godslabrat

Does anyone have even rough numbers on how many VCS units were made?

It's just weird to see threads on these games when the actual *interest* in said games seems to be lukewarm at best. On a Forem like this, if someone wants to make a thread on a Game, it gets made. If not, it doesn't. Making threads for every game by default and hoping if you build it, they will come is... not the best use of your time. IMO.

I would also say that browsing the web on a CRT tv wasn't quite a great experience. It wasn't bad, but it needed HD resolution for lots of layouts. And when HD sets dropped in price, like atariack said, better options were around.

"Challenge accepted." - grease

I don't see that there's a way the heat can vent up to the chicken WITHOUT grease from the chicken being able to flow back to the CPU. Hot grease gets everywhere, it's what it does.

As someone who doesn't give a rats rear about "grading", but who does occasionally need high-level protection, this is appealing to me.

Hey, don't blame the VCS for that. Fart games are the fault of the developer.

That's SOP.

To say I remain highly skeptical is being generous.

Okay, reality check... is there any end here where this is not either A) a joke that goes too far or B) an absolutely terrible idea? If investors of any kind are willing to throw money at this, that's the best argument for socialism there will ever be.

At the very least, you get your hardware settled before you take money for it. Doing anything else is clownshoes.

The sole reason I'd even bring up the "computer" aspect of it is to contrast it with l'Atari's own messaging. The Box was sold as being able to play and stream "like never before", but what they've delivered is *exactly* what has come before. You call this thing a "computer" and it cements the idea that it's not meaningfully different than the PC you likely already have. I agree, today's consoles are (to varying degrees) computer variants... but all the systems I can think of bring to the table an experience that you couldn't easily replicate with a consumer PC. L'Atari, on the other hand, has not only delivered something like you'd order from Newegg, but you'd need to add additional purchases to even achieve that level of functionality.

Making games takes money. You either pay someone to develop a game in-house, or you buy someone else's game and slap your name on it. Either way, it doesn't appear out of nowhere, you pay for it. L'Atari made it clear they wanted to spend an absolute minimal amount of money to release the VCS. Their own reports indicated their lack of desire to spend, which is why they made so many decisions that are otherwise puzzling. Nearly everything the company did makes complete sense when you realize their top priority was avoiding anything resembling a financial risk-- even if that meant doing the unthinkable and releasing a game console that had no games.

By the same logic, it is okay not to like it.

We were able to keep prospective pigeons informed of l'Atari's lack of efforts AND swap Tex-mex recipes. How awesome is that?

Why do you hate moms?

This. I respect the "Personal Journey of an Atari Fan" story, but it's a story that ends in the mid-90s. Someone's relationship with the old Atari has no relevance to their choice to buy a VCS... and if it does, they've been misled by a trio of Frenchmen who aren't even that good at misleading. If the VCS is to succeed beyond being excreted out of a factory, then l'Atari needs to provide a reason for current and new customers to buy it. They haven't done so. They don't appear to be doing so. Making the VCS was the easiest way out of a lawsuit by a company that doesn't know what they're doing.

There is some logic to what you say, but I have serious disagreement that l'Atari wants anything to do with this machine once it leaves the warehouse. Your analysis would have merit if this were a contending product off to a rocky start, but all signs point to it being a one-off project they reluctantly fulfilled.

No, I could get behind another console with a very low upfront cost ($150 max, $99 preferable). But between my Switch and my XB1, I struggle to find the need that isn't already being filled. Does SNK benefit from locking me into a particular ecosystem? I didn't think they were big enough to play that game. What I do love about their fighting games is that they're great for local co-op. Family.

If they went the firestick route, there's no reason this couldn't simply be an app on the big three consoles. I would be *very* interested in that.

I'm thinking there's still a viable market for speculators. Now that the thing is out, some people might be trying to buy one and sit on it for a year or three to see if it goes up in value. If someone is buying a VCS, I wouldn't assume they'd be breaking the seal.

Yes, let's give them more stuff to screw up.

But why would the dad, who apparently knows enough about video games to know what Atari is, not want to play Minecraft and Fortnight on a PS5 or Switch?

I'm sure when it's released, it'll have one. Given what happened with the VCS, it makes sense to not jump the gun.