New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[godslabrat]

So, am I still supposed to believe the only holdup on Gameband was that the USB port stuck out a little too far? I keep losing track of what lie I'm supposed to swallow this week.

[+Nathan Strum]

This is going to make it so much easier for Atari to reach the finish line with the Ataribox.

 

All they have to do is copy/paste, make a few edits, and presto!

 

Job done!

 

 

Dear Backers,

Since our last update before the summer we continued to do everything we possible to find a path forward on Gameband Ataribox.

It has been a long road, one in which we have learned a lot, and unfortunately we have come to the difficult conclusion that we cannot keep going forward with the project.

There is no single reason for this decision, and we do not take it lightly. We took on the momentous task of building a complex wearable product cheap Linux box, with features still not in-market today (like swappable storage with USB-C while still being highly waterproof joysticks with a single fire button). We also planned to deliver a custom OS, content, a PC-based gaming platform, and special editions. While it was ambitious, we were convinced we could do it; in fact, we are still convinced it is a great product concept, even with what other wearables every other console in the world now in-market are offering. Despite that, ultimately the time, cost, and complexity have turned out to be far more challenging than we expected, and as a startup shuffling zombie of a former game company we simply do not have the finances or resources to continue to forge ahead. We have looked at it from many angles, met with new potential partners, and tried to find additional funding to keep going, however we have not been able to make progress.

As of now we are sadly calling off our efforts on Gameband Ataribox, however we are working to determine what other options get-rich-quick schemes we have to keep going as a business. We will come back and tell you more about that when we can, and if we are in a position to offer refunds based on that in the future, we will do our utmost to do so, and in fact we are determined to do so if and when we can our stock hits $100 a share. For now that is not the case. Our costs have far exceeded the $500k $3million to date as we have dealt with the delays and technical challenges.

We are bitterly disappointed. Even when our communication was not at its finest, the team has worked incredible hours, and for most months without salary. We believed in this more than we can possibly say. Some of you will understand the challenges and empathise, some of you will not, and you will rightly be angry with us. Regardless of how you feel today, you backed us, we have not delivered, and for that we are truly truly sorry.

We came on here to build a dream product, and like with any dream there were nay-sayers, however if you backed us you also believed in us, and for that we are incredibly grateful. It makes the decision we have come to today all the more difficult, as we are letting you down.

We will continue to monitor the platform as much as we can. While we have not always kept up to date with comments, we have always kept up to date on DMs trolling haters (even when we did not have all the answers!), and we will continue to do so, so please continue to reach out to us, we will respond, and we will share more about our future as soon as we can, assuming we actually have one.

Thanks as always,

The Gameband Ataribox Team.

 

 

 

[+Spriggy]

Oh .. the thread is shaking his tree again ...

 

 

But TBH .. the reasons for said tree shaking are pretty f#&king disgracefull! I hope their little island ends up being coconut free and barren!

[Flojomojo]

This is going to make it so much easier for Atari to reach the finish line with the Ataribox.

 

All they have to do is copy/paste, make a few edits, and presto!

 

Job done!

 

My thoughts exactly! It's interesting how there are a few edits to be made in the beginning, but by the last three paragraphs, all-purpose platitudes are sufficient.

 

I am confident that we will see a similar statement about the subject of this thread by this time next year.

[OCAT]

Gameband..

 

We came

we saw

we failed

 

Lesson? Wait until product is real.

 

Now you all know were the money went? Here is a perfect example.

 

Today:

"Bankrupt Sears wants to give executives $19 million in bonuses"

-

Yesterday:

Sears has won some more time to save itself. But not a lot more time.

At a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Judge Robert Drain approved Sears' plan to auction off about 500 stores.

-

2 days ago:

"Sears Holdings Corp is finalizing a deal with financial firm Great American Capital Partners and other lenders for $350 million in bankruptcy financing that would keep the retailer open through the holiday season..."

-

So, you see what the people on the top are doing? looking out to line their pockets..

it took 2 freaking days after BEGGING for money to save sears that they are giving 19 of it to pay bonuses for FAILURE.

 

I'm sure if they had just sent the idea (Gameband) to China they would have knocked of that project in a week, $20 with free shipping worldwide.

 

When Atari posts the "We are sorry we barfed all over your dreams but ran out of money because we spent it on wine" I will be ready with ample Tacos, sodas and various other snack treats to keep me sustained for the thread count explosion.

I took the coleco chameleon as a gift, of entertainment.. who knew the same movie would play out again. Even the guy who did the interview with the Register is nick-named "Mike" . 2 wrongs don't make a Mike!

Edited November 17, 2018 by OCAT

[youxia]

"We have learned earned a lot"

 

 

Fix'd

[Flojomojo]

Do you really think so? What have they "earned" besides a bad reputation?

