New Atari Console that Ataribox?

[Flojomojo]

PCs and game consoles are commodities. You can develop on one platform and port things around to others. That's just in the normal world, though, which is boring, right? Because everyone has that stuff. Unique is better!

 

In bizarro-world, unique hardware becomes an intelligence test, a weeding-out process to deter the "lazy" and uninspired. That's how you get things like Jeff Minter's Tempest 2000 or 4Play's Battlesphere on the Atari Jaguar, or Lobotomy Software's Powerslave on the Sega Saturn. Only a genius could program well for these difficult platforms, therefore, everything released on them is the work of a genius. QED. Also, bring back Lynx and Jaguar games, because they were so awesome, and not surpassed at all by the rest of the industry. Also, x86 sucks, because, reasons!

 

We all have our pet favorites. That's OK. It doesn't mean anyone should bring them to life. Though I wouldn't mind Pick Axe Pete 2017 for the Nintendo Switch.

[elefas]

 

I don't quite understand this, so maybe you can explain more. If all that really matters is the games, and, just to use the current PS4 and Xbox One console as examples since they definitely have tons of games, it begs the question who really cares what the technology that powers said game is?

 

All I really care about is do I have a wide variety of games to choose from? - check - and the best way to play them (4K HDR and surround sound)? - check -. Seems like a win to me. I don't need a potentially flawed original architecture (see, I don't know, something like the Jaguar) to feel good about my game console, particularly since it might make game creation more of a challenge.

It's my personal taste, not blaming or accusing anyone. Going the x86 road is the easy road according to my opinion. No inspiration to create something that stands out, something pioneering. Thanks I already have a PC I don't need another one in a fancy wooden box.

 

I prefer something more exotic, but I also expect from the company that produces it to be capable to support it both with first class titles and with 3rd party licensing/support. If it has crappy games it makes no difference if it is a x86 PC in disguise or a custom architecture beast.

 

 

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[Bill Loguidice]

It's my personal taste, not blaming or accusing anyone. Going the x86 road is the easy road according to my opinion. No inspiration to create something that stands out, something pioneering. Thanks I already have a PC I don't need another one in a fancy wooden box.

 

I prefer something more exotic, but I also expect from the company that produces it to be capable to support it both with first class titles and with 3rd party licensing/support. If it has crappy games it makes no difference if it is a x86 PC in disguise or a custom architecture beast.

 

 

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I suppose I get your point, but I'm not sure what "exotic" thing you'd want and what difference it would make. There's no business advantage to going "exotic" anymore. In any case, we're not getting anything exotic with the Ataribox, so I guess the discussion is kind of moot anyway.

[elefas]

 

I suppose I get your point, but I'm not sure what "exotic" thing you'd want and what difference it would make. There's no business advantage to going "exotic" anymore. In any case, we're not getting anything exotic with the Ataribox, so I guess the discussion is kind of moot anyway.

Yeap no point continuing on this, we all know that ataribox will be a pc based machine, I just expressed publicly my wish. I always admired game consoles from architecture perspective and seeing Atari going the x86 road is a bit disappointing for me.

 

As for exotic it doesnt need to be something overly expensive or complicated. Take as example the raspberry pi. Very very cheap, limitless capabilities, ARM architecture. Really innovative and massively accepted by the communities all over the world. It was exotic when it was first introduced, now it has set the standards and we all consider it common. Thats what I would like to see from Atari, affordable innovation.

 

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[leech]

X86 is good for emulation because it already had billions of dollars of R & D behind it, the whole god-forsaken PC industry.

 

Well, my piint was with both being x86, there would only need to be video / OS emulation, since the instructions are the same.

 

I don't quite understand this, so maybe you can explain more. If all that really matters is the games, and, just to use the current PS4 and Xbox One console as examples since they definitely have tons of games, it begs the question who really cares what the technology that powers said game is?

 

All I really care about is do I have a wide variety of games to choose from? - check - and the best way to play them (4K HDR and surround sound)? - check -. Seems like a win to me. I don't need a potentially flawed original architecture (see, I don't know, something like the Jaguar) to feel good about my game console, particularly since it might make game creation more of a challenge.

It is the deeper nerd inside. A Cell processor based system is more interesting as an architecture than a generic x86 that is the same as all of our computers.

