"Most people that grew up with Atari are in their 30's to 50's right now and Atari will hang on still for quite a while. But by the time the Atari reaches 100 years old, the interest in the console would be quite diminished indeed and may be relished by the die hard gamer that has to play everything, or those who keep, play the game for historical significance.
Anyway, that is just my 2 cents on the subject.
Geo
Well, from another Geo (hello fellow G) I have to agree that the interest 100 years AB (After Bushnell) will be minimal at best, relegated to those who find an old working system in their great grandparent's storage. I grew up on board games and bike riding, years before Atari even existed. But once I got hooked that was it. That, however, is just me. Classic video games, for me, represent a very good time in my adult life. Later, when eBay became a force in bringing these old games back into the light, I got back into the hobby with a vengeance. It made me happy to hold onto these old toys because they were a happy relic of my past that I could share with others.
But once this latest generation gives up their old Ataris and Intellivisions and Colecovisions, etc. then that will be it. I see many of my fellow collectors liquidating their collections to pay bills. A sad commentary on the world today, to be sure. The day may yet come for me when I will pass along my collection to others who are a couple decades younger (the VCS came out when I was 20). The torch will be passed to the last generation. So bask in the glow of Pac Man and Robot Tank and Pitfall Harry and Q*bert while you can. Take care of those old carts, my young padawans. Many hours of joy invested.
G