[youxia]

Dunno, maybe >300K$? Not exactly chump change.

 

Feargal and "reputation" in one sentence?

Edited November 17, 2018 by youxia

[+x=usr(1536)]

My thoughts exactly! It's interesting how there are a few edits to be made in the beginning, but by the last three paragraphs, all-purpose platitudes are sufficient.

 

I am confident that we will see a similar statement about the subject of this thread by this time next year.

 

The only thing the statement needs is the inclusion of the phrase, "it is with a heavy heart..." That, I think, would check all of the boxes for stereotypical statements that are generally made in a, 'well, we took your money and delivered nothing - thanks!' message of this type.

[JBerel]

 

Since our last update before the summer we continued to do everything we possible to find a path forward on Gameband.

Yeah........have you?

 

It has been a long road, one in which we have learned a lot.

Umm huh.......did we though?

 

Our costs have far exceeded the $500k to date as we have dealt with the delays and technical challenges.

Ahhhh...........did they really?

 

We are bitterly disappointed.

I see.........but are you?

 

Even when our communication was not at its finest, the team has worked incredible hours, and for most months without salary.

Oh............did they?

 

Regardless of how you feel today, you backed us, we have not delivered, and for that we are truly truly sorry.

Mmmmm......but are you??

 

We came on here to build a dream product, and like with any dream there were nay-sayers, however if you backed us you also believed in us, and for that we are incredibly grateful.

Great..........but are you?

[Hannacek]

 

Today:

"Bankrupt Sears wants to give executives $19 million in bonuses"

-

Yesterday:

Sears has won some more time to save itself. But not a lot more time.

At a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Judge Robert Drain approved Sears' plan to auction off about 500 stores.

-

2 days ago:

"Sears Holdings Corp is finalizing a deal with financial firm Great American Capital Partners and other lenders for $350 million in bankruptcy financing that would keep the retailer open through the holiday season..."

-

So, you see what the people on the top are doing? looking out to line their pockets..

it took 2 freaking days after BEGGING for money to save sears that they are giving 19 of it to pay bonuses for FAILURE.

 

 

The executives at Sears are not getting bonuses for being failures, they are getting bonuses to reward their success.

 

It could take months or over a year to wind down Sears, close all the stores, sell off the merchandise to whole sellers, pay off creditors, etc. If the current management team stays at Sears, they could do all that a lot quicker and more efficiently, saving money. If all the executives quit, then a new team of managers would have to be hired, trained, and learn the business. They wouldn't get anyone very good, because who wants to work for Sears for the last 6 months or a year before they finally close. So that new management team could take twice the cost and time to wind down the business, and it could be a mess because you wouldn't get anyone competent to take on those jobs.

 

So the executives get big bonuses to stay during the bankruptcy and wind down the business. Because if they didn't get big bonuses, the executives would quit immediately and find high paying jobs elsewhere. So they are getting rewarded for their failure, because it doesn't matter if the company does good or goes bankrupt, the executives get big bonuses either way.

 

The real question is why are other companies ALWAYS willing to hire these executives that ruined their company? The executives should stay and get no bonus, and be happy anyone will hire them. But for some strange reasons companies will only hire people with executive experience to be executives, and they don't care if that is executive experience in bankrupting your company.

Edited November 17, 2018 by Hannacek

[godslabrat]

For some context, I was working at Circuit City close to the end. I was one of the senior employees laid off at the last purge in 2009. The official reason for it (which I see no reason to doubt) wa that we earned too much and the company didn't want to pay us anymore. Not even a few months after laying off 3,000 front-line "we do the actual work" employees, Circuit paid giant bonuses to all the mid-and-upper management staff, who were bailing faster than they could be hired. So yeah, not wanting to pay the core worrkfprcs while paying EXTRA to the deadweight. This is a very old and very common tactic.

 

Either way, the company was dead within a year. And it was very easy to see it coming, from within.

[+frankodragon]

[Hannacek]

Didn't Mike Kennedy sell the Jaguar molds after the whole Chameleon scam? If Atari bought them back, they could save millions in injection molding, and get the Atari Chameleon VCS back on track to be released under budget, and on schedule.

[OCAT]

 

 

The executives at Sears are not getting bonuses for being failures, they are getting bonuses to reward their success.

 

It could take months or over a year to wind down Sears, close all the stores, sell off the merchandise to whole sellers, pay off creditors, etc. If the current management team stays at Sears, they could do all that a lot quicker and more efficiently, saving money. If all the executives quit, then a new team of managers would have to be hired, trained, and learn the business. They wouldn't get anyone very good, because who wants to work for Sears for the last 6 months or a year before they finally close. So that new management team could take twice the cost and time to wind down the business, and it could be a mess because you wouldn't get anyone competent to take on those jobs.