[RainbowCemetery]

having unique hardware gave stuff more personality and helped it establish an identity. maybe that could be done artificially with a strict marketplace and a dedicated development team but i don't imagine atari going that route

[Bill Loguidice]

having unique hardware gave stuff more personality and helped it establish an identity. maybe that could be done artificially with a strict marketplace and a dedicated development team but i don't imagine atari going that route

 

The problem is, there's more or less technical parity these days. Back then, you could trump the other guy in some area or another. You can't really do that today in the age of 4K, surround sound, high performance wireless, network connectivity, etc. It's a pretty mature market. It happens.

[RainbowCemetery]

i think i would like to see some platform try to create the illusion of uniqueness through self-imposed limitations. it's probably a dumb idea but it would at least be a little interesting

[Flojomojo]

i think i would like to see some platform try to create the illusion of uniqueness through self-imposed limitations. it's probably a dumb idea but it would at least be a little interesting

https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php

https://arduboy.com/

 

there's some hobby board with 8-bit capabilities, but I can't remember the name

 

the issue with these things is that the actual old consoles have massive, proven software libraries, and are nigh impossible to compete with

[leech]

Look at what Nintendo is doing. They still are the only ones who haven't gone the 'slightly tweaked computer hardware with dedicated / locked down operating system' route that is still a major player. The switch is just about sold out everywhere, even with their first release having some weird hardware issues. Their platform looked unique and bold enough that I considered buying one until I'd heard they were working on a revised one that wouldn't have the same issues.

 

I think Atari would do well competing with something like that, if they manage to get a unique of a feel/look to their system/software.

[+frankodragon]

I just have this sneaking suspicion they're going to "Rick Astley" us, or in this case, "Rick Ataribox" us. It's kind of crazy for one company to go out and say, "We're going to make this awesome system" and then a few months/years go by and then they say, Sorry it was bad [insert company jargon]. Now let's never bring it up again." It has happened before and I guess we're empty of "disappointment juice" because we're used to it.

 

[Keatah]

I suppose I get your point, but I'm not sure what "exotic" thing you'd want and what difference it would make. There's no business advantage to going "exotic" anymore. In any case, we're not getting anything exotic with the Ataribox, so I guess the discussion is kind of moot anyway.

 

Hardware is stupid powerful today. The "exotic-ness" needs to come from the software. When I try out new programs, I'm not thinking about the box it runs on. But, instead, the coolness of whatever it is I just got.

[RainbowCemetery]

https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php

https://arduboy.com/

 

there's some hobby board with 8-bit capabilities, but I can't remember the name

 

the issue with these things is that the actual old consoles have massive, proven software libraries, and are nigh impossible to compete with

 

that's a bit more limited than i was thinking of. maybe just something like a set of guidelines for a desired aesthetic and a marketplace with some quality control.

[Keatah]

Look at what Nintendo is doing. They still are the only ones who haven't gone the 'slightly tweaked computer hardware with dedicated / locked down operating system' route that is still a major player. The switch is just about sold out everywhere, even with their first release having some weird hardware issues. Their platform looked unique and bold enough that I considered buying one until I'd heard they were working on a revised one that wouldn't have the same issues.

 

I think Atari would do well competing with something like that, if they manage to get a unique of a feel/look to their system/software.

 

Do you think atari has the resources and talent and tools to develop something on the Nintendo Switch level?

[Atari Junon]

I think the x86 route is very interesting for the Ataribox (at least for me), as Bill says, this is just a PC in a box (a great looking one tbh), the thing that worried me is what level of performance they are trying to achieve, i mean, they have a lot options (for example AMD APUs such as A10 or A12 series are very cheap right now) to do a interesting miniPC with a good performance/price ratio, so E-Sports or F2P games like Paladins, Smite, Warframe or even Overwatch depending of the Hardware would be great, and whatever Atari wants to put in.

Edited July 28, 2017 by Atari Junon

[Bill Loguidice]

Look at what Nintendo is doing. They still are the only ones who haven't gone the 'slightly tweaked computer hardware with dedicated / locked down operating system' route that is still a major player. The switch is just about sold out everywhere, even with their first release having some weird hardware issues. Their platform looked unique and bold enough that I considered buying one until I'd heard they were working on a revised one that wouldn't have the same issues.

 

I think Atari would do well competing with something like that, if they manage to get a unique of a feel/look to their system/software.

 

Unless it's an off-the-shelf product, Atari simply can't do something like that. They can repackage and rebrand something that's existing, but have nowhere near the resources of the big three to develop something new. It takes hundreds of millions or more to develop a platform, even one that "just" uses PC_like technology, and Atari would struggle with single digital projects. And to be frank, it's hard enough for Nintendo to get third party support for their systems because they don't have the same horsepower as the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, so imagine Atari trying to drum up support.

