Lodmot

What Atari have created is very strange-- A Linux-based PC enclosed in a console-sized case, which can run Windows 10 (but doesn't come shipped with Windows pre-installed). I believe I'll have a good amount of fun tinkering with this thing, but there's other people that backed this whom aren't "tinkerers". This isn't a device that's designed for casual gamers (or really any gamer for that matter, if there's no software for it), that's going to be their problem.

Not sure, but yeah-- that is kinda random. xD I can tell you for sure that the TV is showing the Windows 10 lock screen, because that's exactly what mine looks like on my PC's. The keyboard appears to be plugged into the console too. But due to "reasons", Atari "can't" take any screenshots of what the console actually displays on-screen. = 3 =

The picture below is probably the closest thing to physical evidence that we have, that the system actually boots up. Can anyone tell if the HDMI cable in the back is in fact running from the VCS to the TV/monitor? Lol.

Lol, this is funny:

Next goal: 2600 pages.

I've gotta say, not being a diehard VCS supporter anymore is quite refreshing.

Yep. And everyone on there was calling me a whiner. LOL

Lol, the mascot I was actually gonna use in my VCS exclusive was these guys. Original characters done by me. LOL I was going for a sort of Yin-Yang dynamic/friendship. I also remember I was considering drawing them sort of leaning against/peeking out from behind the Atari VCS logo, to kind of promote the characters for the console. Yeah...... I had all these weird creative ideas floating in my head when I was still excited for it. It's kinda sad. XDDDD

Just for fun, i ran a picture of fred through FaceApp with the old person filter.......... 3 times....... Here is the result:

Doubt anyone actually knows except Atari themselves. My guess is it was running on something like this: https://www.rakuten.com/shop/godwincorp/product/e2gyrwnsf/?sku=e2gyrwnsf&scid=pla_google_godwincorp&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuefvBRDXARIsAFEOQ9HxXqw1EysjyBqTWQmqdgHxLOrtL22H5YhRPBWL23y1FFqQhn1zo34aAu-9EALw_wcB

I'll still use mine if they actually deliver, but nopety nope nope-- no working prototype has been shown in video form yet. We have no idea what it looks like when the console is running and displaying something on a screen.

Lol. I find it funny that I was once an avid VCS supporter. Remember those days @Flojomojo when I would spew out these arguments defending the VCS relentlessly? Good times. o u o My journey should be posted somewhere on the VCS Reddit-- "I was once like all of you.... but then my eyes changed."

Either way, that's probably the most fascinating part of this console. I honestly have to admit, the hardware itself still kinda tickles my fancy. I just wish a more competent team was behind it. Lol.

lol..... "the tools Atari is providing".