 

So the executives get big bonuses to stay during the bankruptcy and wind down the business. Because if they didn't get big bonuses, the executives would quit immediately and find high paying jobs elsewhere. So they are getting rewarded for their failure, because it doesn't matter if the company does good or goes bankrupt, the executives get big bonuses either way.

 

The real question is why are other companies ALWAYS willing to hire these executives that ruined their company? The executives should stay and get no bonus, and be happy anyone will hire them. But for some strange reasons companies will only hire people with executive experience to be executives, and they don't care if that is executive experience in bankrupting your company.

 

 

I know, but Sears will never return to profitability, they should have canned all the execs and specifically HIRE one that deals in Bankruptcy, not just a consultant. It has been done before, even if it is not said, look at Elop and Nokia, Microsoft stripped the company of its value and poof, gone. I think they did this with Palm when HP bought them. If it is cheaper to fire execs, no bonus but hire bankruptcy exec to oversee it and pay a lump sum of a few million for 1 year the better.

In both cases the companies were in dire shape but they had value in IP. Palm had web-os, and now even Apple is using the swipe-deck of cards feature.

I guess that is how the game goes!

 

If these clowns cannot get the retro vgs... Atari-VCS to market, at least make some crap, throw a pie in a woodgrain box with the games they have, an atari controller and ship it out to backers, it will be worth something some day even as a failed attempt. Any failure on this will completely destroy the Atari name. Atari will be only known as a scam company that stole money from fans.

[Hannacek]

 

I know, but Sears will never return to profitability, they should have canned all the execs and specifically HIRE one that deals in Bankruptcy, not just a consultant. It has been done before, even if it is not said, look at Elop and Nokia, Microsoft stripped the company of its value and poof, gone. I think they did this with Palm when HP bought them. If it is cheaper to fire execs, no bonus but hire bankruptcy exec to oversee it and pay a lump sum of a few million for 1 year the better.

In both cases the companies were in dire shape but they had value in IP. Palm had web-os, and now even Apple is using the swipe-deck of cards feature.

I guess that is how the game goes!

 

 

Who do you think gets to make the decision if they should hire bankruptcy executives, or keep working there and get big bonuses?

[+Nathan Strum]

Didn't Mike Kennedy sell the Jaguar molds after the whole Chameleon scam? If Atari bought them back, they could save millions in injection molding, and get the Atari Chameleon VCS back on track to be released under budget, and on schedule.

 

 

Albert owns them now.

 

And no, they couldn't.

[PlaysWithWolves]

But does it come in woodgrain? Discless Xbone coming in 2019.

 

Possibly as low as $199 (including controller?). Comparable or better to AVCS in all ways but the CPU. Plus, it'll exist.

 

Of course, it won't have the Linux sandbox so there's that.

[digdugnate]

if it doesn't i bet you could get some slick decals for it

Edited November 17, 2018 by digdugnate

[JBerel]

It’s amazing, the backers on Kickstarter are now at long last adjusting to the reality that their gameband project was a scam. They’re actually bitching about the fact that a working device was never shown, and there was nothing of any substance communicated ever. Where were all those powers of observation over the course of the entire s#!t show?

 

Some are complaining that we’re sayin I told ya so here. I think the phrase they’re groping for is “No s#!t Sherlock.”

[+frankodragon]

I saw this comment and I'm thinking it will be us telling them we told them so. Instead of the other way around.

 

[Flojomojo]

Maybe they'll trot out Minecraft and Terraria like the Gameband dudes did?

[JBerel]

Does it not occur to these MENSA members that their beloved AtariBawks has demonstrated nothing running to date, at all, ever? Let alone how it has never even suggested running anything beyond early 80s era 2600 roms and possibly a tempest remake that doesnt yet exist on Linux? Nor has any information about any software been established short of anything other than the aforementioned duds and stuff you can run on a browser or a Raspberry pi. Hell this thing hasnt even had a Hello World moment as it has yet to exist. How can you have Naysayers for a thing that is being promoted, but does not exist? Wouldnt that make them reporters with the backers and AtariSA being purveyors of fake news?

Edited November 18, 2018 by JBerel

[MrBeefy]

How is it they can take the time to delete IGG posts but not do an update?

 

I don't see why they are made at KS over the gameband. Tech stuff is so much better to wait on. I think the guy complaining about buying it for his 15 year old should buy his kid a book instead.

[Matt_B]

If they were to demonstrate so much as POST screen on the actual hardware that'd be more than we've seen so far, let alone any games.