Atari 2600: an impressive video game?

[Serguei2]

Atari Video Computer System released in 1977.

 

Do you think VCS is an impressive video game whe it released?

[dubxcube]

(Comments deleted...)

Edited February 16, 2014 by dubxcube

[Rom Hunter]

Atari Video Computer System released in 1977.

 

Do you think VCS is an impressive video game whe it released?

 

Compared to Magnavox and Fairchild?

 

Yes.

 

[Zwackery]

I'm more impressed by what the programmers managed to coax out of a console that was designed around Pong style gaming. In terms of what the VCS did for the entire industry, that was also an impressive achievement, even if the launch itself was not a commercial success.

[+Gemintronic]

It had better marketing and a proper joystick. The impressive stuff came out because of those factors - otherwise it's be the pong and tank machine as intended.

[+Random Terrain]

Are you saying the games available when it was released? A console that can load in video games isn't usually called a "video game."

[+Gemintronic]

The Atari Video Computer System made its debut in 1977.

 

Do you think the VCS was an impressive video game console when released?

 

Fixed for R.T.

 

 

Note I left out whether the O.P. meant the hardware, software or both. I guess he left that part open.

[Mr SQL]

I think it was impressive because it had accelerator hardware for graphics and sound; no one had ever seen anything like that yet.

[SpaceDice2010]

 

Compared to Magnavox and Fairchild?

 

Yes.

 

 

The Asstrocade blew the 2600 away in my opinion. That was a system way ahead of it's time.

Edited February 16, 2014 by SpaceDice2010

[Serguei2]

Are you saying the games available when it was released? A console that can load in video games isn't usually called a "video game."

 

Perhaps "video game" was not do exist yet. That's why Atari called the console a computer. VCS = Video Computer System

[+LS650]

When I was about 11 or so, my younger brother and I went to a Sears store in Kamloops, BC. I guess this would be something like spring 1978. Up to that point, we might have seen something like a Gunfight or Seawolf cabinet in the arcade. There was a group of about 8 or 10 kids gathered around a color TV on display. All the kids seemed really excited so we wandered over to check it out. There on the color screen we could see the kids were playing the biplanes and jet fighter variations of Combat.

 

The older kids were hogging the machine and wouldn't let the younger kids play, so we were just stuck watching. Still, my brother and I were completely blown away. We'd barely even seen videogames in the arcade, and now you could actually buy a machine to go in your own home?? I can still remember that first impression. Finally, a store clerk made the older kids switch it up, and my brother and I got to play one match. It was the 2 jets against 2 jets with clouds, if I recall correctly. My brother kicked my ass.

 

In the days of desktop four-function calculators being "high tech", yes, the VCS was extraordinarily impressive.

Edited February 16, 2014 by ls650

[Dauber]

All I know is...I was impressed when it first came out, and after seeing all the great homebrews (both software and hardware), I'm STILL impressed by the damn thing!

[BassGuitari]

Compared to the Channel F, Studio II, and the innumerable pong consoles of the time, the Atari is nothing short of impressive.

The Bally had a lot of potential, and its games were higher-res than Atari's, but until around the time Space Invaders and Wizard of Wor came out, most of its games looked like souped-up Fairchild titles. (Although, the built-in Gunfight game is perhaps the definitive home version of Gunfight/Boot Hill of the classic era.)

[Keatah]

I thought the VCS was a rather decent system. It sure got plenty of playtime back then. But there wasn't much to compare it against. Today it is very impressive for a good number of reasons.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Keatah

[JOD-I]

A system that still has plenty of people still in love with it today is a very impressive system

[SoulBlazer]

Compared to any other console when it came out (1977) the 2600 was clearly the best for numerous reasons. It was soon overshadowed in the tech department by the Intelivision in 1979 and the O2 shortly after, and by the time of the Colecovision in 1982 it was obsolete. We all know, however, that games make the systems, so it remained a best seller through 1984 (and perhaps as late as 1986) and had official support from Atari all the way to 1991. That's a damn impressive run, unmatched by any other console in video game history. For those reasons alone, the 2600 is arguably the most impressive console. (Some might argue the NES or PlayStation for different reasons, but even NES fanboy that I am I'll give all the kudos and credit to the 2600!)

[Atari2008]

Yes I think so. At the time of it's release there was the Channel F and RCA Studio II. While I love the Channel F, the Atari 2600 blows it away and completely obliterates the RCA Studio II, it was a huge tech leap from both systems. The O2 which came after doesn't have the flicker present in many Atari 2600 games but it also can't display background graphics and has a built-in set of blocky characters giving most games the same look. The Astrocade was more advanced but as has been said here the early games weren't all that impressive and it also had lots of hardware issues. The Intellivision was more advanced but again it came down to games and accessibility. The Inty with those crazy controllers and all those buttons is not as user friendly as the simple 2600 joystick. Also, it still has a huge homebrew scene so yes the 2600 is a very impressive game system.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Atari2008

[Zwackery]

Perhaps "video game" was not do exist yet. That's why Atari called the console a computer. VCS = Video Computer System

Yes, video games existed well before the VCS.

 

This may sound like a rude question, but is English your primary language? Maybe there is a translation problem here.

[Serguei2]

Yes, video games existed well before the VCS.

 

This may sound like a rude question, but is English your primary language? Maybe there is a translation problem here.

 

I mean those words "video games" were not used yet.

 

Or even not called 'video games' at this time.

 

So why do you think Atari called VCS video computer system? Or does C mean something else?

Edited February 19, 2014 by Serguei2

[godzillajoe]

 

I mean those words "video games" were not used yet.

 

Or even not called 'video games' at this time.

 

So why do you think Atari called VCS video computer system? Or does C mean something else?

 

If you believe Wikipedia

 

In a move to compete directly with the Channel F, Atari Inc. named the machine the Video Computer System (or VCS for short), as the Channel F was at that point known as the VES, for Video Entertainment System.