I actually haven't. o w o I'm terrible with expressions. LOL

Lol, now people are calling me "whiny" on the indiegogo comments page, and Atari are responding to them. For those of you that aren't caught up with the situation between me and Atari, I'll give you a general rundown on what occurred: Early/Mid 2017 - I back around $370 towards the VCS IndieGoGo campaign. At this point, I was very enthusiastic towards the project, and going as far as defending it in the IndieGoGo comments, and even early on in this thread. Eventually I decided I would like to help the VCS platform out and develop an exclusive game for it. I began developing level designs, art assets and a game engine for the game. I ask another person if they would like to help with character art on the game, she said "yes". As this is going on, we're not hearing anything about Atari VCS (of course), but I continue to leave pretty positive, enthusiastic comments on the IndieGoGo page. I notice the amount of negativity surrounding the console, which prompts me to leave constructive suggestions on the IndieGoGo page. Atari never responds to any of these suggestions. Late 2017 - Around this time I sent Atari an email at their developer inquiries email address. Once again, I was positive and enthusiastic-- showing support for the VCS while also approaching them in a professional manner. In response, they sent me an email basically saying "stay tuned", as if I was another backer (and not a developer). I didn't respond to their email, and decided to wait it out for a little while. I also showed further support by spending around $30 on one of their Atari VCS t-shirts (which they did deliver). 2018 - I continue to leave politely-toned comments on the IndieGoGo campaign page-- none of which they responded to. It might have been at this point that I started expressing some concern in the fact that they didn't show any games yet. Whenever I had surveys sent to me on the VCS campaign, I would always answer them fully. I also completely filled out the BackerKit survey and gave as many details as possible in what they could do to further improve their public image with the VCS. As time went on and none of those messages received responses, it's getting to the point where I'm starting to get a feeling of "getting the cold shoulder" from Atari. Late 2018 - Still no news regarding developing for the Atari VCS. I attempt to look on their website for ways to sign up as a developer and found no such registration form. I think it might have been around this point in time where I was getting fed up with Atari, and finally started seeing the light (or the taco's, whichever one you guys prefer xD). I decide around this point to put my project for the VCS on hold. I don't remember the exact way I turned away from showing support and positivity towards the VCS, but I remember I was getting mixed feelings, sometimes swaying back and forth between still being excited for it, and not being excited. 2019 - Atari is delaying the project even further to upgrade their console specs. At this point, I wasn't really even committed anymore as a developer. Later in the year, I decided to make my VCS exclusive game a Steam release, and began continuing development on it under that basis instead. For a while, I stopped even going to the VCS Indiegogo page, because none of my suggestions or developer inquiries were ever responded to. Very little trickled out about the VCS, and right up until about September the console pretty much had no news about anything regarding prototypes or hardware, or the OS itself. Communication between Atari and its skeptical supporters is virtually non-existent. The company ignores anyone that merely questions their decisions, or has anything negative to say in general. I also notice OTHER indie devs experiencing similar frustrations as me: Then just today, I'm getting called out by other backers on the IndieGoGo page, saying my comments are "whiny", and "Atari wouldn't want to work with someone like me anyway", etc. I don't know about them, but I personally find my lack of communication from Atari extremely unprofessional and insulting. Also, I am most definitely NOT the only person experiencing this. Atari should at least have the decency to write something like "We are pleased to see your enthusiasm, but we are not looking for extra developers for the VCS platform at this time. Thank you." TL;DR: Anyway, I just wanted to express my personal experiences and grievances as an Atari VCS supporter and (attempted) developer. Try as I might, and be as polite and professional as I could-- no response came from Atari, my inquiries remained never answered, and now it's like I'm not allowed to voice myself anywhere on their social media pages. Anybody that has tried to develop for the VCS or has had any similar experiences, I'd be interested to hear those.

For some reason when I saw this GIF, I thought it was one of these guys:

Even with the new update they gave us, they literally shared almost nothing new. They tried to point us where we can fill out a form to sign up to be a VCS developer, but it literally just points you to www.atarivcs.com. I looked all over the website and there is STILL no "form" of any kind to fill out to be a VCS developer. From Update #21:

Honestly, having a laptop-style power supply is nicer than having a fuckin' wall-wart hanging off of your wall or power strip. Always hated those things. xD Also, having a power supply at all is more than can be said for the PlayStation Classic. o u o

I liked it. She's hawt. Rawr. o u o LOL

Lol, I said "each other", as in, you know... you and me, or the other active users in this thread. o w o

I don't think it was "news" per say, but Atari did a horrible job at communicating the actual configuration until that comment. It's obviously a "dual-boot" setup that they'll have with it, to make Sandbox mode work. Pretty simple-- upon turning on the console it looks for an M.2 drive. If one is connected and it has a bootable partition on it, the console will give you the option to boot from it. Basically the same as how a regular PC's "boot device selection" screen works before Windows loads up.

Here's my 2 cents: Both @Flojomojo and @Tommy Tallarico raised valid points and feedback. I think the discussion overall was handled in a very civil fashion, so props there to you both. I'm of the stance that criticism and positivity/compliments are both necessary for things like this. If you have too much criticism to make, the person taking the criticism won't know what they're doing right, and it can get to feel more like an attack rather than constructive criticism. If there's too many compliments, then the person taking them will feel like they're doing absolutely no wrong, even if they are. As a person I tend to lean more towards positivity, because that's just how I am. It depends on my mood I guess though. LOL.

Yeah.. Frankly at this point, I'll be perfectly happy if I get exactly what you described. I'll set up my own gamepad-friendly UI on it and put a bunch of Atari 2600/5200/7800/MAME/Jaguar roms on it. I'll also use it as a secondary device for streaming movies on like my bedroom TV or somewhere else in the house (I don't watch regular cable :P). So I've already got plans for my unit. If Atari actually does in fact have a proprietary UI for the VCS though, on which you can add people as friends and stuff like their concept animations suggest, then I propose everyone that got suckered into backing the unit (including myself) adds each other as VCS friends, just as a gag.. LOL