[Bill Loguidice]

 

Hardware is stupid powerful today. The "exotic-ness" needs to come from the software. When I try out new programs, I'm not thinking about the box it runs on. But, instead, the coolness of whatever it is I just got.

 

That's the point I've been making all along. We know that cheap PC hardware is what it is. There's not much special you can do with a $200 box of PC-like components. It's whatever services/offerings/value propositions that are put on said box that will make or break this thing (at least in the small market segment they'll be targeting/playing in).

 

I still point to something like the Nvidia Shield TV (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/shield-tv/). Although not PC-based, that's a slick $200 box with a solid ecosystem from a well-regarded company. That hasn't exactly set the world on fire. For Atari to even reach those modest levels with the Ataribox, they'd have to have some pretty clever ideas and good partnerships in place.

[Bill Loguidice]

Because AtariAge loves multiple threads on the same subjects, this is the third and last place I'm posting about the Dreamcade notice. I can't say I'm surprised, because it's always tricky when you intend to work with other company IP:

 

Hello,

This is a message from Kickstarter’s Integrity team. We're writing to inform you that a project you backed, Dreamcade Replay - One Console To Rule Them All, is the subject of an intellectual property dispute.

The project has been removed from public view until the dispute is resolved, which can take up to 30 days. The project’s funding and the countdown to its deadline have been stopped. If the project becomes available again, the countdown will continue and the new deadline will extend past the original deadline for as much time as the project was unavailable. You can find out more by reading our Copyright Policy and our Trademark Policy.

Original deadline

Wed, Aug 16 2017 8:12 pm EDT

Time remaining if project becomes available
19 days

Your pledge is currently still active. If you’d like to manage your pledge or reach out to the creator directly, you can still do so through the project page.

[leech]

So 1) saw that coming.

2) Atari behind getting it pulled?

[Flojomojo]

So 1) saw that coming.

2) Atari behind getting it pulled?

Sure looks like it.

 

Dreamcade Replay - One Console To Rule Them All [submitted by LIME, LLC]

Date: 2017-07-27T13:58:52.000-04:00

Sender

[Private]

LIME, LLC

132 Fayerweather Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

US

 

Sent via online form

Recipient

Kickstarter, PBC

58 Kent Street

Brooklyn, NY 11222

USA

Re: Dreamcade Replay - One Console To Rule Them All

 

Description of copyrighted material: Dozens of classic Atari video game properties, as further described in my letter to Kickstarter delivered to you today via USPS priority express, tracking number EK822788051US.

 

Description of infringing material: A hardware console pre-installed with dozens of classic Atari video game properties, as further described in my letter to Kickstarter delivered to you today via USPS priority express, tracking number EK822788051US.

 

[MrBeefy]

Surprised people still don't know about the raspberry pi. It is so awesome and cheap.

[Keatah]

They do. They're just losing interest in yaeb built around such weak boards & SoCs. That's why the new Celeron chips sought after.

Edited July 28, 2017 by Keatah

[leech]

They do. They're just losing interest in yaeb built around such weak boards & SoCs. That's why the new Celeron chips sought after.

 

For what it's worth, the Raspberry Pi 3 will play up to Playstation 1 games quite well.

 

The kit I bought;

https://www.amazon.com/LoveRPi-Raspberry-RetroPie-RetroArch-Emulation/dp/B019DJYJ1E/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501277922&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=loverpi

 

Though it now sits in this case;

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M4OOY4U/ref=sxr_pa_click_within_right_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3008539542&pf_rd_r=KVGWH1KNYAW75V9N7N90&pd_rd_wg=Pndy6&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_w=4LB6Z&pf_rd_i=nes+rasberry+pie+3&pd_rd_r=8898XY06ZZX23JRDERA1&psc=1

[Keatah]

Ehh.. I can't argue too much there. It's just that IMHO a premium experience demands more powerful hardware and a better OS. But for the price of less than $150 you got all the essentials of a multi-game console that works, has no DRM, and is totally customizable, can't argue there either.

 

But, yes, I'd much rather have that kit than be be chasing all over goddamned kingdomcum for real hardware that got pulled out of a ratbag. Not buying someone's smelly and greasy used console from fleabay. It's all to easy to imagine them sticking their fingers in body orifices and smearing it on their shirts and pants, then picking up the controller and continuing gaming. No I don't have to imagine that. I do it. I live it!

[Flojomojo]

Not over the top enough, can you embellish please