Atari brand and all the wonderful plans he has for it, working in as many buzzwords as he can along the way.

 

I'll reserve judgment until I see what (if anything) they actually do.

[+save2600]

Could the guy have mentioned the word 'watch' any more in that paragraph? Pretty nutty stuff.

 

"gamified"...

 

How about a watchified watch Atari?

[jaybird3rd]

That paragraph doesn't even scan particularly well. You could plug in almost anything for "watch" and it would make about as much sense. Give it a try:

"I'm not talking about just a new toaster ... but, like, a toaster. A gamified toaster. It's not what we are going to do, but think about something like that! Like, a new type of toaster is something we 'could do.' A toaster, branded, where you don't have just an 'ordinary toaster.'"

It's fun!

[+Gemintronic]

That paragraph doesn't even scan particularly well. You could plug in almost anything for "watch" and it would make about as much sense. Give it a try:

 

"I'm not talking about just a new toaster ... but, like, a toaster. A gamified toaster. It's not what we are going to do, but think about something like that! Like, a new type of toaster is something we 'could do.' A toaster, branded, where you don't have just an 'ordinary toaster.'"

 

It's fun!

 

So, the whole statement Atari made was Mumble Toast?

[jaybird3rd]

So, the whole statement Atari made was Mumble Toast?

No, it was gamified Mumble Toast.

[Trebor]

I keep reading that as gammafied...Thinking Hulk....Thinking we finally get that Incredible Hulk game for Atari.

[+Gemintronic]

I keep reading that as gammafied...Thinking Hulk....Thinking we finally get that Incredible Hulk game for Atari.

 

..or maybe it means it's like a cold turkey hanging from a rope getting nice and gamified!

[Bill Loguidice]

It's amazing how lacking in vision the Atari IP holders seem to be in this regard. I understand they're constrained by lack of resources, but even partnering with other companies to make good use of what they're sitting on would make more sense than seemingly random daydreaming about "what if?" that can't possibly happen.

[turret]

it would be cool if they could but ive heard they are having money problems

[SIO2]

A watch... Hm, sounds like they are following instead of leading. Apple is supposedly coming out with the iWatch this decade...

 

I'd rather see some new cartridge based system. There's no law saying every system now has to be disc based and have the latest greatest hardware / graphics. Had Atari come out with their own "Retron 5" type thing, they might have caused some waves... 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx, Jaguar & XEGS all in one!

 

There may be an economic law saying they have to be disc based. I think the reason they went to discs was because they were the cheapest physical distribution method around.

 

I hear you though. I like the cart based systems better too. A big chunk of plastic and silicon that you can zing at your brother and have it glance off his forehead and hit the wall and slide down and roll through a pizza then you can step on it while you are wrestling for the controller and it still works - what's not to love about carts.

 

Discs on the other hand - I am scared to take it out of the case for fear it will catch a spec of dust or a fingerprint or brush by something and get a scratch.

 

But a watch? Come on. Have you looked at your Atari today? What time is it? It's Atari time.

[Keatah]

It would be nice to see a VCS special edition. A console built of really high-quality materials and looking exactly like the original VCS in every detail. It would also have the same circuitry for ultimate compatibility. Of course that would never happen in today's overly cautious cost-cutting environment..

 

I don't know WTF the existing IP holders have in mind, but it isn't exciting me one iota! And I promise you it's pretty stupid. They're clueless and it is my opinion they could learn a thing or two about what Atari used be simply by hanging around here for a while.

 

Today's "atari" is a joke, you and I both know it.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Keatah

[AtariNerd]

The trouble is, is that they don't even make the most of the IP that they have. If they really wanted to, they could exploit the properties they had, as well as tap into the hobbyist community, fan-base.

 

First, go back to the very basics, by rehooking into the arcade market, in a relatively modest way, by offering low-cost arcade hardware. This could be done "MAME" style on a small SOC board, built into a small profile enclosure, say, mountable on a bar-top. Credits, payments could be managed by a PC/Mac in the back room, over encrypted wifi. These boxes could be of fairly simple, but sturdy, plywood construct, but hopefully with some nice routing work. No need for them to cost very much. Call them "Andys" These wouldn't neccesarily be profit machines, it might take a few years for ROI, but it might be a small something that would keep the brand in the public consciousness, generating publicity and good-will. Start small, with just a few hand-built units, then if there is traction, perhaps up to a few hundred. Oh, and offer home versions, too.

[+wongojack]

The trouble is, is that they don't even make the most of the IP that they have. If they really wanted to, they could exploit the properties they had, as well as tap into the hobbyist community, fan-base.

 

First, go back to the very basics, by rehooking into the arcade market, in a relatively modest way, by offering low-cost arcade hardware. This could be done "MAME" style on a small SOC board, built into a small profile enclosure, say, mountable on a bar-top. Credits, payments could be managed by a PC/Mac in the back room, over encrypted wifi. These boxes could be of fairly simple, but sturdy, plywood construct, but hopefully with some nice routing work. No need for them to cost very much. Call them "Andys" These wouldn't neccesarily be profit machines, it might take a few years for ROI, but it might be a small something that would keep the brand in the public consciousness, generating publicity and good-will. Start small, with just a few hand-built units, then if there is traction, perhaps up to a few hundred. Oh, and offer home versions, too.

 

Virtually bankrupt companies that have been auctioned off in the last year don't usually go in for projects with no ROI

 

Still it seems like there could be some way to place cheap arcade machines in public places. The landfills are full of hardware (PCs) that can run "the classics." There IS a budget option to do something like what you are suggesting.

 

If we are just talking about impossible stuff, I'd be interested in a software service of some sort that could share updates and high scores from multiple devices. Create an Atari community of gaming that could exist on a bartop or mancave arcade machine or as an app that runs on a phone or console (a watch). This way you get a virtual community similar to what made arcade gaming so much fun in the first place. From there you might be able to innovate with some new experiences (games) that also share the virtual community.

[GroovyBee]

The only hardware Atari should make are toilet cleaning ones. They might as well be useful while they are there.

[Subby]

I've seen a few posts about Frederic Chesnais lately, and it seems as if the new CEO is simply making the media rounds, trying to generate hype by talking up the Atari brand and all the wonderful plans he has for it, working in as many buzzwords as he can along the way.

I think that pretty much sums it up. He's trying to let anyone with money laying around know that Atari still exists.

He's probably hoping that talking about "smart"watches and other buzzwords will hit some VC's Google keyword search.